Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie NOT in danger of losing Zahara
The rumors have been running wild across the Internet, and for good reason because several sources have cited that Angelina Jolie’s adoption of Zahara Jolie-Pitt was not entirely legal and that Zahara’s birth mother was still alive and wanted her back.
I am so disgusted by these so called sources. Today an article came out via Reuters, explaining that this is not true.
Angelina Jolie’s adoption of an Ethiopian baby was legal, the agency involved said on Thursday, rejecting reports that the child’s relatives want her back.
Newspapers have reported this week that relatives of two-year-old Zahara, including a woman who says she is her birth mother, want the child returned to Ethiopia. Jolie adopted Zahara in July, 2005.
“The court in Addis Ababa approved the adoption after studying the document her grandmother wrote … saying her daughter, the mother of Zahara, had died and she was too poor to bring her up,” Tsegaye Berhe, the head of Wide Horizons for Children, which conducted the adoption, told Reuters.
“The grandmother brought three witnesses to court who testified that Zahara’s mother had died and that her father was unknown … The court also investigated the social status of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt before approving the adoption.”
Tsegaye said the adoption was “legal and irrevocable”, and he blamed reporters who he said had paid the relatives to raise the dispute.
“The controversy is media hype by unethical journalists exploiting the poverty of the grandmother,” he said.
In essence, what that means is that these papers and tabloids are so desperate to dig up dirt on Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie that they PAID people in Ethiopia to lie in order to create a story. I can’t blame the people over there who went along with it because if I was that poor I’d probably do it too for some money to keep living. But there is no excuse for the trash on this side of the world that would pay people to make up such damaging lies. I guess constantly saying “they’re splitting up/no they’re getting married/they’re expecting quintuplets/they’re adopting fifteen kids at once!” is getting old so now they’ve sunk even lower than ever before.
I admire Brad and Angelina very much for their ability to ignore most of what the tabloids “report” and I guess that’s the only way to survive it, but this sort of story could have been very harmful had it not been cleared up, and in this case I’d love to see them sue and then turn around and give whatever money they win to the Addis Ababa orphanage.
(Article source from Reuters/Africa via Soulie Jolie. Photo via Google.)
Technorati Tags: angelina jolie, angelina jolie adoption, brad pitt, brad pitt adoption, angelina jolie and brad pitt adoption, zahara, zahara jolie-pitt, adoption of zahara jolie-pitt, addis ababa, wide horizons for children
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POSTED IN: Adoption, Africa, Angelina Jolie, Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt
44 opinions for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie NOT in danger of losing Zahara
tenika
Nov 15, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Hi Sherry!! Im New 2 The Website So I Thought I Would Post A Comment :) In All Seriousness Though Brad And Angie Should Sue. Calling The Adoption Of Their Beautiful Child Illegal Is Disgusting. Tabloids Are So Sick And Twisted They Will Lie About Anything
Janie
Nov 15, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Sherry, thank you, thank you, thank you for printing this. The tabloid desparation is getting out of hand. The tabloids try and prevent the good news like the Economist article and great Beowulf premier. Hopefully this will be printed as much as the original lies, but somehow, I doubt it. But thanks again.
Molly
Nov 15, 2007 at 4:39 pm
I used to feel outraged by all the mudslinging and disbelief at how well orchestrated and widespread these smear campaigns are.
But with time, we can see how ineffective those are. JPs are soaring in popularity not notoriety. They’re besieged with plum offers, projects, awards. Life is good and the haters have nothing on them.
To start suing now would set a precedent and when will it end? It also will consume a lot of time and energy that I don’t think they have any to spare from their more meaningful pursuits.
I think their philosophy of the truth will eventually prevail and exonerate them has been working wonders for them. The 1st amendment is at times overrated. Invoking the fifth could be just as if not more effective.
Dapyro
Nov 15, 2007 at 4:55 pm
They did this trash with Maddona too. In Australia two of the magazine has conflicting stories about “another” man. The smile Angelina gave Brad’s bodyguard now has them writing an article saying that while there is no affair Ang is leaning more and more on this guy. The other magazine is going on about the Bath scene and the Kiss in Wanted with the main character.
