Over the weekend, the world was shocked (shocked!) to see Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt hanging out in Venice with Angelina’s dad, Jon Voight. Voight and Jolie had been estranged for nearly eight years, although Angelina had claimed in a few interviews over the past few years that she and her dad were working on their issues. It seemed that we had photographic evidence that the hatchet was buried, or whatever, and those of us (me) who have been wary of Voight for a while simply decided to bide our time, waiting for him to f-ck up again. What’s that? Oh, yes. You see, Jon Voight loves to talk about his daughter and her life, even doing so when they were estranged. Voight loves to talk about everything, honestly, and the man is kind of crazy (something about apples falling from trees, et cetera).

So Voight is back in the US, and of course he’s talking. But he made a valiant effort to keep from weeping hysterically on camera, or announcing dramatically that Brangelina will adopt any minute, or sputtering out something about “Shakira”. When paparazzi approached him at LAX, he only said that the trip was “wonderful” and saying something about “everything Brad does is terrific.” Then Grandpa Voight muttered “I don’t want to talk about it so much.” Damn. Empress Zahara must have been like “Keep your crazy in check, Gramps.” However, you can’t tamp down Voight’s need to talk about his fragile reunion with his daughter! He gave an exclusive interview to Us Weekly on Wednesday, and he played it out like a maestro:

They are family! In an exclusive phone interview from Venice, Italy, Jon Voight raved to UsMagazine.com about his “holiday” with his daughter Angelina Jolie, her partner Brad Pitt and their six children.

“It’s nice to have something that’s positive!” Voight, 71, told Us of getting together Sunday in Venice with his once-estranged daughter. He says their boat ride down the ancient city’s Grand Canal was “lovely…the weather wasn’t so bad for the journey. It’s a very beautiful trip. A lot of fun.”

And among his half-dozen grandkids, one blonde, blue-eyed beauty stood out: “I have baby pictures that are very resembling of Shiloh,” he noted. “I don’t know about all the resemblances, but obviously there are some because of the genes.” (Shiloh, 3, is Jolie and Pitt’s first biological child; her siblings are Maddox, 8, Pax, 6, Zahara, 5, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 19 months.)

The actor would love to pay a repeat visit to Venice during the brood’s stay there (Jolie, 34, is shooting The Tourist). “I love the possibility of spending time with the family. It’s a very beautiful thing.”

Oh yeah: and Jolie and Pitt are doing fine, yes? “Exactly right,” Voight assured Us, poo-pooing recent split rumors. “Of course they are! You can see!”

[From Us Weekly]

I wasn’t sure about the “baby pictures” reference. Is he saying that when he was a baby, he looked just like Shiloh? Or is he talking about baby photos of Angelina? I think he’s talking about his own baby photos. Which is weird, because I think Shiloh looks so much like Brad. Although Brad looks sort of like Jon Voight. So around we go…

E! News also had an interesting little behind-the-scenes look at what it took to get Angelina and Jon in the same room together. The Voight stuff isn’t that interesting, but there’s some cool stuff about James Haven, Angelina’s brother. I had been wondering what James was up to lately – it turns out he’s born-again and studying to be a minister! Oh, James. I heart your crazy ass too!

Being partners with Brad Pitt sure does have its advantages. We just never thought his mediation skills would be one of them. But it turns out the actor is more than just a pretty-faced Basterd, and we have his powers of persuasion to thank for Brangelina’s most recent European vacation photo op, last weekend’s reunion of Angelina Jolie and her formerly estranged father, Jon Voight.

Between Pitt and Angelina’s brother, James Haven, the frosty relationship has thawed considerably. Here’s how their Venetian meet-up went down:

Everyone (who follows these sorts of things) knows that things first went south between father and daughter (and son) during Jolie’s Tomb Raider days, when Billy Bob Thornton’s throat couldn’t appear on a red carpet without Jolie’s tongue firmly rammed down it.

