Brangelina comes out to support Nicholas Kristof (update: more book news)

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Brad and Angelina are shown on 5/20/09 in Cannes. Credit: WENN.com

Tuesday night, Brangelina left the kids at home and went out for an adults-only evening. First, they went for a “romantic dinner date” at Cecconi’s, an Italian restaurant in Hollywood. Eyewitness accounts have them holding hands and looking “as if they were having plenty of fun throughout their romantic date.” X17 seems to be the only agency with photos of the date night. They both look nice. And both are in shades of black and maybe navy (hey, it‘s a start). And Brad left his fedoras and newsboy caps at home! Hurray!

After dinner, it seems Brad and Angelina stopped by a book party for Nicholas Kristof’s (and his co-author Sheryl WuDunn’s) Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity For Women Worldwide. Kristof is more Angelina’s friend than Brad‘s. Kristof is a columnist for the New York Times, and he spends a lot of his time working on and writing about many of the subjects Angelina is involved with – refugees, poverty, education, women’s rights internationally, human rights, et cetera. Jolie and Kristof have done appearances together on behalf of the Council on Foreign Relations (of which they are both members), and it was after a CFR panel discussion that Kristof took to his NYT blog to defend Angelina against what he saw as an unfairly snarky Daily Beast column. Here’s more about the book:

From two of our most fiercely moral voices, a passionate call to arms against our era’s most pervasive human rights violation: the oppression of women and girls in the developing world.

With Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn as our guides, we undertake an odyssey through Africa and Asia to meet the extraordinary women struggling there, among them a Cambodian teenager sold into sex slavery and an Ethiopian woman who suffered devastating injuries in childbirth. Drawing on the breadth of their combined reporting experience, Kristof and WuDunn depict our world with anger, sadness, clarity, and, ultimately, hope.

They show how a little help can transform the lives of women and girls abroad. That Cambodian girl eventually escaped from her brothel and, with assistance from an aid group, built a thriving retail business that supports her family. The Ethiopian woman had her injuries repaired and in time became a surgeon. A Zimbabwean mother of five, counseled to return to school, earned her doctorate and became an expert on AIDS.

Through these stories, Kristof and WuDunn help us see that the key to economic progress lies in unleashing women’s potential. They make clear how so many people have helped to do just that, and how we can each do our part. Throughout much of the world, the greatest unexploited economic resource is the female half of the population. Countries such as China have prospered precisely because they emancipated women and brought them into the formal economy. Unleashing that process globally is not only the right thing to do; it’s also the best strategy for fighting poverty.

Deeply felt, pragmatic, and inspirational, Half the Sky is essential reading for every global citizen.

[From Random House]

So, anyway, Angelina and Brad stopped by the book party and once again it seems like X17 was the only agency to get pics. The party was at the Pacific Design Center, which I can only suspect is how Angelina got Brad to come. “Hey, baby, you can look at pretty architecture pictures while I pose for pictures with important people.” And pose she did – she held the book with its cover out (as she’s done before) like a game show hostess (seriously). Then she gave a good quote to help Kristof move some copies: “For female readers it gives a new sense of what it is to be a woman. For husbands sons and fathers, it will infuriate and astound you. You will not want to put it down.” Thank you, Angelina Epic-Soundbyte. Kristof seemed pleased with the added coverage his book got. He tweeted this morning “Drinks with Angelina Jolie last night, and I’m stunned by the celebrity websites today.”

As for all of the other stuff about Angelina Jolie and the books coming out about her, Lainey at LaineyGossip summed it up better than I could.

UPDATE: Life & Style has an exclusive statement from Andrew Morton about the book he’s writing on Angelina. He denies the tabloid claims that he will report that a 16-year-old (or younger) Angelina had a sexual relationship with her mother’s adult boyfriend. The story was first reported months ago in Star Magazine, but has gotten some kind of second wind in the tabloid and legitimate press in the past few weeks because both the Morton and the Ian Halperin books allegedly deal with this statutory rape/“seduction” issue. Morton says the story is “about as true as I’m sitting on this horse.” Which, I suppose, we’re supposed to know that he’s not sitting on a horse? I guess. My other guess is that this story was started, promoted and distributed by Ian Halperin, who is an established hack and fraud.