Gutter trash. The lot of them. I never buy those magazines.
irma
Nov 15, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Thanks for posting about this clarification, tabloids are in desperate move to stir controversy about Z’s adoption. What happen to journalism? I know Brad & Angie in some ways were affected by the news & thanks for the African Agency for the clarification or else this will go on & on. I admire Brad & Angie for being strong despite of the lies. God bless them.
linda
Nov 15, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Lies, lies, lies. According to some articles that this magazines spouting lies sent reporters to talk and paid some people in Africa to make a statement of lies. Only magazines selling garbage would do this.
Mary Ann
Nov 15, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Thank you Sherry for clearing this up. Around 1pm I posted about this because I was so upset and felt that Brad and Angie should consult with their attorney’s. And to now know how low the press has sunk this time makes me even more sick. No wonder they both looked so strained over the weekend in London. These children are their lives and I am sure they both felt very threatened.
Sophia
Nov 15, 2007 at 5:56 pm
The adoption agency says the adoption was legal. Of course they would say so. What else does anyone expect them to say? “Yes, we knew there was something wrong”?
So, that doesn´t prove anything.
Yet I still believe that it is much more likely that gossip mags paid the relatives of Zahara to come up with some stories. It could even be that there are some rudimentary truths. Who knows, maybe the mother is indeed not dead, but ran away. But who cares. What surprises me more is that Brad and Angie, as philantropic as they normally are, did not think about giving some money to their daughter´s family. According to the agency, the grandmother had said she was too poor to raise the child. You have to start small, and start helping where you can. I realize that for most people who adopt it is not possible to also help the family of the child they´re adopting. But for Brad and Angie it would have been easy to help that family out with 2000 Dollars or something; that would have kept them alive for a long time. It would have been a nice gesture.
Maria
Nov 15, 2007 at 6:37 pm
“No wonder they both looked so strained over the weekend in London. ”
____________________________
What? What pics and videos have you been seeing? They look absolutely normal. Well, not quite “normal”, they look a little “horny” than usual. If you want i can share some of the pics and videos that i saw.
Has for the story of Z, this is not anythig new. A british tabloid use the same crap in 2005.
bunga
Nov 15, 2007 at 7:35 pm
woww…truly a heart breaking to read all yhe news… thank you sherry for the clarification…. that meant a lot for me…. i’m a huge fans of both of them,i cannot imagine living live like they do;much stresss around if they read or listen to gossip… viva brangelina
lac
Nov 15, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Thanks for posting. The tabloids need to leave kids alone. Just a Brad and Angelina said there needs to be a law to protect kids.
isacutie
Nov 15, 2007 at 7:55 pm
well, the tabloids are at it again. i remember reading before that in touch/life & style and those other tabloids were upset with brad and angie because they would rather go to people mag than them. obviously this is just another way of them to try and get back, just like the other cover story i saw in a website about how brad was so jealous of james macavoy that he drove away with another woman. oh boy, these trash mags just won’t stop. i’m glad the JPs are good at ignoring them, but i guess it just can’t be helped that we fans would be seething at all these efforts to bring controversy and bad news about this family.
Ranch
Nov 15, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Everyone need to look at the Bill O’Reilly Show that aired tonight. The Senior Editor from InTouch Weekly was on talking about the JPs. This guy was really trying to trash Angelina. Bill said many favorable things about the JPs.
irma
Nov 15, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Brad & Angie are on top of their mountains, no tabloids lies will break them apart. They are strong as a couple & love their 4 kids so much, the kids are their love & foundation as a family. Be strong, fans are behind you 100 %. God bless the Jolie-Pitt’s.
Rosey
Nov 15, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Ditto!! Sherry I totally agree with you!!!!
cee
Nov 15, 2007 at 9:37 pm
I absolutely agree and would love to see them sue and put this rag out of business. But there will always be those that will be jealous of the happiness that Brad and Angie have found. So let them get trough this the best way they know how by ignoring them. They have us fans, who are getting more vocal and trong every day to stick up for them. Boycott In Touch and Life & Style.
Children First
Nov 15, 2007 at 10:07 pm
So, we should believe that these rags which consistently print rubbish made up out of thin air, actually spent MONEY and TIME to travel to Ethiopia, seek out the surviving relatives of a poor deceased woman to pay them to say what they know to be a lie, to justify them printing it??? Pulease! They sat in their flea bitten chairs and did what they always do: THEY MADE IT UP! I doubt, very seriously, if any family member saw one red cent!
