Does Zahara’s Birth Mother Want To Take Her Back From Angelina Jolie?
Globe-trotting Angelina Jolie has gone to the corners of the world to highlight the plight of people in impoverished areas. Just recently her travels took her to Western Sudan, just a stone’s throw away from her adopted daughter Zahara’s homeland of Ethiopia…and her natural mother.
What’s that, you say? You thought little Zahara was an AIDS orphan, who’s mother died of the disease? Well, think again, because her mother is alive in Ethiopia, and she is a bit puzzled as to why the world was told that she was dead:
The Mail on Sunday has discovered that not only is Zahara’s mother, Mentewab Dawit Lebiso, alive and well, but that the man who arranged Zahara’s adoption has been waging a campaign of threats and intimidation against her family.
When rumours surfaced last week in America that all was not as it appeared with the paperwork, the American headquarters of the international adoption agency Wide Horizons For Children initially insisted that Zahara’s mother was dead. And yet in Ethiopia, the man who brought Zahara to the agency knows Mentewab is alive and has been attempting to shut her up.
To make a long story short, Zahara was the product of an attack and rape in 2004, while her birth mother Mentewab was living at her grandmother’s house. Her family disowned her when her pregnancy became obvious, and after the baby was born Mentewab and her mother lived with her uncle in a small, three-room hut with mud floors. Times were tough as the young mother struggled to work while her mother looked after the baby.
Finally, things came to a head when the uncle asked them to move out. Faced with a financial crisis and no food to feed her crying baby, in desperation and fear the young mother ran away and left the baby behind. The grandmother had no money and helplessly watched as the baby got thinner and thinner. Finally, after she became convinced the baby was near death’s door, she took her to the Kebele (the local council), told them her daughter had ran away, and asked them to please take the baby before she died. She had to bring three witnesses to prove that the mother did in fact run away, and they all signed papers stating so.
A local man, Girma Degu, whom the grandmother had already been introduced to, agreed to take the baby to an orphanage. He also agreed to bring her back for a visit, to send photos of her progress, and to introduce the grandmother to the family who would adopt the baby. He followed through on none of these promises, and later when he told the grandmother that the baby had been adopted he warned her not to say anything to the journalists who would be coming around, other than to lie and say Zahara was not her granddaughter.
Angelina had seen Zahara in the orphanage, horridly malnourished and suffering from rickets, and had nursed her to health and adopted her into her family. She adopted her through an agency called Wide Horizons For Children, which claims that since 1974 they have placed 10,000 children with families from the West. Apparently, they were told that Zahara’s mother was indeed dead:
Dr Tsegaye Berhe, head of the agency in Ethiopia, said he had been told Zahara’s mother was dead at the time of the adoption and had the official papers to prove it.
“We have to trust the documents we received. She (Almaz) has signed, three witnesses have signed, but the document is saying something different to what she is saying now. She said her daughter had died.”
And in a move some might regard as intimidation, Dr Berhe added that he had asked the government to instruct Ethiopian police to investigate whether the grandmother had lied to the Kebele.
“We have already talked to the government. The grandmother has given two statements. One that the mother is dead, another that she is alive. So we have already told the government what she is doing and that it has to take action now because it is the government she’s made to look foolish.
“It’s a big scandal to say something then another thing the next day. That will make a big problem for her.”
The problem is that the grandmother can’t read, and doesn’t know for sure what it was that she signed or just what it said:
Dr Berhe produced the paperwork he said was signed by Almaz and three other witnesses testifying that Zahara’s mother had died - but refused to allow The Mail on Sunday to copy or photograph it.
We have spoken to one of the three witnesses named in the document, Asegadech Asefaw, who backs up Almaz’s account that she told officials her daughter had run away. Another of Almaz’s former neighbours, Bekelech Haile, says she also confirmed Almaz’s version of events but, strangely, her name does not appear on the document shown to The Mail on Sunday. The witnesses say they have never heard of the name that does.
Almaz said: “I cannot read or write. I don’t know what they wrote but what I said was that my daughter ran away, not that she was dead.”
Dr. Berhe also says that while Angelina has made no attempt to contact any surviving members of Zahara’s family, as he says he arranges for adoptive families to do, he cites intense media attention at the time of the adoption as the reason why.