Brad and Angelina are shown on 5/20/09 in Cannes. Credit: WENN.com
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38 Responses to “Brangelina comes out to support Nicholas Kristof (update: more book news)”

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  1. Sumodo1 says:

    Bless Lainey’s heart. Nothing surprises me, except that Angelina has f’ed up her relationship with her creepy brother. As for Brad Pitt, I think he goes off on his own when he’s had it up-to-here with her. Then, they reconnect, steal the limelight from some author, and bam! Everybody thinks they’re so much in love. RIIIIGHT. That’s why I’m a Matt Damon fan.

  2. Sumodo1 says:

    COME ON, PEOPLE! I can’t be the ONLY person posting on Brange! What, is there an awesome show on TV right now, or something? Shecky is watching IFC and a documentary on an African-American student running for Homecoming Queen at the University of Alabama.

  3. Lantana says:

    I love that dress on her, except something’s not right with the boobs. Maybe they’re sagging too much for the dress…in the top picture I think she looks fantastic. In the lower picture, not so much. I audibly snorted when I read “For husbands sons and fathers…You will not want to put it down”. The chances of my husband reading that book are, um, exactly ZERO. Not sure what that says about my taste in men, but surely she doesn’t think that is the prevailing attitude among husbands in the USA.

  4. TwinkleToes says:

    OMG, Angelina looks absolutely insane and f’ing high! What a poseur. She’s about the age when truly not-so-beautiful people start to realize they aren’t beautiful, even with the plastic surgery. Her head is almost as large as Rumer Willis’. Watch for the breakdown that will be thickly veiled. Her poor kids. She should never have had a second pregnancy. Post partem, fer sure.

  5. Cheyenne says:

    I haven’t read Kristof’s book, but I read his NY Times columns regularly and he’s a great writer.

  6. Mimi says:

    I love the article that he’s write even if is from last year specially because he say what everybody that have at least a little concern about the world and that actually make a good use of their brains cells would think if a celebrity is bring attention to a cause even if was for selfish reasons the people is still getting help but when a person do this for so long like Angie and other’s have being doing is time to STFU the criticism and do something yourself. And Layne was pretty funny and right in the point is always Angie’s fault for this fools womans. The woman is always the ONE to blame even in the Bible first with Eve that supposedly eat the apple and supposedly make are humans get kick it out the Paradise… then Marie became suddenly a whore in interpretations make by men to inferiorizar woman in the church but i’m will stop here because this is already off the context. But just bothers me that some woman are so stupid and always against each other.

  7. Alex says:

    What I love? In a lot of countries she would be considered under the age of consent at 16. That makes her Mom’s adult b/f a pedophile.

    Anyone want to keep blaming her??? But maybe she did it in one of the countries that has a lower age of consent… that would make it all okay right? Who cares that half the world has an age of consent of 16 or older – including ALL of the US.

    But by all means – let’s blame her 🙂

  8. snowball says:

    I enjoy reading Kristof. I don’t generally enjoy Angelina and Billy Goat Brad.

    But that is one great dress. I have absolutely nothing of substance to say.

    What’s the deal with “waiting for moderation?”

  9. alex says:

    Well Said Mimi

  10. Freitag says:

    he is a liar!
    he is a liar!

  11. pickelhaube says:

    Hmm, I don’t generally read the NYT, I read the Wall Street Journal now, but I’ll have to check him out. But not because Brangelina likes him…because Brangelina are idiots, just because I love to read!

  12. Cheyenne says:

    @ Pickelhaube: Kristof writes a lot on third world countries and problems of sexually abused women and children. Check out this one on child sex slaves in Cambodia. You may have to log onto the Times web site to read it but it’s worth it. It will break your heart.

    http://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/14/world/children-for-sale-special-report-asian-childhoods-sacrificed-prosperity-s-lust.html?scp=5&sq=nicholas+kristof+sexually+abused+children&st=nyt

  13. lrm says:

    yea,well getting everyone ‘into the mainstream economy’ is another issue entirely….and not w/o it’s negatives.
    while it MAY and that’s only a may,help some dire and desparate situations,it will also reinforce the breakdown of family and traditional communities—which if you ask me,the USA is finally starting to see the downside of….We need a balance,and plugging ‘women have rights too’ does not have to imply that staying with your kids at home is for sh*t,cuz you are not being paid.
    Daycares for 10 hrs a day from birth are not the best options,either.

