Angelina Jolie’s older brother, filmmaker James Haven, has publicly come out as gay, sharing a deeply personal reflection on the years he spent questioning and concealing parts of himself.
The 53-year-old revealed his sexuality during a livestream with former wife and longtime friend Romi Imbelli, which accompanied the conclusion of her Breathe Mija Substack series.
Haven read from a personal letter reflecting on his childhood, identity and the journey that has eventually allowed him to live more openly.
‘I learned to question parts of myself’
Looking back on his childhood, Haven recalled being attracted to things traditionally associated with femininity, including Disney princesses, glitter and mascara.
At the time, however, he did not have the language or understanding to explain what those interests meant to him.
“Like so many gay kids, I learned to question parts of myself long before I learned to celebrate them,” Haven said in the letter.
His coming-out statement described a process of looking back at his younger self with considerably more compassion than he was able to offer himself at the time.
“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,” he said.
Haven also addressed his hopes for how the people closest to him will respond to his decision to live openly.
“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 described coming out not as becoming somebody new, but as finally allowing himself to acknowledge the person he had always been.
A life largely outside his sister’s spotlight
Haven is the son of actors Jon Voight and the late Marcheline Bertrand and has generally maintained a significantly lower public profile than his younger sister.
He has worked as an actor, director and producer, with acting credits including Gia and Original Sin.
Haven also attracted considerable media attention when he accompanied Jolie to the Academy Awards in 2000, where the close siblings famously kissed after Jolie won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Girl, Interrupted.
More recently, however, Haven has largely kept his personal life away from the public spotlight.
His coming out marks what he has described as a new chapter following years of personal reflection and healing.
Former wife supports Haven’s coming out
The announcement also brings new context to Haven’s unusual relationship with Imbelli, who appeared on the reality series The Real L Word.
The pair had been friends for more than two decades before marrying in an intimate ceremony in Laguna Beach, California, on 12 August 2024.
Court records later showed they separated on 26 August, just 14 days after the wedding, with Imbelli filing for an annulment the following day.
Their legal settlement subsequently recorded an annulment based on fraud, although their personal relationship has continued to evolve since the marriage ended.
Despite that complicated history, Imbelli has publicly supported Haven as he has come to terms with his sexuality.
Following his announcement, she described him as family and a best friend, saying her role was not to reveal his identity for him but to support him as he reached a place where he could live more freely and authentically.