The blame for this debacle seems to lie at the feet of Girma Degu, the man who took Zahara from her grandmother and brought her to the orphanage:
Meanwhile, Wide Horizons For Children moved rapidly to distance itself from Girma, the man who supplied both Zahara and the paperwork apparently proving she was an orphan.
Although Girma told The Mail on Sunday that he worked for the adoption agency and has distributed business cards claiming he represents it, Wide Horizons For Children says he is not an employee but is employed by an orphanage in Awassa. It does not deny, however, that it was he who brought Zahara to its officials.
The mother, for her part, seems bitter at the way in which the whole business was conducted, but philosophical at the prospects of Zahara’s future with Angelina as opposed to her:
“What he has done is tantamount to kidnap,” Mentewab claimed bitterly.
“He took my daughter and just disappeared with her saying I was dead.”
She recognises that Zahara has far better prospects with Angelina and Brad Pitt.
“She will have a better life with Angelina. If she had stayed with me she could have died.
“I’m happy to see my daughter in a better life, in a better place. The thing that makes me upset is that Angelina is saying I’m dead – I’m alive and have never had AIDS.”
She would also like Angelina to bring her daughter to visit her birthplace and family.
“She must know her country, she must know her family, that’s where her identity is,” she added.
For Angelina Jolie, champion of the dispossessed, it would be a simple task.
You can hardly blame Mentewab for running away. A young, scared girl, faced with trying to feed two people and an infant on one small paycheck, and sometimes having only a piece of bread to eat all day, I’m sure she felt overwhelmed at the pressures facing her. No, she should not have run off, but she was a frightened, poorly-educated girl in an impoverished part of the world, faced with a situation that she didn’t know how to handle.
The grandmother made the only choice she could in light of what she now faced, which was how to feed both herself and her granddaughter on no money. Based on the information the grandmother received, she thought that by giving her granddaughter up for adoption that she would still be able to be a small part of her life, and if her mother came back that she would also be given that same courtesy.
It would seem, however, that the paperwork was either mishandled or falsified to make it seem that Mentewab had died and the grandmother was giving the granddaughter away. Since the grandmother can’t read, anything could have been written on the paper that she signed and she would not have known.
For her part, Mentewab does not want Zahara to be taken from Angelina:
Mentewab Dawit said she has never challenged the adoption and she is happy her daughter has found a home with the actress.
She added she would like to meet Zahara one day.
“Once she is grown I will explain to my daughter why I gave her up for adoption, and I would never entertain Zahara leaving Angelina because she is more of her mother than I am. She raised her,” she said.
So it would seem that when Angelina talked about adopting this little AIDS orphan from Ethiopia, she was telling what she believed was the truth, as she had been told. She didn’t intentionally mislead anyone nor did she swoop in, steal Zahara from her family, and whisk her away to a life of fame, fortune, and money, as some have tried to say. While she has been accused of using questionable adoption tactics when she adopted Maddox from Cambodia, using an agency that was later declared guilty of visa fraud and money laundering relating to adoptions (and because of the scandal, Cambodia has closed its doors to international adoptions, even though it is possible Angelina didn’t know about the fraud at the time), and while it would seem that she is drawn to adopting children who still have living mothers, she appears to not have known the true extent of the circumstances in this case.
And believe me, it pains me to say that, because Angelina Jolie is one of my most least-liked celebrities. No, wait, let me rephrase…I can’t stand the woman. From her blood-wearing antics with husband Billy Bob Thornton, to disowning her father because he dared to think that she might need to have a mental checkup, to the questionable adoptions, to going after Brad Pitt (who is one of the most mealy-mouthed, p*ssy-whipped, wishy-washy, non-committal, beaten-with-the-ugly-stick men I’ve ever seen) when he was still married, the woman just pushes my irked button. She’s so full of herself it’s amazing she had any room for Shiloh when she was pregnant.
She trots all over the globe trying her best to convince us that only she holds the answers to life’s problems, and if we’d just listen to Saint Angelina life would automagically be grand. In the meantime, she has spoken of adding more children to her brood, both bioligically and through adoption. She loves to show her good works.
