Well, this is surprising. It looks like Grandpa Jon Voight was invited to Venice to spend some time with the Jolie-Pitt family. Voight and his daughter Angelina have long been estranged since 2002 (when he publicly questioned her mental health just a few months after she adopted Maddox). Although… Angelina has said in a few interviews over the past two years that she and her dad are trying to work on their stuff privately. I didn’t really believe her – I thought she was just basically saying “I’ll speak to him when he’s burning in hell” but apparently they really were talking. At least enough for Jon to show up in Venice and spend time on a public outing with the kids.
Unfortunately, the photo agency we have access to (INF) doesn’t have the money shot of Angelina with her dad in the same frame, which you can see here. But we do have photos of Jon with Brad and Zahara, in which Jon is looking pretty pleased with himself, and pretty pleased that there are cameras around. I can’t help it, I still the guy is batsh-t insane, and at the very least, a very emotionally abusive man.
You can also see Empress Zahara, Shiloh (I think) and Pax in these photos. The Empress seems to be giving Grandpa Vought a “WTF?” look which I think sums up the situation. But she also looks very happy – thrilled even – to be back on the water. The Empress is seriously loving Venice… that must be where she plans to launch her benevolent but all-powerful queendom.
Angelina, Brad, Jon Voight and the kids in Venice on February 21, 2010. Credit: INFphoto.com.
So what happened between them oh so long ago? I don’t think she’s ever come out and said “this is what he did to me” but I was always sorta under the impression that there might have been some kind of sexual abuse. I dunno, maybe I’m way off base, but that’s just the vibe I get.
I’m crossing my fingers that nothing goes wrong!!!
I think they are probably in a good place for Brad and Angie to let him around the kids. I’ve read interviews before where she sounded extremely protective of who is in her children’s lives.
well i for one think it’s nice that they have reunited and mended their relationship. It’s really none of our business and I hope people will stop demonizing the guy for his previous stupidity. He messed up big time and AJ obviously felt he deserved another chance…plus it’s nice he’s bonding with his grandkids. They all seem to be happy since they are all smiling in the pictures…i don’t see why it’s a big deal that JV is smiling.
I DO think THAT is Shiloh. I DON’T think the other one was Shiloh or one of the twins.
Oh Empress Zee, that look on her face towards her grandad is f*cking priceless!! That queen is my hero, lol!!!
That’s a good thing, but i really don’t like Jon Voight.
I would like to see shiloh smile more, she look like a sad little girl for me, as if the parents don’t care enough about her and it’s all for Zee.
Please don’t try me for this i do love this family a lot but i always have this feeling about Shiloh.
Now I’m sure. Brangelina is so over. Happy family reunion? Come on! Nobody buys this crap. They are trying too hard.
Please everyone has a different personality. Shiloh never grins like Zahara, she calmly smiles. Maddox used to smile a lot too so does seem to do Vivienne looking at the new pictures of hers unlike Knox who seems more laidback and calm like Shiloh.
Different people, different tempers.
Geez. As if there were only a standard only way of being and behaving.
Jon Voight mentioned a while ago that he had met all his grandkids so I don’t think this is the first time he’s meeting them.
He told access hollywood he spent Xmas w/ all of them BTW Jon called Zahara Shakira a couple of years ago lol
Parents can be just like kids, a need to set boundaries with them.
There is a way to do it privately without public embarrassment. May have happened with this family.
Zahara seems to be having a great time.
He seems like to have this aura of an emotional vampire, yeah.
Haha love how you described Zee.
Well I’m sure it’s a good thing that he’s in his daughters/grandkids lives. I seriously doubt Angelina would put up with him being a jackass around her children, so he must have proven himself to her.
Zahara looks like Star Jones.
OMFG how can you compare a child to Star Jones, have you no love?
I hope Jon Voight doesn’t screw things up (again) things were fragile back then and he messed it up, maybe he learned the lesson
God Angelina and her dad are talking to eachother?!?!?!?!!!!
Now a can sleep well.
BARF!
