Angelina Jolie Watch

Last week a page one New York Times story insisted that Angelina Jolie had manipulated the press. The New York Times story insisted that Angelina and People cut a deal when People won the rights to the twins’ first pics earlier this year. They said that the deal required the magazine to agreed to an editorial plan and would cover the family positively.

In response Larry Hatchett, People’s managing editor sent this email:

“I don’t normally address press stories about how we do our business here at People. But today’s New York Times pg. 1 story about Angelina Jolie requires a response. In the lede, the story strongly suggests that People, while negotiating for the twins pictures, had explicit conversations about our “editorial plan” and made ‘a promise’ that coverage would be positive.

“These sorts of stories have appeared in media gossip columns before. I have ignored them in the past as the unfortunate fallout of competition and sour grapes. But today’s story, in a much different venue, takes these rumors to a new level, so let me be absolutely clear: The suggestion that we have ever made any promise of positive coverage, or have submitted an editorial plan, is completely false. That I or anyone else would promise, on paper or verbally, to purposely slant coverage as condition for acquiring pictures, is insulting to all of us.

“Here’s what is true: Celebrities-and senators and business executives and athletes-are always trying to bend stories their way. We deal with that pressure every single day and engage in many conversations regarding all elements of coverage. Angelina Jolie is very candid about wanting attention for her charitable efforts, and we have covered many of them because we believe they are interesting stories. But in doing so, we have never relinquished editorial control. There have been occasions when her goals and our needs could not be reconciled, and we have walked away, as we have with countless other story subjects.

“In our coverage of both celebrities and everyday people, People certainly often celebrates their accomplishments and milestones. To say that our coverage of Angelina Jolie has not been admiring would be disingenuous. But the suggestion in today’s Times that this ‘positive’ coverage is codified and promised is totally bogus, and needs to be rejected.”

And that my friends is the bottom line.

Source

After spending nearly five months nesting in France, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have moved on to Germany.  According to numerous reports, the family will stay in Germany for ninety days while Brad films Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Bastards. The family is believed to be renting Palais Parkschloss on Wannsee Lake. The 30,000 sqaure foot home features a helicopter pad, a dock and a 14 member security team.

It is not clear if Jolie and Pitt – who signed a longterm lease on their French estate – have purchased the property or are simply renting.

When the family arrived last week, witnesses spotted Brad toting the kids from a private plane. “Brad lifted the kids out of the plane and brought them to the transporter,” an eyewitness told People Magazine. “I saw him lift out Shiloh and Zahara.”

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Fans don’t have to wait much longer for Angelina to make her first post twins public appearance.  Our stylish star will unveil a fresh look at the October 4th premier of the Changeling.  Even though she a busy mom, Angelina has made time to confer with Jen Rade, her longtime stylist.

“Any time you talk to her there’s a lot of kids in the background, that’s for sure,” Rand told People magazine. “It’ll be her first big US appearance since having the babies,” Rade said. “I feel some pressure, but I think I can do it. We’ve been doing it for five years together.”

She isn’t having trouble fitting Angelina’s post pregnancy body. “She’s breastfeeding so the boobs are bigger, but no. It’s going to be fun. I’m looking forward to it.”

Rade describes Jolie’s premier look as “kind of classic with a rock and roll edge”.

Angelina’s has been so low key lately I didn’t realize that The US Changeling premier was so near. Can’t wait.

People has responded to rumors that they photo-shoped the smile on baby Vivienne Marcheline’s 3-week- old face for the twins recent cover. New York Magazine suggested(playfully it seems) that Vivienne was too young to respond to outside stimuli with a smile.

These babies are purported to be a mere 3 weeks old! Parenting magazine says that babies don’t smile from exterior stimulation until two to four months — even if said exterior stimulation is the most beautiful pair of humans in the entire world. Conspiracy! Photoshop! Something!

People’s director of public relations Sandi Shurgin Werfel told Fox News that the photos are legit. “Contrary to blog speculation, People did not photo-shop Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt’s smile. One can only guess that she is smiling because her parents are Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.”

There’s a reason I’d smile.
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Angelina Jolie, vivienne jolie pitt, vivienne marchiline, People, People magazine

People and Hello have has released the first photos of Knox and Vivianne. People snagged the North American rights while Hello! had Europe covered.

Here’s what Angie and Brad have to say about their growing brood.

“It is chaos, but we are managing it and having a wonderful time,” Angelina told People about the family’s daily life. The old kids enjoy playing outdoors. Hide and Seek is the favorite.

Adds Pitt: “[It's] still a cuckoo’s nest.”

Brad thinks he sees the family resemblance already.

“Viv is proving to resemble Ange in spirit, attitude and physicality… And Knox, he’s a bit of me.”

The’ve even got some little helpers.

“[Shiloh] and Z pick out [the twins'] clothes and help change and hold them,” says Angelina “It’s sweet – they are little mommies.” There’s even a cute little picture of the Shiloh holding Vivienne.

The entire 19-page spread will hit newsstands this week.