Travelling the globe and never staying in one spot for very long, plus the pressures of having parents who are high-profile celebrities, must be very hard on the children. They really don’t have any chance of having a “normal” life, but that’s something that most celebs don’t think of when they look to expand their family. On one hand, stars (including the Jolie-Pitts) cry for privacy, but on the other hand they must realize that without their fame they certainly can’t live the sort of lifestyle they do. It is their children who often suffer, and Angelina, more than most, doesn’t seem to grasp the concept of roots and a stable home and privacy. Already Maddox has been enrolled in one school only to be yanked out several weeks later.
Now, I am not against adoption, either domestic or international. And I am not against helping those in other countries who need help. And it isn’t a stretch to say that Zahara is better off out of her home country. But why does Angelina always have to go to other countries to “rescue” children, when there are thousands of children right here in the USA who are in desperate need of help and assistance and good homes? Why not look closer to home when it comes time to assuage that baby itch?
Could it be that it’s because she knows that mothers and families in impoverished countries don’t have the money to contest adoption? Had this debacle happened in America, the birth mother would already be booked for all the morning shows, Larry King, and sitting for an interview with the National Enquirer. She’d have a lawyer making statements to the media, and a manager to coordinate her various television appearances, all before Angelina could flick her hair. And I’ll bet Angelina knows that.
But Mentewab Dawit Lebiso simply must live with the knowledge that Zahara is living the sort of life that her mother can only dream of. Granted, Zahara is probably much better off physically and financially, and her birth mother knows this. But the very least Angelina could do is finally visit the mother, or at least send her a letter and photos, just to assure Mentewab that her daughter is cared for.
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Most children in the US are in foster care, and are not adoptable. They have shelter and food, unlike children in poorer countries like Zahara who have nothing. You really should do some research, the adoption agency Angelina used to adopt Maddox, which was used by thousands of other people, was thought to be quite reputable. That it was discovered to be otherwise cannot be laid at Angelina’s feet or anyone else’s who used the same agency. Your bias toward a good person is on display. What a shame.
Comment by mattiec — November 26, 2007 @ 11:41 pm
Well, I did say that she wasn’t to blame for the adoption fiascos. What a shame that you can’t process what you read.
Comment by k — November 26, 2007 @ 11:48 pm
How does anyone know if this story is true? How does anyone know if this woman is indeed the biological mother? She might or might not be. She looks like many people in this area so any resemblance is not proof. Zahara has a mother and a father, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt who from all appearances love her dearly. Zahara and her siblings appear happy and healthy. Their parents move for work, just like every other actor. Home is where the heart is, not a building. Staying on one place does not come with a guarantee that kids will grow up to be responsible adults. A mother would not proclaim to the world that your child was born of a rape, a mother protects her child, this woman is not Zahara’s mother.
Comment by a tabloid story — November 26, 2007 @ 11:50 pm
That’s rich. Better watch it or someone will accuse you of saying “they all look alike”.
If the local council and orphanage has records leading to Zahara that start at the grandmother, it’s perfectly reasonable to conclude that Zahara is this woman’s child. You have a traceable, unbroken, documented line from grandmother to child.
And I’m sure that this woman, in Ethiopia, who doesn’t even make enough money to feed herself, is sitting around all day with her laptop and her wireless connection scheming up ways to get her name in the media. Yep. Why didn’t I think of that?
Comment by k — November 26, 2007 @ 11:57 pm
These type stories are why so many children are never adopted. Who wants to deal with this type of situation years after an adoption when you love and care for your child so much, and are your child’s parent, and then someone pops up like this. I find all of this disgusting when the life of a child is treated in this manner. My best friend adopted after not being able to give birth, and now is quite upset with all of this. This poor child will have to hear such negative things someday.
Comment by just a shame — November 26, 2007 @ 11:59 pm
LOL damn I feel nothing but pity for you, cause to hate someone so much especially when you don’t know them personally is really pathetic. It must be so great to sit on your high horse and past judgment on a woman who did nothing to you. I really pity you. I will say a prayer for you, cause honey you really need it.
Comment by Alex — November 27, 2007 @ 12:01 am
It is unbelievable to me that anybody can criticize Angelina Jolie for adopting Maddox out of a Cambodian orphanage (do you have any idea what happens to children in Cambodia without parents? They roam the streets living the most desperate lives imaginable).
