Angelina Jolie’s brother James Haven’s wife announces annulment filing seven months after wedding

Angelina Jolie’s brother James Haven is in the midst of a marriage breakdown, as his wife Romi Imbelli revealed she has filed for an annulment.

James, 51 – who infamously kissed Angelina on the lips at the 2000 Oscars – secretly exchanged vows with Romi this past August in Laguna Beach, California after knowing her for 23 years.

News of the marriage broke New Year’s Day, as Romi shared an Instagram post hinting at troubles in the relationship that she and James were trying to overcome.

In that Instagram caption, she explained that she had decided to ‘return to my husband’ and ‘work through our issues’ after ‘much crying, healing and reflection’ during the preceding five months.

This week, legal documents revealed that Romi filed for an annulment on August 27, 2024, just 15 days after the wedding took place.

The couple were evidently unable to iron out their differences, as Romi issued a statement this Wednesday saying: ‘After careful consideration, I have decided to move forward with the annulment of my marriage to James Haven,’ via People.

Angelina Jolie’s brother James Haven is in the midst of a marriage breakdown, as his wife Romi Imbelli has filed for an annulment; James and Romi pictured at their wedding with thier brother  

‘As reflected in public record, the reason cited remains fraud,’ she said, referring to the fact ‘fraud’ was the box checked in her court documents.

‘This has been a deeply personal and difficult decision, but one that I feel is necessary for my own well-being. I appreciate the support of those who have stood by me, and at this time, I am focused on moving forward with clarity and peace.’

She added: ‘I’m finding healing through this process by putting my truth into words in my upcoming memoir, where I will share more about this chapter of my life and the journey that led me here.’

Although she and James tied the knot in August, news of their nuptials only went viral over New Year’s, via a report in JustJared.

James’ father Jon Voight was said to be in attendance at his wedding to Romi, but Angelina – in the midst of her own messy divorce from Brad Pitt – was allegedly not.

Romi shared loved-up snaps of the big day to Instagram on New Year’s Day, writing: ‘In 2024, I married my best friend of 23 years.

‘The details of our story are too personal and complicated to share now, but I am writing it all in my book. Our wedding day was intimate, just us and our parents while exchanging vows, with plans to have a larger celebration later

‘After 5 months of much crying, healing, and reflection, we decided to work through our issues and are now planning a special day with my daughter.

Haven is pictured with Angelina in 2000 

James is seen sharing a controversial kiss with his sister in 2000 

Jolie settled her divorce from Brad Pitt in December – pictured Jolie and Pitt in 2009

‘I feel liberated and ready to return to my husband and our home in LA. Everything that has happened in the last few months was all part of a greater plan, and I trust in God’s timing. I will always hold 2024 deeply in my heart. Life is too short. Go out and live it.

‘Tomorrow is the day my dad was born. He met Jamie 23 years ago. I believe he is watching over us from heaven and smiling down on us. Jamie proposed to me at my dad’s grave. There is no guarantee of tomorrow, so give your all today.’

Romi also paid tribute to James and Angelina’s late mother  Marcheline Bertrand, writing: ‘Today, Jamie’s mom is singing for us as they celebrate in heaven together.

“We are both learning to accept love from someone, this was a special and private day in these pics. I look forward to celebrating with loved ones in the coming year. Happy New Year.

Romi starred on the reality show – which followed a group of lesbian friends in Los Angeles – from 2010-2012. She is credited as Romi Klinger. 

In January 2024, Haven made extremely rare remarks about his relationship with the Oscar-winning actress.

He appeared on an episode of the 90who10 podcast in which he delved into how he had focused on caring for Angelina’s children in the wake of her split and years-long divorce from Pitt.

James — who was most recently pictured in public with his father Jon Voight in October 2022 — admitted that he saw it as his duty to ‘protect’ his sister’s six children amid the tumultuous divorce and the resulting negative publicity for the sparring exes.

