Angelina Jolie explains infamous Oscars dress

Angelina Jolie wore her infamous high-slit dress to the 2012 Academy Awards because it was "comfortable".

The 44-year-old actress became a viral sensation when she showed off her leg in a long black gown alongside then-husband Brad Pitt on the red carpet seven years ago and she admitted she'd initially planned to wear something "more complicated", but ultimately felt more like herself in the other gown.

Speaking at the premiere of her new movie Maleficent: Mistress of Evil earlier this week, she told Extra: "There's a whole longer story behind that -- I had a more complicated dress and I wore the more comfortable dress, which was that one, and I think I was just so comfortable that.

"I think when you feel comfortable, when you feel yourself -- which is very much the theme of the film, and we know this in life -- you embrace it. And sometimes, maybe it appears to be a thing, I don't know."

For this week's premiere, Angelina played it safe in a black Versace gown - and revealed she had a "secret" slit in the dress.

She said: "You never know if it's going to be pink in theme, because it could be...

"I have some panels that are see-through, so we have a secret slit, actually."

The brunette beauty was accompanied to the premiere by her five youngest children but she's gearing up to visit the eldest, Maddox, 18, who recently left for university in South Korea because she "needs" to hug him.

She said: "He's good. But he's flying to meet me in Japan. So I am two days from my hug.

"He's great. I know he is solid, he's fine, but I need it."