James Haven spent decades known publicly through his famous family, his acting work and, more recently, a brief marriage that ended almost as soon as it began.

Now, at 53, Angelina Jolie’s older brother is introducing himself on his own terms.

Haven publicly came out as gay on Aug. 6, describing the announcement as the beginning of a new chapter after years of working through childhood trauma. In an emotional statement, he said he finally felt free to live the life he believed had always been meant for him—one centered on hope, peace and love.

The announcement was shared through his friend and former wife Romi Imbelli, who appeared with Haven as he discussed his sexuality and the unusual history of their relationship.

For Haven, the moment was not presented simply as revealing a label.

It was about no longer hiding.

A Public Declaration After Years of Healing

Haven, the son of actor Jon Voight and the late Marcheline Bertrand, spoke directly to the camera as photos and footage of himself and Imbelli appeared.

He described the moment as a personal turning point.

After what he characterized as years of healing from childhood trauma, Haven said he was ready to live more openly and authentically. He thanked those who had given him the space to become the person he felt he was supposed to be.

During a livestream conversation with Imbelli, Haven made the message unmistakable.

“I’m gay,” he said.

Imbelli responded playfully, describing him as extremely gay, prompting Haven to smile and joke that he was many things while trying to remain humble.

The lighthearted exchange stood in contrast to the emotional weight of Haven’s longer statement.

He expressed hope that members of his family and others in his life would respond with love rather than fear and understanding rather than judgment. More than anything, he said he wanted people to look beyond the label and recognize that he remained the same person they had always known.

The same heart. The same laugh. The same soul.

His Brief Marriage Now Has New Context

Haven’s announcement also sheds new light on his unusual relationship with Imbelli.

The two married on Aug. 12, 2024.

The marriage was extremely short-lived. Court records indicated that Imbelli filed paperwork to annul the union just 15 days after their wedding, although news of the annulment did not become public until the following March.

Rather than presenting their history with bitterness, however, the pair appeared together as Haven shared his truth.

Imbelli, who appeared on The Real L Word, framed her role in his life as one of support.

In her own message accompanying the announcement, she emphasized that her intention had never been to expose Haven before he was ready. Instead, she said she wanted to help someone she loved become free.

She added that the process had also helped free her.

Their relationship therefore appears to have evolved into something different from the marriage they briefly attempted to build.

Instead of disappearing from one another’s lives after the annulment, they remained close enough for Imbelli to become part of the moment when Haven publicly acknowledged his sexuality.

A Comment From His Mother Took on New Meaning

The conversation also included a memory involving Haven’s late mother, Marcheline Bertrand.

According to Imbelli, Bertrand had once referred to her son as “pony boy.”

Haven said he had not realized at the time that the phrase could be used as a term referring to a young gay man.

The memory was shared with humor, but Haven’s larger comments made clear that his relationship with identity had involved a much longer process.

He did not offer a detailed account of when he first understood his sexuality or why he waited until his 50s to speak publicly.

Instead, he focused on healing and the sense of freedom he now feels.

That choice made the announcement less about explaining his past and more about defining what he wants his future to become.

Growing Up in a Famous Hollywood Family

Haven has spent much of his life connected to one of Hollywood’s most recognizable families.

His father is Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight. His younger sister, Angelina Jolie, became one of the most famous actresses of her generation.

Haven also pursued acting.

He appeared alongside Jolie in the 1998 HBO film Gia and again in Original Sin, released in 2001.

Their sibling relationship attracted international attention during the 2000 Academy Awards, when Jolie won Best Supporting Actress for Girl, Interrupted.

Haven accompanied his sister to the ceremony.

The siblings made headlines after kissing on the lips on the red carpet, an image that became one of the most discussed celebrity moments from the event.

During her Oscar acceptance speech, Jolie openly expressed her affection for her brother. Overwhelmed by the win, she said she was deeply in love with him in that moment and described how he had held her and told her how happy he was for her.

More than 25 years later, Haven is now making a deeply personal announcement of his own.

This time, the attention is not centered on Jolie’s career or their famous family name.

It is centered on his identity.

He Is Asking His Family to Choose Love

One of the most revealing parts of Haven’s statement was directed toward the people closest to him.

He said he hoped family members and others would choose connection instead of beliefs that might create distance between them.

The wording suggested that coming out publicly was about more than simply telling strangers something personal.

It carried the possibility of changing relationships.

Haven did not identify any particular relative as rejecting him, nor did he describe specific conflicts surrounding his sexuality.

Instead, he framed his hopes broadly.

He wants those who know him to understand that revealing he is gay does not erase the person they have always known.

For someone born into a family that has spent decades under public scrutiny, the request is strikingly simple: see the person before the label.

A New Chapter Beyond Acting

Haven’s announcement also arrives as he prepares for a new professional project.

He is set to launch a podcast called Safe Haven through Wonder Peak Media.

The program will feature weekly conversations with guests discussing their personal journeys.

That premise now carries additional significance.

Haven has just publicly shared one of the most personal journeys of his own life—a process involving identity, healing and the decision to stop keeping an important part of himself private.

At 53, he is entering a chapter that appears very different from the one that first made him a recognizable Hollywood figure.

For years, people frequently identified him by his relationships: Jon Voight’s son, Angelina Jolie’s brother, the man beside his sister at the Oscars, or, more recently, Romi Imbelli’s briefly married husband.

His coming-out announcement asks people to see something beyond those connections.

James Haven is still part of that family history. He still shares the memories, relationships and experiences that shaped him.

But he is now choosing to define his future for himself.

After years of healing, his message is ultimately less about looking backward than moving forward.

He says he is free.

And at 53, James Haven appears ready to begin the life he believes he was always meant to live.