Or for adopting Pax out of his bleak orphanage (the pictures of those metal cribs with no toys, anywhere, made me cry), or saving Zahara from (painful) death. Or donating millions and millions of dollars to impoverished people around the world. The only thing that I agree with you about is Angelina’s treatment of her dad - but beyond that Angelina-haters actually scare me. I get the feeling they don’t want other people to shine too bright - who want everybody to stay a part of the herd. Brad Pitt made his OWN choice. He and Jennifer did not want the same things out of life, so it’s good that they broke up. He’s not a dinnerplate, that Angelina picked up and pocketed. They share the same worldview, goals, deep ambitions. I love them and I love their family. I do hope they find a way to integrate Zahara’s birth relatives into their lives. I do hope Angelina speaks with her father someday too.
Comment by Sarah — November 27, 2007 @ 12:02 am
and isn’t it amazing how these tabs are so obsess with Brad and Angelina and their family that they would go to the end of the world to dig on dirt on them. Some people really need to get their priorities straight, if it wasn’t for Brad and Angie, I don’t know what the tabs or websites like this would do, they so hate Angelina and Brad but they can’t stop writing crap about them. So freaking sad. Anyway I am out, the owner of this site is way to righteous, thank goodness she is not God
Comment by Alex — November 27, 2007 @ 12:08 am
Woah. I didn’t criticize her for adopting anyone out of bleak and hopeless circumstances. I did say that every time she gets a baby itch, she goes off to another country.
That’s great, but what about those children here at home? Seems to me she needs to be spreading the charity here as well. Contrary to popular belief, not all children here are living high on the hog. Many of them live horrific lives and they need rescuing just as much as an AIDS orphan in an African country.
It’s really too bad that people read what they want, and ignore the rest.
Comment by k — November 27, 2007 @ 12:09 am
I did not accuse the alleged mother of cooking up any scheme, I place all the blame for that on the two tabloids that printed this story, the UK Sun, and In Touch. This woman was used and abused by the tabs, she was told that there was money if she talked to them and she is poor. She did not realize the impact that a story of a rape conception would have on this child’s future life, she is not educated as to the ways of tabloids and the world outside her area. And I actually know a number of ethiopians, some quite well, and some do indeed share the heart shaped face. The tabloids should have left this innocent child alone. I feel very strongly about that. A major NYCity newspaper,semi tabloid labeled this 2 year old child “Brangelina’s Rape Baby”, how cruel is that.
Comment by a tabloid story — November 27, 2007 @ 12:18 am
I have worked with children in the foster care system here in the US. Yes they are removed from horrific situations, and many end up in permanent foster care. But most are fed and clothed and have shelter. The problem in the US is a lack of adequate governmental funding. There is just too little funding and resources and too few staff to provide the best care. Most of these kids are not adoptable for years as the parent’s rights are not terminated, and family reunification is a goal. Ask anyone how difficult it is to adopt in many states, you might be surprised. I worked with wonderful foster parents who had kids for 16-18 years, wanted to adopt those kids and could not. Every child deserves a family of their own, no matter what their country of origin. And every child deserves the dignity of complete confidentiality and privacy as to their pasts, sadly this child was denied that by some immoral acts by tabloids.
Comment by former CPS — November 27, 2007 @ 12:36 am
No, I don’t agree with what the NY Post said about Zahara. Not at all. Very tacky and gross. But it IS the Post…people expect high journalism?
And I do agree that there are tabloids who exploited this story for monetary gain. But while it is bad that a magazine such as In Touch exploited this for their own gain, the fact is that Zahara is NOT an AIDS orphan as Angelina was led to believe, she does have a mother, and the family was led to believe that they would have contact with the child. They have not even had a letter from Angelina.
It’s sad all around, but Angelina should step up and address this.
Comment by k — November 27, 2007 @ 12:54 am
i feel sorry for zahara she alraday has a family she is a jolie-pitt, this tabloides only looked for her bio mother to say to everybody she is a rape baby that is very shamefull.
Comment by dark faith — November 27, 2007 @ 4:29 am
Brangeloonies are perhaps the most delusional group of people on Earth.
A person can criticize a famous person for their actions without having some sort of inferiority complex. Not everyone buys into Angelina’s sainthood portrayal. Not long ago she was portraying herself as wanton whore who liked to have sexual play with knives and loose attachments to lovers.
The public doesn’t forget or forgive as quickly as these whackjobs change their stories and fabricate their lives.
Nice job k, very well-written and balanced.