A source close to the actress tells E! News that Papa Voight didn’t take too kindly to the PDAs, even writing a letter to his daughter telling her how “disgusting” her behavior was. The then made the media rounds suggesting his daughter needed an intervention. That also led to Haven to sever ties with Voight and align himself with his sister.

Eventually, however, Voight tried to make amends, mailing Jolie a gold necklace as a peace offering—that she promptly returned to sender.

Then, roughly a year ago, Haven became a born-again Christian and began training as a minister, at which point he successfully resumed and maintained contact with his father. Haven soon tried to get his sister to follow his lead by making nice with their dad, though she routinely rebuffed his olive-branch advances.

Enter Pitt. The insider tells E! News that Pitt thought Voight “deserved a second chance and so he stepped in.”

It apparently did the trick, as it was Jolie who invited her father out to Venice last week.

“The visit actually went really well, and Angie’s thrilled he got on really well with all her kids. She’s grown up a lot, and forgiving Jon is a huge step,” the source says.

The well-photographed trip marked the first time Voight had met with all six of his grandchildren. And not a moment too soon. We were beginning to worry he’d never meet Shakira Zahara.

[From E! News]

If that’s the way it went down, good for them. I wonder why James didn’t come for a visit too? He was probably studying. I also wonder if Angelina truly did all of this “rebuffing” of all of Voight’s efforts. That’s pretty hardcore, to send back jewelry from your dad. You can keep the jewelry and still not talk to your father, you know, Angelina!

Jon and Angelina in Venice on February 21, 2010. Credit: INFphoto.com. Vintage James Haven at the ‘Mighty Heart‘ premiere in NY on June 13, 2007. Angelina in Paris on February 24, 2010. Credit: WENN.

I hate when a story gets me all emotional first thing in the morning, and this video did it for me. Angelina Jolie and James Haven did a video tribute for their mother, who passed three years ago today. The video is a compilation of some home movies of Marcheline when Angelina and James were very young, and all of them were in Hawaii. The video (below) might be taken down in a little bit, but I tried to screen cap some of the images that I thought were cute/heartbreaking. Here’s PopEater’s summary:

Amid all of the split allegations, Angelina Jolie is making headlines in a more emotional and heartfelt capacity, as the superstar and her brother James have unveiled a video tribute to their late mother, Marcheline Bertrand. Bertrand, who had Jolie with actor Jon Voight, passed away from ovarian cancer on January 27, 2007. Today marks the three year anniversary of her passing.

The video, which opens with a title card that reads: “One place Marcheline always love was Hawaii … She made many happy memories for her family there.” In the tribute, home videos purportedly from 1981 show a then-six-year-old Jolie and her brother playing on the beach. Bertrand introduces her children on the video, and is then seen dancing the hula with Jolie on the beach.

After many more clips of Bertrand in Hawaii, the video closes with the statement: “”We Miss You Mom… With Love Angelina and James.”

As Jolie’s fame skyrocketed, she often credited her mother with being the key figure in her family. Jolie has always had a difficult relationship with her father, actor Jon Voight.

Following Bertrand’s death, Jolie gave a revealing interview to Ann Curry on ‘Today,’ saying that her mother “was extraordinary, so full of kindness and love.” Jolie also said that she hopes to one day be “even a sliver of what my mother was.”

“She was one of those women who would spend weeks to plan the right birthday party … And to write four drafts to get the right birthday card ready that said all those things that were emotional, and you could save them and that meant something,” Jolie said of her mother.

[From PopEater]

Marcheline seemed like a lively woman, inside and out. She passed away in 2007 after a prolonged battle with ovarian cancer, and I tend to think both Angelina and James are still feeling an extreme grief three years later. These are some really lovely old home movies, and I’m personally glad they shared them.

Back on Wednesday, we covered the main points of Star Magazine’s cover story this week, all about how Brad Pitt is drinking, partying and flirting with other women while Angelina sulks, cries, and stays in hotels. Given that the magazine came out a day before Brad’s interview in Parade (where he called Angelina his soulmate, and was generally more forthcoming about their relationship than he has been, ever) came out, the whole Star piece just seems like just another in an endless line of “Brangelina is splitting… soon… just wait for it, it’s coming!” stories. But now that I’ve read the full article, there’s some other interesting stuff in the piece.