    Who’s to say what the best ‘solutions’ are? I tend to think the ones thought up locally are,personally.

  14. YeaRight! says:

    The only reason why Angelina showed up to this book party, is because she is mentioned in the book. It’s a self promotion, pure and simple.

  15. Angelina is sexy says:

    OMG, this site is my new best friend!!! Slam dunk.
    Ian a hack and fraud? hahahah, no kidding!

  16. jayem says:

    Wow, Lainey did sum it up rather nicely.

    And Angie looks fecking gorgeous in that bottom picture.

  17. Emily says:

    Lantana, I noticed her boobs too! The dress makes it look like her nipples are on the outer side of her breast!

  18. cakes says:

    Ange is a hot mess. The peach dress and the fire engine red lips just dont work on her at all

  19. Charity is Chic says:

    I love that Brad is pretending to be this super-intelligent global whatever. It’s so sad that he had to have sex with Angelina to even realize there was this continent called Africa and now that he’s found out about he needs to tell everyone. Just how he got to be interested in the world beyond his $300,000 motorcycles is disgusting. And that it took him being rich and famous for 15 years before any lights went on in that thick head of his.

    Rent “Living in Oblivion”. Directed by a guy who worked with Pitt. The film is about this supremely self-absorbed moron actor and has long been rumored to be based on Pitt. It’s hilarious.

  20. Essie says:

    Well, I’m going to buy Mr. Kristoff’s book as soon as I can get to a bookstore. It sounds really interesting.

    To yeahright . . . Angelina is not only in the book she writes the foreword to the book.

  21. Cheyenne says:

    Saints preserve us, you mean Ian Halperin is an established hack and fraud?! Who’da guessed? Kaiser, you just broke a bunch of haters’ hearts.

    I’m thinking that Morton is furiously pedaling water and backtracking to avoid an imminent lawsuit.

  22. whatever says:

    I think it’s sad that this so-called journalist is making up lies about Angelina as a slut at 16! Her mom just passed away and they seemed close. If someone said such horrible lies about me, I would sue the hell out of them. Some people are really despicable. All this hatred towards her? For what? Don’t people have better things to do with themselves? I don’t get it.

  23. lisa says:

    Yeah I see the ff freaks are here. recognize a lot of your comments. Sad you can’t change the wording when you run to spam other thread.. Morton said the story was a lie.. Bet none of the haters retract their nasty comments. No they just change the attack and just try and call her ugly and so on.. I don’t care if she is your taste or not. This woman is not ugly. But hey haters will have to hate. they are creaming themselves on the thought of that Ian hack and his book..destroying Brad/Angie.. their words. not mine. sick fat freaks all of them. I guess all the other celebs that run to any and every premier and event are posers too. Hugh and his wife were at an event they must be doing it for the PR too. OH wait that attack is only for Brad/Angelian.. MY BAD.. forgot the double standard must stay alive and well.

  24. botox brad says:

    Angelina looks great. Of course Brad Pitt fans fail to see Brad for what he really is. A fake has with hair plugs. his hair sure doesn’t look like that now. He has more hair and less wrinkles.

    it’s also funny how when the rumor started Brangelina fans were saying “Angelina was not of age at 16 and the B/f is a pedo.” which I agree with but they seemed to have forgotten when Brad Pitt was mid 20s and dating a 16 year old. ha!

    I knew it was all lies anyway. That must suck for the Angie haters that were going all over the web screaming that Angelina was a Wh*re for sleeping with her dead mothers ex bf at the age of 16.

  25. botox brad says:

    btw, x17 is the only agency to get pix because Brad has a deal with them . THEY ALWAYS HAVE BRAD PITT “Xclusives” and he also tried to get them to lie for him and say that they ran into his bike and caused him to fall over. IN reality he is an amateur who just rides his motorcycles for paparazzi attention. 🙂

  26. Goddess711 says:

    Nick Kristoff rocks. Interesting to see AJ jump on his bandwagon but who cares? The book should be required reading for every graduating high school student. The more people who read the book because dumbass decided to join the rest of the work who can think more than “which kid can I adopt next”, the better.