Comment by Dawn — November 27, 2007 @ 12:00 pm
I tried to adopt through the foster system. The social worker said that they preferred to keep the kids in foster care in case they can be reunited with their REAL parents, no matter how many years it takes. If we wanted a child over ten with severe emotional problems, they could help us. We went overseas - to Ethiopia. We adopted older children and made sure to meet the kids’ family while we were there. We thought that guaranteed an honest adoption. Now our kids speak English and tell us their father’s plan was that we’d love them, educate them, send money back to the family on a regular basis, and finally bring them back home to live and support the family.
Comment by winn — November 27, 2007 @ 12:07 pm
This story first broke about a month after Jolie adopted Zahara, so it’s not like it’s anything new. Apparently The Sun (UK) did an “exclusive investigation” in 2005 and found Zahara’s birth mother, who at that time also said that she was happy that the child was adopted by Brangelina.
According to what I’ve read the woman is not now asking for (and never has) anything except for her daughter to be given an education and to know about her home country.
Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the adoption, I really can’t see why some newspaper in the UK felt it needed to conduct an investigation into finding the birth mother of THIS particular child. I see something very self-serving in it, and frankly, it’s none of THEIR business. It’s not that I don’t believe the adoption was handled in less than idea circumstances, I just feel that this degree of tabloid meddling in the private lives of CHILDREN is a real invasion. Other than to stir up controversy, I don’t see what purpose it all serves.
Comment by crazymom — November 27, 2007 @ 12:28 pm
Because it was Angelina Jolie who did the adopting. Maybe she pissed somebody off over there at the Sun, I don’t know. But if you are a famous person, and you come out and say you’ve adopted an AIDS orphan, the press is going to check out your story. It’s just the way it is. Joe Schmoe, they couldn’t care less about, but someone as recognizable as Angelina is going to have everything they say checked and rechecked. It’s just the nature of the beast.
I do think it was an invasion of Zahara’s privacy to do so. I also think that perhaps it was a little bit justified, since Angelina was saying the woman was dead (she apparently believed it was true). At least now the truth is out, and Angelina can now deal with the situation as it stands. Is it better to find out now, or when Zahara is sixteen and has believed she is an orphan all her life?
Regardless, it’s pretty obvious Angelina doesn’t have anything to worry about, so it wouldn’t hurt to send the woman a note and a few photos, out of respect if nothing else.
Comment by k — November 27, 2007 @ 12:50 pm
Dawn,
I did not say Angelina-haters have an inferiority complex. I said they have a herd-like mentality and don’t like anybody who shines too bright or doesn’t follow the status quo.
And if Angelina’s sexuality so terribly offends you, watch out!
Because here is where thinking of women as ‘whores’ and ‘loose’ (as you put it) can ultimately lead:
http://www.connietalk.com/saudivictim123.html
FYI, being sexual is a GOOD thing - and is in no contradiction to being a great humanitarian/mother. Angelina’s wilder days did not harm anybody, so what business it is of yours? Fortunately in the U.S. women have the right to make their own choices, to all you American patriots out there.
Besides now that Angelina is a mother, she has committed COMPLETELY to the father of her children. She got rid of Billy Bob because he was not a dedicated enough father, but Brad is dad of the year and I think they are both happier than they have ever been in their lives.
Comment by Sarah — November 27, 2007 @ 1:08 pm
k, I do agree with you that the Jolie-Pitts should stay in touch with Zahara’s birth mother. But they need time to adjust to this completely unexpected situation and figure out how to handle it.
I hope that they help the birth mother financially as well as visit her - but on the other hand she might end up needing protection if that happens. She could be kidnapped and held for ransom if people figure out that she has a connection to famous rich American movie stars.
It is a very complex situation that might need to be handled discreetly. We really have no knowledge of how Angelina and Brad are responding to it at this point in time, you know?
Comment by Sarah — November 27, 2007 @ 1:20 pm
Agreed, it is complex, and all we have to go on is reports that Angelina is denying that this person is Zahara’s birth mother. Granted, we don’t know anything for certain regarding Angelina and Brad, but the most recent reports say that there has been no contact.
I think it would be a nice gesture if Angelina would send regular updates to the birth mother, but that’s just my opinion.
