At a press briefing in the US Capitol, Jolie expressed support for renewing legislation that would provide victims of such abuse with medical and legal assistance, as well as support to children who have been exposed to violence in the home.

“The ugly truth is that violence in homes is normalised in our country,” said the filmmaker and Academy Award-winning actress.

“I want to acknowledge the children who are terrified and suffering at this moment, and the many people for whom this legislation comes too late,” said Jolie, who teared up as she called on congress to make reauthorisation of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) a priority.

The 46-year-old “Eternals” star has accused her ex-husband Brad Pitt of intentionally hitting their son Maddox, then 15, although Pitt has been cleared of the allegations.

President Joe Biden, then a US senator, was a primary author of the original version of the bill first signed into law in 1994. Subsequent versions of VAWA have passed with strong support from both Democrats and Republicans.

But in 2019, a version that had cleared the House of Representatives stalled in the senate, which was then controlled by Republicans who prevented the bill from coming to a final vote.