I believed Angelina two years ago when she said she and her father were working on their relationship. Angelina does not make up stories so it made sense to me that she wasn’t just jabbering for the tabloids. I have a feeling Voight has been seeing a lot of his grandchildren while the family was in L.A. all those months and it was kept private . . . no pics for public consumption. I also felt Voight did have an inside into the situation when he spoke about Angelina and Brad’s relationship and how it’s okay. I think he had their permission to say something about it.
Anyway, I’m happy Voight is back on good terms with his daughter and I hope he somehow manages to keep his mouth shut. I still think he’s batsh!t crazy and his politics border on the scary, but at least he gets to have a personal life with his family. I’m happy for him, Angelina and his grandchildren.
Actually there is a shot of her and her father in the same frame. I saw it on jjb.
Glad she and her father are finding a way to a relationship. She is very protective of her children. And yes just because it it a parent does not mean they can’t be toxic to you and your family. Talk to people who grew up in homes were the parents were horrible. Verbally or physically abusive. I think Angelina did what she thought was best for her. and perhaps it was an eye opener to Jon. the parent is not always right. But I am glad he is trying to be a grandfather. He has 6 adorable grandkids.. and it must be a kick. I know people who were not the greatest parents.. But when those grandkids came along.. OMG they changed. I have read about people who were racist and have biracial grandkids.. and all that hate melted away. Grandkids just have a way that make parents rethink everything.
So this is a nice news story.
I wonder why Brad didn’t stay with his ex wife FAKING it…or maybe he was FAKING IT at that time too and put an end at the fraudulent marraige.
I mean for professional fakers like Brad and (Angelina), he must have practicing it the whole time and a long time ago since rumors of break up were also very vivid throughout his marriage.
So my point is, since he always faked before as shown by those last enamoured pictures with Jen a few hours before the official split, who cares that he keeps on faking anyway and why being bitter about the break up since he was faking there too ?
GatsbyGal- I never had the vibe of sexual abuse, more like neglect.
Voight gave quotes those quotes about Angelina being mentally unstable. I read an interview where she stated she was scared people would believe him and take Maddox away.
Happy for the family.
I swear I thought she’d made comments about having problems with how he cheated on her mother (and, when questioned about her relationship with Pitt, said she’d never get involved with a married man because her father was a cheater).
I’m with Z on the big smile for the water taxi. The most fun in my life was tearing around Venice in one of those. Waaay better than the boring gondolas.
LOL, poor “a”. Did it hurt you that much?
Lil: 😆
Good ol’ Jon loves a photo op. Can hardly wait for someone to hand him a microphone, too, so he can say something inappropriate. Hopefully Brad and Angelina have threatened him sufficiently to keep his mouth shut. He is an actor, and he may have memorized a few scripted lines that are allowed.
Brad Pitt looks as old as Grandpappy!
This isn’t shocking considering for three or four years they both said they communicate. Didn’t Jon say he spent time with the kids a few months ago? I’m sure there will be a hundred comments saying this is publicity stunt. I don’t see the logic in saying that. If Angelina hated Brad and Jon so much I doubt she could keep her sanity being trapped in a boat with the both of them. Besides, why go through so much trouble for a breakup that’s supposedly happening any second?
Well said, lisa.
First: That sparkly beret is fabulous. I think every little girl who wants one should be given a sparkly beret to wear around town.
Second: How on earth do some of you not realize how much of a PR move this is? I suspect Jon Voight has already met Brad and the grandchildren on multiple occasions. But as soon as there are widespread rumors about their imminent break-up (unfounded though they may be), suddenly they are all over the place being a happy family and even inviting the previously scorned grandfather into the mix.
I guess we are pulling out all stops. Still the media has not screamed ‘TWINS! ‘ANGIE REUNITES WITH FATHER’. Wonder why. Anyway, whether you like them or hate them, there is a limit to how much you can enjoy pictures of Brad Pitt being pulled by the balls.
I did say they would pull out the twins and grand daddy.
I wonder why we see only grainy pictures of the twins, is there something they don’t want us to see closely?
Don’t families go out to lunch on Sundays where you live? Where did you want them to exit from, the back alley?