And that’s really all this piece is…my opinion. No, I don’t like Angelina or Brad, but that doesn’t mean I can’t admit that she didn’t do anything wrong in this adoption, or possibly in the others. Do I think she should do/have done some things in her life differently? Yeah…but again, my OPINION. That’s all it is. Not saying everyone should agree with me, but I do expect people to realize that some of us can differentiate between not liking someone, not agreeing with their actions, and realizing when they’re being accused of something they didn’t do.
Comment by k — November 27, 2007 @ 6:25 pm
And as far as following the status quo…nobody has ever accused me of being a follower, so I had a bit of a chuckle there.
But Angelina did take great delight in portraying herself as a bit of an immoral woman, taking and disposing of lovers at the drop of a hat, and showing no qualms at throwing herself at a married man. Granted, Brad should have known better, but the bottom line is that both of them acted irresponsibly.
No, there’s nothing wrong with being sexual, but there ARE limits within the boundaries of propriety and decency, and more than once she’s blurred those lines. And no, her past is not erased by her actions of today…in fact, I’m not so sure that the basic intent behind her actions is so different now than then. Only time will tell.
Again, just my opinion.
Comment by k — November 27, 2007 @ 6:31 pm
Good article. Personally I think that AJ has a martyr complex and revels in her own good deeds - I could exercise my pseudo shrink muscles - but it’s mostly been said.
On the positive side AJ brings needy causes to the forefront because of her fame. It’s frustrating that it takes a glamorous movie star to do this but hey if it works then it’s hard to dis. buuuut……
in my humble opinion she could do much more by aiding the families of these adopted children. I firmly believe that if circumstances prevented the birth families from taking care of the children Angelina (or Madonna for that matter) adopted and she found out about it - as a true humanitarian the onus would be on her to put her own wants and needs aside and think about what is best for the child. And no, that doesn’t mean dropping her off in Ethiopia. What it does mean is acknowledging a flawed process and the less than perfect world we live in.
She has never been shy about inviting the press into her life and sharing her benevolence with the world. So why the sudden press black out? If you are going to adopt children - you eventually have to answer the question “who am I?” It’s part of the process. No amount of money, love or fame can insulate them from that.
Comment by ebayer — November 27, 2007 @ 7:19 pm
BTW, just a question - with all of that money why can’t these stars set up schools/children’s homes for orphans? Is collecting 10 kids really the best solution for anyone? I am of the thought process that all kids need individual attention. If your heart really bleeds for the people of these battered countries - why not help their families put their lives back together instead of taking them home to LA?
Comment by ebayer — November 27, 2007 @ 7:22 pm
How do you know that Angelina “threw herself at a married man”? Were you there? She and Pitt worked together on a movie set and naturally they got to know each other. He’s spoken of how impressed he was by her relationship with Maddox - who wouldn’t be? But really attractive women don’t need to throw themselves at men. (And by attractive I don’t mean looks, but overall essence).
The truth is that Brad’s life with Jennifer did not truly fulfill him and I imagine Angelina had an effect on him simply by being herself. As I said before, they share similar life goals and that is one of the most important things in a lifelong partnership. Brad and Jennifer had different priorities.
Also - I do not know what your idea of ‘morality’ is but in my book, a person who gives away millions of dollars to help the poor, spends (a LOT of) time in the darkest corners of the universe, and saves the lives of children has extremely high morals!
As for her current actions ‘erasing’ her past, I don’t think they need to.
Her past is fine as far as I’m concerned. She had a girlfriend, but I don’t consider that ‘immoral’. I guess some people do. She was married twice, this does not offend me either.
To me ‘immoral’ is violating another person’s rights, being unkind, harming the planet, stuff like that. Not having consensual sex with other adults!
Wearing a vial of blood and velcro-ing the kitchen did not harm anyone either. I classify that as youthful behavior, not IMMORAL.
As I see it she was just sort of punk and wild - searching for something more because her glitzy Hollywood life was not enough. She knew something was missing but did not know what it was until she went to Cambodia, became a mother, and found her calling.
Don’t forget she was still in her twenties at the time, and was a single mother for years before Brad came along!
Comment by Sarah — November 28, 2007 @ 12:33 am
Although I stand behind what I said just now, I did not mean for the first two sentences to sound quite so accusatory.
I just meant that nobody actually saw Angelina throw herself at Brad, so I don’t think it’s a fair assumption. From what I’ve seen of life, men usually fall for women who are NOT throwing themselves at them.