Brad and Angelina “know their truth” We should follow suit and IGNORE by (as a poster said above) Boycotting and illuminating (THANKS SHERRY!!) every instance of their lies. : )
Mellow out to a little something that I made to honor Angie’s loving heart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFMjzd-zGvY
cb
Nov 15, 2007 at 11:31 pm
I agree with Sherry - sue the b*s! It’s the principle of the thing - and in later years Z is going to hear rumours, etc. The fact that her Mom & Dad proved that these a**hats lied about how her family is important, imo.
ann
Nov 16, 2007 at 12:49 am
Is it so hard for to be happy for someone. Angelina and Brad deserve a break. This guys do alot this kids. Zahara got a chance that millions of kids might never have, and it is sad that some greedy tabloid is willing to deny her that. How much do they tabloids give to charity?God bless this couple
viva brangelina
Nov 16, 2007 at 1:46 am
Gosh! this is beyond evil!! they paid the relatives to back up their lies??? i can’t imagine what punishment those people will get in hell.
anyway, thanks for brought this story up, sherry.
i myself read it in perez couple of days ago.
but then i checked at lainey and she did not write anything about it. so as i guessed the story is not true. and now this confirmation news came out.
i’m just amazed on how people could be so evil to others just to gain benefit for themselves…
viva brangelina
Nov 16, 2007 at 1:52 am
i mean, i’m shocked on how people could be so evil to others….
sorry. english is my second language =P
regina
Nov 16, 2007 at 6:18 am
each time I read this stories I’m getting furious! Is there anything people can’t talk about?! they are wonderful!
isn’t it enough to stop making such scandales?!
tendai
Nov 16, 2007 at 7:13 am
thank you Sherry for clearing the air on Zahara. I wonder why people always want to say nasty things about my power couple Ange and Brad. What they are doing for these children is amazing. I come from Africa and I know what it means when people talk about poverty. give the couple a break. they love each other and they love Africa and Asia. Instead of seeing poverty and strife in 3RD World people they see opportunities
Min
Nov 16, 2007 at 8:00 am
This makes me so angry! How incredibly invasive for “journalists” to publish true or untrue aspects of Z’s life story. I am sick to my stomach thinking of how Angie and Brad must be feeling. This has gone way, way, way too far! This is also jeopradizing future adoptions in Ethiopia. Incredibly sad. A country that has 4.5 million orphans and is in need of help.
Trish
Nov 16, 2007 at 8:58 am
Thanks for posting your information. Frankly, I begin to wonder if ANYTHING about ANYBODY is true. It appears to me than you are “fair game” if you are a ‘public ” person. I think this all started decades ago with Elizabeth Taylor &* Richard Burton…. and then it was “katy bar the door” Ask Jackie, Diana, Madonna, Prince Charles, Prince William, the list goes on & on % on & on….. to infinity!!!!
But folks buy this ,thus ,misinformation is very proffitable, no matter who suffers.
Molly
Nov 16, 2007 at 9:27 am
ITAWU Maria. I don’t see anything wrong with the photos, just tired faces and a red nose! And the next day at the set, she’s beaming as usual. Not to forget the date night before the premiere.
Phoebe
Nov 16, 2007 at 10:59 am
HI!
THey´re tabloid papers what else so you expect? honestly.
Chances are big Brangelina didn´t even hear or care about them.they know that their adoption was legal. THey saved Zaharas life and they love her. Btw grogeous picture of Angelina huging Zahara. so sweet….
THey are celebreties, they have to live with such stories and they know it. it´s sad bt thats holywood. i think pitying them like some of you do is not necessary.
ligaya
Nov 16, 2007 at 11:23 am
Sophia, I normally wouldn’t answer your post but it’s worth commenting on. According your philosophy, we shouldn’t believe and place any credence on anybody/anything official/unofficial that supports the truth about the JPs - e.g. the adoption agency. But we should believe anything anti-JP that the tabs say. Does that policy apply to X? Believe nothing positive about her, just the negative stuff?
Sophia
Nov 16, 2007 at 11:58 am
Ligaya, I didn´t say that. All I said was that quite obviously the adoption agency would say that everything was legal. What else would they say?
I think a lot of these foreign adoptions are a bit dubious, because there is never enough proof on whether a child is really an orphan or whether the parents are just too poor to raise the child. Plus, there are plenty of desperate parents who urgently want to adopt a child. So some things might be a bit rushed. That would NOT mean that AJ or BP did anything wrong, mark my words, that´s not what I´m saying. All I´m saying is that it´s common knowledge that not all is always legal in foreign adoptions. Why do you think so many people turn to foreign adoptions? It´s a whole lot easier to adopt a child from a poor country than a European or American child.