According to Star, Angelina was calling Brad incessantly while he was in Berlin for the Inglourious Basterds premiere. She was nagging him so much “Brad finally shut his phone off” and continued flirting with an “old flame” – German director Katja von Garnier. After getting shut-out, Angelina turned to the other men in her life, her brother James Haven and her oldest child, Maddox:

Between their long-distance battles, Angie tried to relax by flying her Cessna airplane to Las Vegas with sons Maddox and Pax.

“She stayed over at the Wynn with the boys,” an insider says. “She told Mad it was a early birthday present, and he was so excited!”

Angie also carved out some time to visit her brother James Haven, who lives in Las Vegas part-time, for some much-needed comfort.

“Angie has been turning to James a lot lately, since things have gotten so difficult with Brad,” the source adds. “She said she felt like she just needed to see him and get a hug.”

Even before their [latest] blowout, Angelina was in dire need of alone time. Insiders say she’s been escaping to a suite at Raffles L’Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills, where her beloved mother, Marcheline, lived up until her death from ovarian cancer in 2007.

“Angie likes to go to March’s old suite and be alone and think and cry,” the insider says. “She slips away whenever things get really bad with her and Brad. Sometimes she leaves late in the evening and spends the night, sometimes she only stays a few hours.”

The actress was spotted leaving the hotel alone on July 12, still looking upset as she drove away.

Unfortunately, [the kids] are caught up in the family meltdown. Little Shiloh has been throwing tantrums whenever Brad leaves the house, and she yells at Angie and Brad when they fight, the insider adds. “During a recent blowup, Shi ordered Angie, ‘Stop yelling at Daddy!’”

Shiloh even threw one of her dolls at Angie after a particularly fierce fight with Brad.

Maddox, meanwhile, is a mama’s boy and very protective of Angie, another source reveals. “Every time Angie and Brad fight, Maddox runs to her defense.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition, August 17 2009]

Aw… that thing with Maddox running to his mom’s defense is sweet and sad. He is a mama’s boy, I totally believe that. It reminds me of all of those old stories about Princess Diana and Prince William, when Diana and Charles were still together. William would look after his mom too – I wonder if that’s how Maddox really is, the typical oldest child, the peacemaker, the compromiser. I’d bet he is. And I also believe Shiloh is her Daddy’s girl. But where does Zahara fall? I won’t believe Shiloh’s having tantrums unless I hear something about Zahara deigning to intercede in her parents’ fight. By the way, whatever happened to the quietly fabulous James Haven? He used to give quotes to the press about his sister every few months, but he’s been quiet for a while. Maybe he’s got a good boyfriend!

Here’s Angelina Jolie and James Haven picking up Maddox from school in Prague in May 2007. Images thanks to WENN.com .

Mother of God. I’m going to try to keep this one on topic, just so I don’t start pulling out my hair and chugging Jack Daniels from the bottle. The National Enquirer (story via Showbiz Spy) is reporting that Angelina Jolie wants to adopt and raise a child with her brother, James Haven. The same brother that she kissed on the mouth at the 2000 Oscar ceremony. The same brother that she said she was “so in love with”. The same brother who had to formally deny an incestuous relationship with his sister. The same brother with a “Shiloh” license plate. Yes, that James Haven.

Apparently, this all stems from Brad’s “ban” on Angelina adopting or getting pregnant for a year. So Angelina’s solution is, of course, to adopt a baby with her brother, and raise that child with her other children. So, just one shot of Jack Daniels, or should I make it a double? The Enquirer’s “sources” have little punches that contribute to the image of Angelina-Zombie Hungry For More Babies. Stuff like “She wants to help unwanted children NOW” and “Angie tends to find a way to get what she wants — and she wants more babies.” Must. Have. Delicious. Babies.

