Angelina Jolie, 44, is far from an empty-nester but she couldn’t contain her emotions as her oldest son Maddox Jolie-Pitt starts college! The 18-year-old is attending Yonsei University in South Korea to study biochemistry, and his proud mama dropped him off at the school in-person. “I leave today, I’m trying not to cry,” the Oscar winner said in the sweet video, posted to Instagram by user @xx_efu on Wednesday, August 21. The mother-son duo were all smiles in the photos and videos shared on the account, as Angelina took the time to chat with Maddox’s fellow students and even offered to take a picture with the excited group. The video was taken in a building on-campus.
Angelina confirmed with the group that she and Maddox were in the Korean capital for a few days before classes get started. “We’ve been in Seoul — we were [also] here a little while ago when we first went to Yonsei,” the Maleficent: Mistress of Evil star shared with a keen student. It appeared the group were on a tour of orientation, as classes start on Monday, September 2. Maddox’s decision to attend the South Korean college came after months of US and international campus tours — including a stop by NYU — before he settled on Yonsei. The private institution was founded in 1885 is one of Korea’s three SKY universities, which are considered the most prestigious in the country. “It seems like a great school,” Angelina also gushed in the video. Maddox, who was homeschooled for his elementary and high school education is also reportedly studying Korean.
Notably, dad Brad Pitt was not present for the drop-off — which would be a major milestone for any teenager leaving home the first time. Brad, 55, has been feeling left out of Maddox’s college plans, as we previously reported back in March. Brad also appeared to miss out on Maddox’s 18th birthday, which was on August 5, as Angelina took her son on a trip to Cleveland to visit a close friend.
Maddox’s big move isn’t just emotional for Angelina, but also for Maddox’s younger siblings, including Pax, 15, Zahara, 14, Shiloh, 13, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 11. The close knit brood are reportedly still getting “used” to the idea of their big brother leaving home, but thanks to modern technology, staying in touch is only a text or a FaceTime call away!