Angelina Jolie's Brother Says He's "Protective" of Her and Her Kids as Her Divorce From Brad Pitt Continues to Unfold

“I want to be there for them or for her—whatever she’s going through.”

Angelina Jolie and Brother James Haven.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Angelina Jolie's big brother, James Haven, is opening up about what he feels his role is as a sibling and uncle and as his younger sister continues her divorce proceedings from estranged husband, Brad Pitt.

In a recent interview on the 90who10 podcast, Haven was asked about his "very close" relationship with his sister.

(If you recall, in 2000 Jolie famously kissed her brother on the lips after winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Girl, Interrupted and people collectively lost their minds.)

In response, Haven said that he has been supportive of her sister and his six nieces and nephews as their personal life continues to unfold "in the public eye.”

"That’s where it all started," the proud big brother said. "It started with the protection of her and her children—my nieces and nephews.”

Actress Angelina Jolie, with her sons Knox Jolie-Pitt and Maddox Jolie-Pitt and her brother James Haven are seen on June 17, 2016 in New York City.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Haven went on to say that he has the ability to "set my life up so I can be present with whatever the situation."

“I want to be there for them or for her," he added. "Whatever she’s going through.”

We stan a supportive sibling, always.

For the uninitiated, Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in September, 2016. The actress accused her estranged husband of “physically and verbally” assaulting her and their children during a flight on a private jet and just days before she ended the relationship, BuzzFeed reports.

Pitt was cleared of any wrongdoing following the initial investigation, according to BuzzFeed, though his lawyer said in a statement in 2022 that he “has owned everything he’s responsible for from day one," Yahoo reports.

Angelina Jolie and James Haven during "Alexander" World Premiere - After Party at Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Jolie and Pitt share six children—Maddox, 22; Pax, 20; Zahara, 18; Shiloh, 17; and twins Knox and Vivienne, 15.

“They’re becoming young adults, early 20s,” Haven said in the same podcast interview. “I think it’s just very natural and I just want to be there any time. Anytime I’m blessed to be in their presence, I want to be in their presence."

Danielle Campoamor
Weekend Editor

Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.