So, to summarize, all I said was that adoptions are not ALWAYS carried out in a completely “clean” way, which not necessarily means that the customers i.e. the prospective parents are aware of that. But a lot also don´t care, they´re just glad to finally have gotten a child, also understandable in a way from their point of view.
In Zahara´s case, if her family is so poor that they had to accept money for false information, then I guess it is definitely best that she was adopted. In fact, she probably had not lived had she not been adopted by AJ. Still, I wish AJ had given her family some money, too.
Min
Nov 16, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Sophia you made some great points and it seems that you are attempting to look at this issue from all sides.
Unfortunately, it is illegal to give money to the families involved in international adoption. The reason is that it is such a fine line (and sometimes a blurry one at that) that can easily be crossed into baby trafficking. Most AP (adoptive parents) strive for a legal adoption and most agencies carryout lengthy investigations to determine if the baby/child is able to be adopted. Ethiopia has just recently (within the last month) changed their policy and now the birth mother or closest relative must be in court before the child is relinquished for adoption.
Sophia
Nov 16, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Min, thank you for your words. It is so easy to get “bashed” over here. So I´m grateful if someone actually understands what I´m trying to say, and not immediately suspects an “unacceptable” AJ/BP criticism!!
Thanks also for enlightening me on the subject matter! You are totally right; it could easily be interpreted as “buying” a child, if you give money. I didn´t think of that. It makes sense!
Min
Nov 16, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Sophia, no problem. I have a vested interest in the subject as I am currently in the process of a adopting a sibling group of three children from Ethiopia. The subject matter of adoption is near and dear to my heart. I can’t imagine being in AJ’s shoes…as a mother you “know” it is the best scenerio to stay connected to your children’s birth families. Yet in her case it is so complicated by the media. I don’t envy her one bit.
Sophia
Nov 16, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Min, this is fascinating! Are you adopting three children at once so as not to tear them apart? I find this incredibly courageous of you. It will be wonderful, but definitely not easy, which makes me admire you all the more. Will these be your first children? How old are they? Sorry for being so nosy, but as I said before, I´m fascinated.
And I agree with you saying that the best scenario is to stay connected to your children´s birth families. That way the whole adoption process will hopefully be a lot less traumatic for the children, inasmuch as they often feel a bit rootless, or so I heard. However, I know far too little about adoptions to voice too much of an opinion. But I am interested and would have been open to adoption myself, had I not have been able to have children biologically - however, my husband would have been totally against it. (not because he couldn´t love adopted children, but because of the many issues that go with it).
Anyway, I would love to hear more, if you don´t feel I´m prying!
andrea
Nov 16, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Wasn’t this trash brought up and dismissed once already back when Zahara was first brought home? It seems just ridiculous to me–not only has it got to be stressful and hurtful for Brad and Ang, as I’m sure many stories about them are, but it blows my mind to think that the tabs would dredge up this story when it so obviously could cause poor sweet Z such pain and conflict if she reads about it when she gets older. No matter how wonderful a pair of adoptive parents are (and I have every faith in Brad and Angie), an adopted child will always experience a curiosity about and a longing to feel connected to her birth family at some point in her life. It’s sad enough that Zahara never knew/will never know her birth mother–to stir up a controversy over whether she COULD have if things had been done differently could cause her so much pain. It’s the slimiest thing I can imagine those hacks doing. Thank goodness Mom and Dad went through all the proper channels and did everything possible to make sure Zahara was truly, legally theirs to adopt. That will make it easier for her.
Totally aside from that, HOW unbelievably disrespectful of Zahara’s late birth mother is this? I hope so much for her that there is some misunderstanding and the people in Ethiopia who were paid to raise these allegations are not actually members of Z’s birth family. If it’s true, that could eventually be very difficult to deal with for her as well.
And yet, this sad situation reminds me what a beautiful and admirable thing it is when this family or any other adopts a child without a home–they knew these issues could come up eventually, but yet they say “bring it on!” and dive in–they want that badly to give their love to a child who needs it. I love this family so much!
andrea
Nov 16, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Oh, and Min, you rock just like BP and AJ do!
