Angelina Jolie’s brother, James Haven, is detailing his coming out journey — and how their father, Jon Voight, reacted to the news.
Haven, 53, publicly came out as gay in a livestream on Thursday, August 6, announcing the news alongside his ex-wife and close friend, Romi Imbelli. (The couple annulled their marriage in mid-2025, just months after they wed in August 2024.)
In a Wednesday, August 12, interview on the “All Out With Jon Dean” podcast, Haven said that he knew that he was gay for much of his life, but he finally decided to come out after Imbelli, 44, began writing a memoir, which included details about the end of their relationship. He and Imbelli reconnected after their annulment, and he granted her permission to write about his sexuality, leading to his announcement last week.
“If you know you are [gay], but you can’t say it, you’re hurting every day,” Haven said. “I lost my life in this process up to this point, so I’m tired of that. I want a life now. I want to actually live a life. I want to be happy. I want to be me. I want to be joyful. I want everyone to know who I am, so I’m not hiding anymore.”
According to Haven, while he never publicly declared himself a gay man in the past, many people in his close circle of friends always had an inkling.
“I’ve not gotten one text from one person that knows me that says, ‘Oh, my gosh, I had no idea,’” the former actor said. “They all have kind of said, ‘I’ve always known,’ or, ‘Thank you for finally being ready to say it.’”
Angelina Jolie and her brother James Haven Brenda Chase
Perhaps the biggest surprise is that Haven’s announcement has helped him reconnect with Voight, his estranged father. (Haven and Jolie, 51, are the children of the Oscar winner and the late Marcheline Bertrand.)
Haven said that, growing up, he had a “very difficult” upbringing and relationship with his father.
“The biggest issue I dealt with in my relationship with him for the longest time was a value issue,” Haven said, claiming that Voight, 87, wasn’t forthcoming with compliments when he was younger.
James Haven and Jon Voight Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
“There was a long period of time … we didn’t talk for many years because of a lack of value that I felt from him,” Haven shared.
However, Haven received a “surreal” phone call from his father last week after he publicly shared his coming-out story.
“I’m just like, ‘Hey,’ and he’s like, ‘So…’ I’m like, ‘Ah, here we go…’” Haven recalled their conversation. “He goes, ‘I finally know who you are’ … and all of a sudden we had this really nice chat and I called [Imbelli] immediately and I said, ‘I did not expect that phone call.’”
James Haven is a proud (and protective) uncle to sister Angelina Jolie’s children. “I think it’s natural and that’s where [my bond] all started, it started with the protection of her and the direct her children — my nieces and nephews [during] those massively formative years,” Haven, 52, said during a New Year’s Eve appearance […]
“Somehow him saying that was like, ‘Oh, my God, OK,’” Haven added, saying that he felt accepted by his father during their phone conversation. “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He kept talking about it, like, ‘Now I understand why you’ve been so private.’”
Haven said that he plans to meet with Voight in person in the coming days for a reunion.
“I feel so free now. I feel so free. Now I can be myself,” he said on the podcast.