  27. Ursula says:

    Nothing surprises about Angelina Jolie, so am not shocked she ‘did’ her mother’s boyfriend.She is not a nice person, just does nice things for show.

    From the x17 pictures, I can see she has now morphed 360 into a clingy woman who can only be defined by the man she is with, hence the hand around Pitt for the photo op. You can see that there is nothing more there. She no longer has that LeAnn Rimes ‘I’ve got him’ look.

    Brangelina exposed will make an interesting read. Not sure about Morton’s book though, he is not good with research. Hope they asked the body guard for his juicy tit bits.

  28. I can’t believe how good Angelina looks. Though i don’t think she looks good in peach.

  29. beachbum says:

    I wouldn’t be too critical of the authors of these books about Jolie. By calling them hacks and frauds before reading the book, is a bit premature. I will reserve judgement until I read them. Maybe they did their research. By the way Brad doesn’t look so good anymore and has not aged well. JMO

  30. Beth says:

    I’ve seen video and pictures all over not just X17. In the video there’s a lot of photographers so I’m not sure why people are saying only X17 has photos. The haters need to get a grip. I’m expecting them to say that Angelina blinks just for the publicity. Clingy because she’s holding Brad’s hand and touching his neck? That’s called affection. It’s normal in a relationship.

  31. Shadow says:

    Seriously people, why all the hate for this couple? Of all the “Celebrities” out there, Angelina and Brad do a lot to help the less fortunate than most, they not only donate money BUT also donate their time, and not just to pose for pictures at some Charity event, but I believe Angelina went to Africa to see first hand how the people over there suffer, and Bard was helping build houses for the unfortunate who lost all during Katrina.

    You do not have to like them, and who knows, maybe they are annoying, BUT they do seem to care about the less fortunate, AND I prefer my Celebrities to be someone who do donate money and time to causes rather than use the money to shop at some expensive stupid shop.

    In other words, give me more Brangelinas in this world and remove people like Paris Hilton, Jon Gosselin and whatever his wife is called, ALL people from “The Hills”, people who are famemongers and who have no intention of helping others other than PR stunt or a tax right off.

  32. cee says:

    I can not believe that people like that Wendy Williams had the nerve to say such nasty thigs about Angie without even knowing the truth. I used to think she was loud but fun and honest. Now I think she is just rude and a liar and surprisingly a Jenhen.

  33. Firestarter says:

    Who in the heck is Ian Halperin?

  34. princess pea says:

    @ cee – what are you talking about? I have been up and down this thread, and your is the only mention of Wendy Williams… what did she say?

    Just fyi… it’s not true that everyone who doesn’t worship Angelina is a ‘jenhen’. Just so you know.

  35. Lita says:

    Ian Halperin (like you’re not Googling ;o) is some douch that claims to have the skinny on AJ and will ‘imminently’ release exclusives on same (or at least he was 6 months ago when I found out who he was after hearing of him here – assume nowt’s changed).

    You know how people refer to the boohoo sisterhood, jenhens? They would certainly worship there.

  36. Cheyenne says:

    Firestarter: Who in the heck is Ian Halperin?
    *******************************************

    Believe me, you don’t wanna know.

    If you have a very strong stomach, check out his web site. The denizens from FF think it’s the Holy Grail.

    http://ianundercover.com/

  37. Firestarter says:

    Thanks to everyone who answered my Ian question.

    On a side note, can we start taking bets as to how many times “Jenhen” shows up in a post that isn’t even about her? I knew that at least someone would have to work the term in on this post and I was not disappointed!

  38. June says:

    Any man who touched my 16 year old daughter, would be in jail for rape. Angelina’s mother loved her , no way would see let a man, that she lived with take advantage of her teenage child.

    Who is this man, he can still go to jail for rape? Rape charges can be filed, 20 years after the fact. He is a child molester and should have been taken off the street.

    I really do not believe this story, no mother would take their teenage daughter being raped and taken advantage of, so lightly.