Joined by ex-wife, Romi Imbelli, just months after their divorce, Haven shared the news during a livestream.
ByJaelani Turner-Williams
<a href="https://comicvibe.com/a-quiet-place-codes-august-2026/” title=”A Quiet Place codes August 2026″>August 6, 2026
Key Takeaways
- James Haven, Angelina Jolie’s older brother and son of Jon Voight and the late Marcheline Bertrand, came out as gay during a Substack livestream with his ex-wife Romi Imbelli, framing it as a new chapter after years of healing from childhood trauma.
- Reading an emotional letter, Haven recalled secretly experimenting with glitter and mascara as a boy, said he was “simply gay” rather than confused or broken, and described coming out as letting others finally meet the person he has always been while asking his family to choose love and understanding over judgment.
- Imbelli, who married Haven in 2024 before their brief union was annulled, publicly celebrated his announcement, calling him her family and “one of the greatest loves” of her life as they continue collaborating on adapting her book into a TV show.
Angelina Jolie’s older brother, James Haven, has publicly come out as gay during a Substack livestream while joined by his ex-wife, Romi Imbelli.
The 53-year-old, who’s the son of actor Jon Voight and late actor-producer Marcheline Bertrand, appeared in a livestream on Imbelli’s Substack on Thursday (August 6), just months after their divorce was finalized. According to People, the ex-spouses married in 2024 and confirmed their annulment in March. Before their marriage, Haven and Imbelli were friends for over two decades.
Haven opened by sharing that he was entering a “new chapter” to free himself from “childhood trauma.”
“I’m gay,” Haven said before recalling his childhood. “When I was a little boy, I was absolutely obsessed with the Disney princesses,” Haven continued. “I would sneak glitter onto my cheeks, swipe mascara onto my lashes, and for those moments, I felt like magic.”
“I started wondering if that sparkle was something I had to hide to be accepted by the ‘normal’ boys around me,” Haven wrote. “Like so many gay kids, I learned to question parts of myself long before I learned to celebrate them.”
Haven added that the childhood version of himself was “never confused, broken, or something to be ashamed of” but was “simply gay.” “He was joyful. He was brave before he even knew it,” he continued.
“Coming out isn’t about becoming someone new,” Haven explained. “It’s about allowing everyone else to meet the person who has been here all along.”
He added his hopes that family members “choose love over fear, understanding over judgment, and connection over the beliefs that may have kept us apart.”
Imbelli further extended support to her ex-husband on Instagram. “Love doesn’t always fit into the boxes we’re taught it should. Sometimes it transforms. Sometimes it changes shape. Sometimes it asks us to let go of what we imagined so we can embrace what is true,” she captioned her post. “I’ll always love him. Just not as his wife, but as my family, my best friend, and one of the greatest loves of my life.”
Haven previously performed as an actor, starring alongside Jolie in moviesGia, Hell’s Kitchenand Original Sin in minor roles.