Word on the street( Okay it’s not the street. It’s Just Jared. He’s like the street. Right?) is that People has snagged the the rights to Vivianne and Knox’s first photos. TMZ insists that the pics went for at least 16 million, while JJ says the photos went for between $10 million and $15 million. Of course the funds are set for charity. Speculation is that People paid between $3 million and $4 million for Shi’s photos though People has confirmed the price.

Other high priced celebrity baby pics include:

Max & Emme Anthony
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony’s fraternal twins graced a March 2008 People cover for a cool $6 million.

and

Dannielynn Smith
Daughter of Anna Nicole Smith. OK! paid a reported $2 million for their April 2007 cover.

According to ETonline, our couple might have tied the knot this weekend in New Orleans. The rumor mill has it that Brad’s parents, Angie’s brother James and all four little Jolie-Pitts were at the ceremony. ET contacted Brad’s rep who had “no idea” if they’d gotten married.

Updated while writing: People reports there was no wedding this weekend. Too bad. Maybe next time. Cause we know there will be a next time.

FYI on origination of the rumor: Seems Star magazine started the whole mess by claiming to “exclusively” reveal that Brad and Angie tied the knot in the French Quarter.  The rag says we can get all the details in this week’s edition which hits stands Wednesday.  I might just buy this foolishness just see how, and if, they backtrack.  Wow, they really stepped in it this time.   Not that they care.  I honestly can’t believe that ET piggy backed off something Star printed.  That really surprises me.

Angie’s brother, James Haven, gushed about the Jolie-Pitt kids in a recent interview with People Magazine.

“They’re unbelievable,” Haven, 34, an activist for AIDS and human rights causes, tells Marie Claire in November’s issue. “Zahara likes to hide from Angie, who always knows, right when she walks in the room, that Z’s playing.”

Awww that’s cute. James also says that Pax has managed to say his name, “He didn’t know any English, and I hadn’t heard him say a word yet, so I wasn’t expecting it.’

James, an activist himself, is currently serving as a board member of Artivist, a group that merges art and activism. The organization is sponsoring an L.A. film festival from Nov. 8 - 9 that will feature films on Human Rights, Children’s Advocacy, Environmental Preservation, and Animal Rights.

He credits his sister for helping sparking is interest in helping others. “Angie was the catalyst. She’d say, ‘I just heard this is going on in Darfur …’ and I’d want to be involved.”

I just glanced at the website and saw films about everything from a beauty pageant for women with HIV/AIDS to an investigation of a notorious puppy mill owner.

If I lived anywhere near LA I’d be there every day and ever night. The subject matter is vast and brings light to all kinds of injustice in the world. Looks like big brother is following little sister this time around. Good for him. I applaud the work he’s doing.

angelina jolie, james haven, artivist, pax, zahara, people magazine

Angelina gave in interview to People magazine in addition to the exclusive magazine. This is what she had to say…

“He is a very serious, very sweet little boy” “You can imagine what courage it takes to be in all new surroundings, with new people and a new language.” “He is very strong.”

She adds…

“It will take him a while to realize he has a family and that his new life is permanent and that it won’t keep changing.”

Angelina Jolie has reportedly sold the first official pictures of Pax to People magazine for a figure between $1.75 and $2 million.

Looks like Angelina Jolie will have another nice little windfall to donate to charity—whenever she gets around to it. Sources (including this one) say the globetrotting actress and her not-quite-husband, Brad Pitt, have sold the first photos of their newest adoptee to People. We hear the price tag was between $1.75 million and $2 million, with Getty Images, which brokered the deal, taking a fee of between 5 and 10 percent. A People spokesperson calls that number “absurd,” but adds, “We don’t comment on the specifics on any negotiations.”

Jolie and Pitt adopted the three-year-old, named Pham Quang Sang, from a Vietnamese orphanage last week and immediately rebranded him Pax Thien Jolie, a name that combines the Latin word for “peace” with the Vietnamese for “sky.”

Sources

Angelina and Brad have moved out of their reportedly $8,000 per night sweet in the Virgin Islands in order for Brad and Babel costar Cate Blanchette to go to the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Angelina and their Children, Maddox, Zahara and Shiloh were in Los Angeles.

When asked if Brad and Angie want another child, Brad responded, “Always, of course, we’ll let you know when we get there.�?

People Magazine reports that Brad and Angelina were in the Caribbean with Blanchett for filming of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. “We wrapped at 6 in the morning, got on a plane and got our crusty ***es here,�? Brad reports to People.

The couple will be making their way to New Orleans so Brad can film Benjamin Button.

People magazine has just announced that Brangelina is the 2006 “Family of the Year”.

In the article, Angelina discusses their nomadic lifestyle and the fact that it’s not likely to change anytime soon. She goes on to talk about the various charities she and Brad support among various countries… the homelands of the children to name a few, Cambodia and Ethiopia.

Angelina states “Somebody said to us recently that they were happy kids, and we talked about how much that meant to us to hear. And they’re good kids. God knows how we managed to do that – but they’re good kids.”.

I’m hoping that they’re right that the kids are well behaved. I think that I’m not alone in hoping we don’t have a whole new generation of Paris Hiltons on their way into the night clubs.