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Angelina Jolie’s older brother James Haven came out as gay on his ex-wife Romi Imbelli’s Substack on Aug. 6: “I am now free to live the life that I believe I was always meant to live.”
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James Haven is sharing his truth.
More than a year after sharing he and wife Romi Imbelli filed to annul their seven-month marriage, Angelina Jolie’s older brother came out as gay—with a little help from his now-ex.
“Today’s a new day,” Imbelli, 44, said during an Aug. 6 Substack livestream with Haven while discussing their new chapter as friends. “We get to be this and you get to be… What are you James?”
Jokingly asking “is this the cue,” Haven, 53, responded, “I’m gay.”
He also read a statement about his coming out journey, saying when he was younger, he “didn’t have the language back then to explain why” he felt different.
“It was never about pretending to be someone else,” he shared. “It was about letting a part of myself shine that had always been there.”
He continued, adding, “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.”
Elaborating on his decision to come out now, Haven—the eldest of Jon Voight and the late Marcheline Bertrand’s two kids—shared that he has “nothing but love” for himself and those who supported him in his journey to become “what I was meant to be.”
“Today is August 6, 2026 and I, James Haven, begin a new chapter in my life,” he said in a follow-up Substack video. “After many years of healing from childhood trauma, I am now free to live the life that I believe I was always meant to live. One of hope, one of peace, and one of love.”
Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Disney
His announcement comes over a year after Imbelli, whom he wed in August 2024, filed to annul their marriage in March 2025, citing the reason as “fraud.”
“This has been a deeply personal and difficult decision, but one that I feel is necessary for my own well-being,” the 44-year-old, who has been using her Substack to share segments of her memoir Breathe Mija, told People at the time. “I appreciate the support of those who have stood by me, and at this time, I am focused on moving forward with clarity and peace."
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