Here’s a rumor that’ll have you questioning your own existence: Angelina Jolie wants to raise a child with her brother!

According to the National Enquirer, [sic: Editor's note, this story appeared in Globe print edition, 4/27/09] Jolie is keen for the openly-gay James Haven to adopt a baby — and she’ll help raise it alongside her existing brood of six.

So, it’s not that bad, right?

Apparently Jolie is keen for her brother to adopt because her partner, Brad Pitt, has banned her — for one-year — from having another kid.

“This latest bombshell has really infuriated Brad,” said one insider. “Anyone would feel betrayed by the woman he loves going behind his back. If this isn’t resolved soon, friends fear it could spell the end.”

“The subject of adopting more child has been rife for months,” the source adds. “Brad feels they need time together as a family, which makes Angie very resentful. She wants to help unwanted children NOW.”

“Brad wants to do a movie in Brazil in the summer, let their baby twins get comfortable with their siblings, then consolidate the family before jumping back into adoption.”

“It’s causing huge conflict with her and Brad and has triggered huge screaming matches.”

“Now Angie’s urging her brother to adopt. And he doesn’t have to worry about being a single dad because she’ll co-parent with him. Angie tends to find a way to get what she wants — and she wants more babies.’”

So, make of that you will.

[From Showbiz Spy]

I’d always assumed James Haven was gay (he beeped on my gaydar long, long ago) but I’ve never heard that Haven was or is “openly gay”. He seems more like quietly fabulous, but that’s just me. So, is this going to be the next big Angelina conspiracy? Oh my God, Angelina is leaving Brad to have babies with her gay brother! This will out-do those blood vial comments, I bet. I’m going to pour myself a shot and wait for the comments!

Update by Celebitchy: ShowbizSpy states that this story originated in The National Enquirer, but that’s not true. I just finished reading the National Enquirer’s latest edition and I read it in full every week and never saw this story. My friend Sammie let me know that it’s in last week’s edition of Globe.

Here are Angelina and James at the infamous kissing Oscars. Header of them picking up Maddox from school on May 11th, 2007. Images thanks to WENN.com .

An older image of Angelina and Shiloh, thanks to Splash
This week’s US Weekly has more information that might explain why Angelina and Brad named their latest addition “Shiloh.” Angelina used to make hotel and restaurant reservations using the alias “Shiloh Baptist.” After Shiloh was born she stopped using the name, probably because everyone would have figured out it was her at that point:

Turns out Angelina Jolie has always liked the name Shiloh. Hot Stuff has learned that the actress, 32, used to make hotel and restaurant reservations under the alias “Shiloh Baptist.” However, a source notes that Jolie retired the false moniker after her daughter’s May 2006 birth.

[From US Weekly, print edition, April 28, 2008]

Angelina’s brother James Haven has said that his parents first wanted to give him the middle name Shiloh, but picked the name Haven instead. He is quoted as claiming that Brad and Angelina asked him if it would be ok if they used the name for their daughter, and that he gave them his blessing and called it an honor.

Last summer James was spotted driving an SUV with the California license plate Shhiloh, as if someone was whispering his niece’s name. The vanity plate was in a holder for the Saddleback Church from Lake Forest, California. It’s a huge Baptist church known for progressive values. Maybe James Haven really is a parishioner or he could be paying tribute to his niece along with making an in joke with his sister, considering that she supposedly called herself “Shiloh Baptist” at some point. “Shiloh” means “Messiah” or “Peaceful One” in Hebrew, along with being the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the US Civil War.

Along with the “brother’s nickname” theory, there’s also a story that Shiloh is named after her place of conception. It’s a pretty name no matter how Angelina and Brad came up with it. They manage to pick unique but not weird names for their kids, and they’ll soon have to come up with another one – or two, for their expected arrival.

