After ending his seven-month marriage to Romi Imbelli, Angelina Jolie’s older brother, James Haven, has come out as gay. While his revelation brought unexpected support from his ex-wife, it also became a blessing in disguise for the former actor, as it helped pave the way for a long-awaited reconciliation with his father, Jon Voight, with whom he has always shared a complicated dynamic.
In his first interview since publicly coming out as gay, the 53-year-old shared that his father repeatedly tried to reach him after Haven spent years waiting for a phone call.
James Haven reveals the “surreal” support he received from his father
Haven came out as gay on August 6, 2026, during a livestream with his former wife and close friend, Romi Imbelli, on her Substack. While discussing his journey, he said he had spent much of his childhood feeling different without having the language to explain why.
Haven said during the conversation, “I’m gay. I’m a lot of things.” He later made a written statement, writing, “I didn’t have the language back then to explain why I felt different.” He expressed his hope that his family and others would choose “love over fear” and “understanding over judgment.”
That announcement prompted Haven’s 87-year-old father, Jon Voight, to reach out. Haven spoke about the deeply personal moment during an appearance on the All Out with Jon Dean podcast on August 12, 2026, saying he had spent years waiting for a phone call from Voight. And when he least expected it, his father reached out to him through repeated attempts.
Haven revealed that the Transformers actor repeatedly tried to reach him after his Substack coming-out announcement, more than a year after he and Romi Imbelli filed to annul their seven-month marriage. He said:
“This is mind-blowing. I don’t know how he processed it. He said he read the thing I wrote. I finally picked up the phone after like 15 minutes of trying to call me.”
Haven eventually answered after his father had called several times. The actor then told his son, “So, I finally know who you are.” His father told him he had read what he wrote and that he now understood why his son had been so private. The words caught him completely off guard, as he had never expected such a supportive response from his father’s end. He admitted, “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.”
What led to the years-long estrangement between Jon Voight and James Haven?
Given their complicated history, Haven admitted that he never expected the conversation with Voight to go so well. The father and son had previously been estranged for six years before reconnecting in 2007. The 53-year-old opened up about the difficulties in their relationship, saying that one of the biggest issues he had struggled with over the years was feeling a lack of “value” from his father. Their years-long estrangement also has a lot to do with Haven’s upbringing.
Haven and his younger sister, Angelina Jolie, were primarily raised by their mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, following her divorce from Voight. Jolie and Voight also endured a highly publicized estrangement before eventually reconnecting. Haven said his own relationship with his father similarly went through years of distance, with the two not speaking for an extended period before rebuilding their relationship. He shared:
“I lost my life in this process up to this point, so I’m tired of that. I want a life now. I want to actually live a life. I want to be happy. I want to be me. I want to be joyful. I’m not hiding anymore.”
While Haven has received support from his father and ex-wife, he said he had not yet spoken with Angelina Jolie following his public coming-out announcement. However, he expects his younger sister to be supportive. “I’m sure she’s very proud of me,” Haven said, adding that he looks forward to hearing what she has to say in person.
James Haven hopes that he and Voight will meet in person soon and finally have a healthy, face-to-face conversation.
Image credit: X photos, YouTube
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