In an exclusive interview, the biological mother of Angelina Jolie’s adopted daughter Zahara is speaking out and pleading for the chance to reconnect with her child.

Mentewab Dawit Lebiso, who lives in Ethiopia, has been estranged from Zahara since Jolie adopted her as a young child in 2005. Now, in the wake of Jolie’s high-profile split from Brad Pitt, Lebiso is renewing her efforts to reach out to her daughter.

“I just want her to know that I am alive and here and long to be able to speak with her,” Lebiso said in an emotional interview. “I do hope one day I will be able to see Zahara, and that she will want to see me. How I would cherish that moment.”

Lebiso, who was only 19 years old when she gave birth to Zahara, says she has been haunted by the loss of her child ever since the adoption. Despite her pleas over the years, she has been repeatedly denied access to Zahara by Jolie’s legal team.

“I think about her every day and long to hear how she is, what she is doing, and if she is happy,” Lebiso continued. “I would ask Angelina to please let my daughter know that I am waiting for her, that I long for her, and that I hope one day we can be reunited, and that she can come to know me.”

The Brangelina split has reignited Lebiso’s hope that she may now have a chance to connect with Zahara, who is now 17 years old. She believes the tumult in Jolie’s personal life could potentially open the door for her to reach out to her daughter.

“I think this is a very sad time for Angelina, and I can relate to those feelings,” Lebiso said. “I hope that in this change, Zahara might be able to reach out to me. I would give anything for her to know me. I hope Angelina will now finally let my daughter come to know me.”

While the likelihood of Lebiso’s wish being granted remains uncertain, her heartfelt pleas underscore the complex and often painful realities of international adoptions. As the Brangelina saga continues to unfold, Zahara’s birth mother holds onto the hope that she may one day be reunited with the daughter she was forced to give up nearly two decades ago.