Angelina’s brother, James Haven, has a custom California license plate that pays tribute to his first biological niece. It reads “Shhiloh” and features a plate holder from the “Saddleback Church,” with the saying “You Matter to God.” Shiloh has the biblical meaning of “the peaceful one,” or the Messiah, so the plate holder may have a double meaning, and/or Angelina’s brother could be religious. (There has also been speculation that the 18 month-old is named after her place of conception.)

James Haven, Angelina’s older brother, is very devoted to his niece. On Thanksgiving Day, the actor was seen driving an SUV with the license plate “Shhiloh” in Beverly Hills. Of course, he’s the uncle of Angelina and Brad’s 18-month-old daughter, Shiloh. James was loading up his car with freshly baked pies and other goodies, says a witness.

[From In Touch weekly, print edition, December 10, 2007]

That’s cute and all, but isn’t it a somewhat stupid idea to get a custom license plate when you’re the brother of someone as famous as Angelina? It seems like James Haven should carefully protect his anonymity, but maybe it’s more important to him that he be recognized. He gives an interview about his sister just about every month, so he’s keen to capitalize on their relationship as much as possible. I was going to say something snarky about how it’s a good thing that Shiloh has blonde hair and looks just like her dad, but that’s just cruel to speculate about. A little public kissing between siblings doesn’t equal incest no matter how much we bring it up, and that’s old news. He’s just a proud uncle – and an out of work actor.

Header image was created by the Acme License Maker and a picture of James at the Mighty Heart premiere on 6/13/07. The image below is a scan from In Touch. Get this week’s edition to see the full version.

Note: The scan below was done for Celebitchy.

Boy the Jolie/Voight/Haven clan sure like to bring up old anger at least once every few months. It seems to be a seasonal ritual with them. While Angelina doesn’t talk about her father Jon Voight very much, John Voight sure does a lot of talking about Angelina. And why not? She’s a big star and he hasn’t done much of anything lately. If he wants to get into the papers, I can’t imagine a better way to do it that by talking about all their old issues and old hurt and how life sucks for him because Angelina and brother James Haven just can’t get over the fact that their dad was a complete jerk to them growing up. It really annoys me when someone treats someone else like crap, and then gets mad at the person for not getting over being treated like crap. Kind of like, “I should be able to do whatever the hell I want to you, and you should just deal with it and not make me feel badly as a result.” It’s from the Jon Voight school of psychology.

“After son James Haven’s accusations of ‘mental abuse’ in a recent magazine article, Jon Voight is speaking out. The 68-year-old actor, who is also Angelina Jolie’s dad, tells Usmagazine.com in a statement:

“‘I find it very heartbreaking that my children want to paint a bad guy portrait of me. I feel it comes from their inability to let go of years of programmed anger from their mother, who understandably felt quite hurt when we divorced. In all truth, I tried to give him and their mother continuous love and support and large sums of money. God knows, for years I’ve tried to mend this relationship. Perhaps the trauma of their mother’s passing has made it worse.’

“In November’s Marie Claire, Haven says he dedicates himself to helping abandoned women and children due to his own scarred experience as a child. Of his famous father, Haven says, ‘I don’t want to constantly berate my father — I wish him well, and I hope he finds peace — but he put my mom through years of mental abuse.’

“Despite the affront, Voight continues to hope for a relationship with Haven, and Jolie. He tells Us, ‘I continuously send them my heart and love and am always available to them for whatever they may need from me.’”

[From Us Weekly]

Yep, you continuously send them your heart and love, unless whatever they need from you is to take some lasting, permanent responsibility for your behavior and truly do what it takes to make amends. But as long as what they want from you is facile and superficial, you’re totally there for them. And if you can talk to a bunch of gossip magazines about how mean your kids are to you in your old age, all the better, right? Remember that time when Voight (apparently intentionally) referred to Zahara as Shakira to the press? Very grownup and mature, it sounds like you’re a great person and would make a fabulous grandfather Jon Voight. I think Angelina is probably moving on, focusing on making a happy family, and doing whatever it takes to make sure they don’t have to deal with you like she did. So it sounds like the problem is more that your kids don’t need you, and that bugs you.