Angelina Jolie’s Brother James Haven Comes Out As Gay After Splitting From His Wife
Image: Image: IMDB
Angelina Jolie’s older brother, James Haven, has publicly come out as gay while reflecting on the years he spent hiding his identity.
The 53-year-old filmmaker shared the news during a livestream with his former wife and longtime friend, Romi Imbelli.
The conversation appeared on Imbelli’s Substack and included Haven reading a personal letter about his childhood and journey towards self-acceptance.
“I learned to question parts of myself long before I learned to celebrate them”
Haven recalled being drawn to traditionally feminine things as a young boy, including Disney princesses, glitter and mascara. However, he said he did not yet have the words to understand or explain those feelings.
“Like so many gay kids, I learned to question parts of myself long before I learned to celebrate them,” Haven said in the letter.
“I hope my family and others can choose love over fear, understanding over judgment, and connection over the beliefs that may have kept us apart. I hope they can look beyond the labels and simply see me with the same heart, the same laugh, the same soul they’ve always known.”
He went on to describe his younger self as joyful and brave, making it clear that being gay was never something that made him broken or confused.
“That little boy with glitter on his face and mascara on his lashes was never confused, broken, or something to be ashamed of. He was simply gay. He was joyful. He was brave before he even knew it,”
Haven is the son of actors Jon Voight and the late Marcheline Bertrand. Although he has worked as an actor, director and producer, he has generally maintained a much lower public profile than his famous sister.
The announcement follows the end of his brief marriage to Imbelli, who appeared on the reality television series The Real L Word. The pair had reportedly been friends for more than two decades before marrying in an intimate Laguna Beach ceremony on August 12, 2024.
Court records showed they separated on August 26, just 14 days later, with Imbelli filing for an annulment the following day. Despite their complicated marital history, they have remained close.
Following Haven’s announcement, Imbelli shared a supportive message about helping someone she loves find freedom.
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