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen the father-daughter duo together…
Jolie and Voight’s relationship has been on the rocks since 2002, after the 71-year-old Oscar winner said in an interview that his daughter had “serious mental problems” and that he was “trying to reach her to get help.”
That apparently didn’t sit well with Jolie, but by June 2007 she was telling Britain’s Evening Standard she had hopes for some sort of reconciliation.
Wow, now I’m waiting for Jen Aniston holding holy twins!
All i see from these recent pics is that Brad seems to be doing alot of the hands on stuff with kids, and Angelina just swanning around the kids..
I think it is also a ploy having the grandfather involved to show the ‘happy family’ thing.
Brange fans have always called her daddy toxic and all sorts of names. Now I wonder what they will say about this photo op reconciliation.
Brad actually looks older than Pepaw Voight. He he…
Cheyenne, no offense, but I think that the only person emotionally involved with Brangelina enough to feel hurt or happy it’s you, not someone like “a”.
This isn’t a personal attack, but I wonder why you fool the “””haters””” everytime they say something you don’t agree with.
That said, I would too have I fight with my mother if she’d say that I have some mental illness on cable tv. But in Angelina’s case I think that we can honestly say and aknowledge that she acted like a mentally ill person, she tried to gain fame and success from being edgy and crazy.
Quite hypocritical, ain’t it?
I didn’t doubt for a second they’d reconcile, Angie never misses an awesome photo op
All of the pictures are basically the same since they arrived at in Italy so I don’t see how anybody could say who’s the more hands on parent. In just about all of the photos, it’s the family getting on/off the boat where Brad is helping the kids. Typically the father does the carrying when older, heavier kids involved. I would think it would even be safer from something unstable like a boat. If they wanted to prove what a “happy family” they are, they would do “happy family” activities. Except for getting icecream, there hasn’t been any photos of them doing anything together. Also if Jon is a photo-op why do it now? There have been 3 or 4 times where the mainstreem press reported the breakup rumors where they could have used Jon.
Solveig makes an interesting point. If you watched or read any interviews she gave around that time (and I’m not talking about gossip rags), she was certainly not the case of stability by any means. Her father still should’ve kept his mouth shut, but he was pretty much saying what everyone else must have been thinking.
If they’ve really worked through their issues and things are good, great for them.
But I would be cautious of Voight – he still talks to the press about them, and I get the impression he likes the attention all of that gets him. Hopefully it’s not just a matter of time before he says something disruptive again.
but in hindsight I believe all that was an act to promote the image she thought was cool at the time. So perhaps she wasn’t mentally unstable, just perversely fame hungry.
can’t wait to see how the tabs spin this, am sure Pitt will be given all the credit.. good for them for working through their issues
These kids are so lucky to be travelling around the world and living such a wonderful life.
DD:
February 22nd, 2010 at 9:09 am
but in hindsight I believe all that was an act to promote the image she thought was cool at the time. So perhaps she wasn’t mentally unstable, just perversely fame hungry.
____
That’s the point DD. I for one don’t believe that she is/was mentally ill, extremely egocentric yes, but not nuts.
But if she acted like a borderline she can’t blame her father for confirming what she wanted us to believe.
He seems like the prototypical emotional abuser. Like, he always seemed as though he was grooming her. Which does lend itself to sexual abuse. But that is in so many ways none of my business.
All I know is I think he’s a creepy old man who isn’t very nice.
ditto on what lucy2 said.
it’s nice that they can reconnect, and hopefully his relationship with his grandchildren can grow, but…
…I’d be wary, too. I think he’s creepy and it’s only a matter of time before he says something to the press that he shouldn’t.
and see, Z knows all…she’s the barometer for stuff like this!
I think it’s great that Jon Voight is finally getting to know his grandchildren. I would imagine Her Imperial Highness (Z) is charming the bejesus out of him.
Agreeing with Solveig and DD. Back in the day when he said that stuff, she was making out with her brother on red carpets, talking about how she liked to play with knives, and showing off a vial of blood she wore around her neck. She wanted, very badly, to be the edgy cool girl. Only when she got with Brad did she want to be the great earth mother.
