Angelina Jolie’s brother James Haven says closeted gay men in Hollywood use secret codes to meet
Angelina Jolie and James Haven (Image: Getty)
Angelina Jolie‘s brother James Haven has described how closeted gay men in Hollywood allegedly arranged discreet meet-ups through assistants, coded invitations and carefully planned exits.
Speaking on All Out with Jon Dean in his first interview since coming out as gay, Haven said secrecy could shape everything from introductions to how people left a venue.
Discussing how encounters could begin while he was not publicly out, Haven said: “Sometimes it’s just an action taken or an invite,” before sharing an example from “an Oscars luncheon” where, he said “the person just followed me” into the bathroom.
Outside of public events, Haven described what he framed as a more formalised system of discretion.
“It starts with an assistant… never the person,” he said, adding that the assistant might use a real name or a code name. He continued: “Then it just becomes like, ‘Hey, come to the whatever,’ which is of course like code for it. Come to a place where we all leave in a different vehicle so no one knows.”
Haven added: “And then you end up in like a warehouse,” or on a private jet.
Coming out and family reactions
Haven publicly came out as gay earlier this month. He first spoke about his sexuality during a Substack livestream on 6 August with his ex-wife and close friend, Romi Imbelli, before appearing alongside her for his first in-depth interview since coming out on Dean’s podcast.
Reflecting on the emotional cost of staying closeted, Haven said: “If you know you are, but you can’t say it, you’re hurting every day,” and later added: “I want a life now. I want to actually live a life. I want to be happy… I’m not hiding anymore.”
He also shared his father’s response. Haven said Jon Voight told him: “So, I finally know who you are,” during a phone call.
In the same podcast appearance, he said Jolie had not yet spoken to him following his public announcement, but he expects she will be supportive.
Who is James Haven?
Haven is an American actor and producer and the older brother of Angelina Jolie. He has appeared in films including Gia (1998) and Original Sin (2001), and has worked in producing and behind-the-scenes roles. He was a visible figure at awards events alongside Jolie in the early 2000s, attracting tabloid attention, and is the son of actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand.
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