The newlyweds wore matching white ensembles for their beach wedding 

The conversation turned to James’ connection to Angelina in recent years and questions about how he had responded to the very public split.

‘That’s where it all started, it started with the protection of her and then of her children, my nieces and nephews,’ James said via Too Fab, indicating that he and his sister began a new phase of their relationship after her split.

‘There are those are massively formative years, they’re becoming young adults in their early 20s,’ he continued, referencing her children.

‘That’s so crazy thinking that, but yeah, I think it’s just very natural [to feel protective] and I just want to be there,’ James continued. ‘Very much like my mom. Anytime I’m blessed to be in their presence, I want to be in their presence.’

He attributed that feeling to a lesson he learned from his late mother Marcheline Bertrand.

‘[It’s] a quality I got from my mom, even though cell phones were not as prevalent as they are now, but back to that idea of her always being like, “You are the focus,”‘ he shared. ‘I set my life up so I can be present with whatever the situation. The formative years, the young adults they’re going to become, I want to be there for them — or for her — whatever she’s going through.’

Although James has had small parts on film and television throughout the years, it was his connecting to his younger sister that first increased his public profile.

He often accompanied her on the awards season trail leading up to her Oscar win for Beset Supporting Actress for 1999’s Girl, Interrupted.

But the two were beset by rumors inspired by their overly close bond and their public affections, including their habit of kissing on the mouth on the red carpet.

Angelina and James stirred up controversy back in 2000, when they shared a kiss on the lips just after she won her Oscar.

While accepting her award, Jolie confessed, ‘I’m in shock, and I’m so in love with my brother right now.

‘He just held me and said he loved me, and I know he’s so happy for me. And, um, thank you for that.’

James later said the event was ‘misconstrued’ amid the breathless coverage of it.

Angelina also tried to brush off criticism of their public displays, calling the kisses just an example of ‘brotherly love.’

They two later attributed the stress of having their mother in the hospital around the time of the awards season campaign on the provocative displays.

Bertrand had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1999, and despite her initial hospitalization, she live several more years with the disease.

The actress died in 2007 at the age of 56.

James seemed happy to speak about his connection to his sister, although he mostly spoke in vague terms.

However, he indicated that they two hoped to collaborate on some kind of projects in the future, though it wasn’t clear if they were film projects or something else.

‘We have very mutual interests, especially if it’s focuses on how to help kids or stuff like that,’ James explained. ‘And I know there’s going to be many things in the future that we’ll probably be working on, which we’ve never done publicly, like together, but I think there’s many things in the future that I think we’ll do together.’

James had a steady string of small film and television roles beginning in the late 1990s, though many of them were in films starring his sister or second husband Billy Bob Thornton, whom she was married to from 2000 to 2003.

He has mostly stayed out of the public eye in recent years, and his last on-screen role was in Easy Silence, a short film from 2013.

His sister Angelina has continued to have a varied career as an actor and occasional director, while also working as a human rights activist and a Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

On Monday, Pitt and Jolie officially settled their divorce, bringing an end to a contentious legal fight that lasted over eight years. 

However, one major sticking point remains unresolved—their $62 million dispute over the French château and vineyard they once co-owned.

The former couple, famously known as ‘Brangelina,’ signed off on their divorce paperwork this week. 

Jolie’s attorney, James Simon, told DailyMail.com that the actress is relieved to have closed this chapter. 

Now that his divorce from Jolie is finally behind him ,Pitt is happier than ever with girlfriend Ines de Ramon—but wedding bells aren’t in their immediate future; (Ines and Brad in September)

‘Frankly, Angelina is exhausted,’ Simon said.

However, she recently expressed dissatisfaction with the film industry and shared her desire to move away from Los Angeles in an interview with WSJ. Magazine.

‘Of all the places in the world, Hollywood is not a healthy place,’ she said at the time.

Both James and Angelina have had a tempestuous relationship with their father, Jon  including several years in which they were estranged from him – but his close appearance at the wedding shows they have mended their relationship.