I think it’s hilarious how Jon can’t seem to NOT look at the camera. They may have given him some sound bites, but they forgot to tell him to ignore the paps so it looks more natural. (Not saying they set it up, but they don’t regularly engage with the photogs at all.)
@princess pea: Um… not exactly. She adopted Maddox three years before she ever met Brad and her application to adopt Z was already in the works before she hooked up with him.
The ads at the bottom of the photos are getting really annoying.
Love it!!! They are finally reconciled! Yea!!!
People like Princess Pea, etc crack me up! They’ve kept a running tally on everything Angelina has done some 10 years back. Gee, obsessed much?
I agree that she is (or was) fame-hungry (which is WHY she’s an actress–HELLO!), but it’s really hard to say much else about her unless you know her personally. And, you guys act like you know her SO WELL–eyeroll.
Then, you have the nerve to call her “crazy”? Well, she’s crazy like a fox, because she has people like you talking about her non-stop, and feeding the obsession with her–which ultimately puts big, fat dollar bills into her pockets. Congratulations!
haha
@ sirena – I never called her crazy. In fact, I called her smart. (Oh, wait, maybe it’s in the other post…) I didn’t like her tough girl act back then, which is why I remember it. It struck me as trying too hard. Some of us actually already had feelings about her before she got with Brad, crazy though that may seem. But I think it’s awesome that you picked me out the bunch. Woo!
(Incidentally, Chey, I wasn’t saying Brad was responsible for her desire to be a mother at all, just that the palpable image shift came at the same time as their relationship.)
@princess pea, I disagree with your comment “that Jolie’s palpable image shift came at the same time as their(her and Brad’s) relationship.” The image shift actually came during 2001-2002 when she became good-will ambassador and she adopted Maddox. People and tabloids only noticed it around the time when she got with Pitt, but it definitely happened 3 years prior. She was just barely in the tabloid and wasn’t as interesting until late 2004-early 2005 when she began to be linked to Pitt.
p.s. I actually started taking notes about it in 2001 when Times Magazine had an article about her UN work, I was an avid Times/Newsweek reader at that time.
@princess pea — actually, you were partly right. She said herself she never intended to have any biological children until she hooked up with Brad and saw what a great father he was to Madd and Z.
She became the Earth Mother when she adopted Maddox and before she met BP. I remember this from an interview and a discussion of the departure of her lipstick from her beloved MAC Folie (basically a grey color)to something warmer and more natural looking.
Obviously I don’t know for a fact much about AJ’s relationship w/ her dad, but she was very loving towards him before his comments. And I agree w/ the other comments, if being called crazy and dark bother you, then perhaps you shouldn’t have spent years (and god knows how many interviews) cultivating the perfect image of a angsty teen. She was always showing off and hamming it up for the cameras. She seemed to really enjoy talking about how “strange” she was. So if ppl start to get the wrong idea, um, whose fault is that?
Z was born in Jan 2005, wasn’t she already with Pitt then? Discussing their 14 kids? Jolie uses any one for her PR games, daddy included. Not that I feel sorry for her dad, after all, he sired her and she has hurt too many people in her short life.
Any one notice that look on her face when she is doing her photo ops, like cat that has got cream?
Mashallah, Zaharah is the cutiest little thing she is always smiling lol
to the person that said they feel like shiloh seems a little sad… i kind of agree…….she never seems to display any sort of REAL excitement like zahara does or at the same times as zahara. i would think the water taxis would bring out a smile….even maddox is smiling in the background of some of these pics, i mean COME ON! it’s a water taxi!!!! it’s awesome!!!
but maybe her missing a tooth has something to do with it, maybe she feels self conscious about it, trust me she’s at the age where kids start feeling things. my son had really cute long blonde hair-that he wanted-however, after a few people commented on it and asked if he was a girl he quietly started to freak out and asked me to cut it. so, maybe she’s feeling some of that and doesn’t like the fact that’s she’s missing her front tooth…i wouldn’t. and maybe her brothers and sister have made fun of her, who knows? i do feel a sadness or something about her though, it’s probably really tough to be the quiet, awkward one in the big dynamic beautiful celebrity family
Hello Xine, you copy-cat.