Comment by Sarah — November 28, 2007 @ 1:33 am
Thanks for the clarification.
I do agree that really attractive women, attractive on the inside, don’t need to throw themselves at men. Problem is, I don’t see Angelina as that sort of woman. And let’s face it…there are about a zillion ways a woman can “throw herself” at a man, without being overt about the whole thing. It can be done subtly, subtly, until the man doesn’t quite know how it happened. You can do it without the man even realizing it, making him think he was in charge the whole time. Same thing with a man “throwing himself” at a woman (lest people think I’m sexist as well as ignorant).
As for the rest of it…well, we’ll just have to agree to disagree. I see what I see, you see what you see, and that’s pretty much that. I’m not interested in one-upmanship. My opinion is out there, as is yours, and I’m calling it a day, coz it’s really late here and I need to go to sleep. I have kids of my own to take care of in the morning.
Comment by k — November 28, 2007 @ 2:12 am
Agree to disagree. Good night.
Comment by Sarah — November 28, 2007 @ 3:46 am
However Angelina & Brad decide to address it, it is a private matter and it is truly no one’s business how they do it. We have no idea what if anything has been done already. I don’t think the world at large should be privy to these matters.
As far as Jon Voight and Angelina, again I believe that is a private story. Who knows what is the real story there. People like to say it is one thing but it could have been years to build. Again most of our news about this family often come from unnamed sources
Comment by Musicisourhigh — November 29, 2007 @ 10:44 am
K, I find your criticism of Angelina rejecting her father jon voight to be lacking in fairness. You are not recognising the HISTORY OF NEGLECT and also ABUSE which appears to have gone on in this relationship.
Remember, Jon voight was pretty much an abandoning father. he admitted it himself. Jon Voight can go on TV and cry and whine all he wants. But the fact is, he owed his ex wife over 180,000 in spousal support - which adds up to 18,000 a year for a decade. That’s a lot of money to add to the quality of life for Marcheline and her 2 children. Marcheline herself was not a high income earner. I believe you americans call people like Jon Voight a dead beat dad.
Recently, James have gone on record to say their father was abusive. that’s James’ opinion and I have to assume that he has good reasons for saying his dad was abusive.
I truly believe that people don’t reject their parents without good cause. The truth is, even children who have cause to believe they were rejected for example, children who have been given away for adoption, seek out their biological parents when they have grown up and try to establish a relationship. It’s truly human nature to desire a relationship with ones biological parents. Young children often think its their fault when they are abused by a parent - because that’s just the way a child is hardwired.
One of the reasons why teenagers and young adults get all fcuked up is because they unable to process the damage that their parents have inflicted on them. Check out the childhood background of any dysfunctional adult and I’ll bet you, you’ll find the roots in unresolved family dysfunction during childhood.
Personally, I think Angelina went through a period when she really wanted to keep her dad in her life, praising him, working with him, wanting him to be the dad that she wanted him to be, not the dad that he actually was, a dead beat dad (which is a fact - made in claims by Marcheline which can no doubt be proven by the amounts of money not transferred into her bank account each month and by admission by Jon Voight himself when he said he wasn’t very present during Angelina’s childhood).
To see her father for the human being he really is - a dead beat dad, a man who was abusive to his wife and neglectful of his family - is a healthy thing. And as Jon voight was also abusive in his relationship with his family, then I say cutting him out of their lives is another healthy action by Angelina and James. No healthy mature adult should keep an abusive relationship, whether it is with a parent or a husband or an employer or a neighbour. You just find a way to walk away.
Both James and Angelina were very close to their mother, so clearly, it wasn’t as if James and Angelina were people who wanted to reject their parents just because the parents grew old or sick. In fact, given the cost of medical treatment, and where marcheline was staying in the last years of her life, there’s no question that Angelina financially support her mother through the last 7 years of her life. For Jon voight to now appear on national TV and cry about how Angelina (but strangely, he seldom mentions James who it seems has also cut him off) has cut him out of his life and how he hasn’t seen his grandchildren - shakira or something like that - just makes me laugh. Imagine, an actor - a man trained to remember his lines, and he can’t remember a simple name like Zahara.
Comment by Ming — December 6, 2007 @ 4:49 am
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