Min
Nov 16, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Sophia~ No worries, I don’t think you are prying. Many people are very curious about adoption. Initially I was “approved” by my agencies social worker to adopt 2 children. I really wanted siblings because I felt that the “gift” of having a biological sibling is huge in terms of adjusting later in life. I knew that I would adopt at least 2 children from Ethiopia and felt that in the short-term it would be a harder adjustment for me (single mom), BUT, in both the short and long term it would be a better choice for the children. The children are 4 months and twins that are 3 years old. The ages are approximate since birthdates are rarely recorded and the pediatrician in Addis Ababa is giving an estimate based on development. These will be my first children and I chose adoption as my first choice.
P.S. Thanks Andrea…but really I am really the lucky one!
BlessBrangelina
Nov 17, 2007 at 12:51 am
Dragging up old news :(
They will never get any piece. If it’s not them its their children. I hope they don’t become another Ben and J-Lo, a relationship abandoned because of other’s hatred.
Mary Ann
Nov 17, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Min, what a wonderful thing you are doing for these children. First time Mom, that is great. Good luck to you and let us know how it all goes.
Dukka
Nov 17, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Read this Reuters story with lots of detail about how Zahara’s mother happy for Angie’s adoption of Z. No problem. She was tricked by “so-called journalists.” Read it. There’s lots of new info.
http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL17277819.html
tenika
Nov 17, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Min - U Are Awesome!!!! I Am Also Looking 2 Adopt Children In The Future ( Not Sure If I Want Biological Children But I Know I Want 2 Adopt) What U Are Doing Is Really Beautiful And Courageous And I Hope 2 Follow In U And Angie’s Footsteps
Bijou
Nov 17, 2007 at 12:25 pm
The tabloids are out of control, making up lies to sell. Sometimes you have the feeling that they just want to destroy the JP. But in general it is all the stars, they are hating on.
Min
Nov 18, 2007 at 7:53 am
Here’s the newest article from the BBC regarding this:
Mother ‘backs’ Jolie’s adoption
Angelina Jolie (right) adopted a child from Vietnam earlier this year
The mother of an Ethiopian baby adopted by Angelina Jolie has said she was happy her daughter had found a new home with the actress.
Mentawbe Dawit denied media reports that she wanted two-year-old Zahara returned to Ethiopia.
“I have never disputed the adoption,” she told the Reuters news agency. “It was something I never said.”
Ms Dawit said her words had been twisted by “so-called journalists” who had told her they worked for Ms Jolie.
The agency which approved the adoption in 2005 has insisted it was “legal and irrevocable”.
It said that at the time of the adoption, Zahara’s grandmother sent a letter to the court which said the child’s mother was dead.
‘No ill feelings’
Ms Dawit, who lives in the southern city of Awasa, told Reuters she ran away from her home five months after giving birth because she had no food for her baby.
“I decided to flee rather than watch her die,” she said.
Ms Dawit’s mother searched for her, but concluded that she must have died and put Zahara up for adoption.
Reuters said that Ms Dawit kissed a photograph of the actress during its interview with her at her home.
“This is to show I have no ill feelings towards her,” she said.
“I think my daughter is a very fortunate human being to be adopted by a world-famous lady. I wish them all the success they both deserve.”
In 2002, Jolie, who also works as a goodwill ambassador for UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, adopted her first child, Maddox, from Cambodia.
Three years later Zahara was introduced to the family. Her partner Brad Pitt later applied to become their adoptive father.
Last year the couple celebrated the birth of their first biological daughter, Shiloh Nouvel, in Namibia.
In March, the actress adopted a three-year-old boy from Vietnam, Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt.
BlessBrangelina
Nov 19, 2007 at 12:55 am
Thanks Min.
trustnoone
Nov 19, 2007 at 3:54 pm
From what I read Ethiopia has over 5 million orphans. Children who have their lost their parents to AIDS etc. Yet the adoption agency somehow chose a child for Angelina who actually has a parent who’s alive? This is the first thing makes it suspicious.
I highly doubt the woman who claim to be Zahara’s birth mother is being truthful. On another message board someone read the UK tab article that first dug up the so called birth mother 2 years ago.
Apparently, she was 18. Now it’s 2 years later and she’s supposed 24 in the In Touch article. She doesn’t know her own age.
Not only that, she can’t even remember which name she gave her child. In the UK tab she called her child Setota and in the In Touch article it was Yemasrech.
I despise the tabs and their lies.
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