Angelina Jolie joins Instagram, smashes Jennifer Aniston's record within hours; powerful post gets high praise

Angelina Jolie made a sensational Instagram debut, racking up millions of followers in just a few hours and thereby beating the previous record holder Jennifer Aniston.

Angelina Jolie's Instagram debut was a smashing success - she obliterated Jennifer Aniston's Insta record in what seemed like an instant. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Hollywood film star Angelina Jolie joined Instagram today for a good cause, but ended up making news of another nature too. Jolie smashed the Instagram record that another Hollywood actress, Jennifer Aniston, had held when she first joined Instagram so many years ago. Interestingly, both of them were married to Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt, but both marriages ended on a bitter note.

Angelina Jolie's Instagram account just skyrocketed as soon as she announced it, racking up over over 2 million followers in just 3 hours and then 4.5 mn followers in 14 hours and now, she has over 6 million.

On her part, Jennifer Aniston had a spectacular debut too and it created a record. Aniston's Insta account hit the 1 million followers mark in just over five hours, reports Express. Aniston joined Instagram in October 2019.

The two actresses' marriages to Brad Pitt had not lasted long. Aniston, who was married to Pitt for 5 years, saw her marriage crumble after Pitt left her for Jolie when he met her on the sets of the film they were then shooting - Mr and Mrs Smith. Jolie's marriage to Pitt lasted over a dozen years.

Angelina Jolie says she joined Instagram to promote the cause of women in Afghanistan and also other social causes. Her first picture on the platform was that of a heart-rending letter by a girl in Afghanistan who feared her country would return to its medieval ways now that the Taliban had returned to power.

 

Jennifer Aniston's first Instagram post was also a photo. It showed her Friends co-stars David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox.

In her message, Jolie said, "And now we're Instagram FRIENDS too, HI INSTAGRAM." Her description read, "Mom, filmmaker, Special Envoy for UN refugees".

In the post on the Afghan girl, Jolie said, "This is a letter I was sent from a teenage girl in Afghanistan. Right now, the people of Afghanistan are losing their ability to communicate on social media and to express themselves freely. So I've come on Instagram to share their stories and the voices of those across the globe who are fighting for their basic human rights."

She concluded by saying, "Watching for decades how Afghan refugees - some of the most capable people in the world - are treated like a burden is also sickening. Knowing that if they had the tools and respect, how much they would do for themselves. And meeting so many women and girls who not only wanted an education, but fought for it. Like others who are committed, I will not turn away. I will continue to look for ways to help. And I hope you'll join me."

Jolie put a few hashtags at the end - #Afghanistan #AfghanWomen #AfghanGirls #HumanRights.

The powerful post elicited much praise, with many thanking Jolie for speaking up on this pressing current issue.