James Haven revealed that he received a supportive phone call from his father, Jon Voight, after coming out as gay. Haven, 53, described the conversation as "mind-blowing" and "surreal" during a recent episode of the podcast “All Out with Jon Dean.”
"I finally pick up the phone after 15 minutes of him trying to call me, and I’m just like, ‘Hey,'" Haven recalled. "And he’s like, ‘So…’ I’m like, ‘Ah, here we go.'"
Haven stated that his father then said, "I finally know who you are." He described their subsequent conversation as "really nice," adding, "Oh my gosh."
He immediately called his ex-wife, Romi Imbelli, who also appeared on the podcast, to tell her he "did not expect that phone call" from Voight, 87. Imbelli, 44, confirmed they had been "waiting for [Voight’s] response" to Haven coming out, noting that the situation had caused "decades" of pain for both of them.
Haven, whose sister is actress Angelina Jolie, said the most powerful aspect of his father's response was how "affirming" Voight sounded regarding his son's sexuality. "I couldn’t believe what I was hearing," Haven said. "He kept talking about it, like, ‘Now I understand why you’ve been so private.’" Voight also told Haven that he could finally "understand" his son's "entire behavior."
Haven also opened up about a period when he and his father did not speak for six years, attributing it to a feeling of "a lack of value" from the Oscar winner. "My upbringing was very difficult, and we’ve come a long way," Haven shared. "The biggest issue I dealt with in my relationship with him for the longest time was a value issue."
However, Haven mentioned that they recently reconciled during an hour-long dinner where Voight acknowledged his mistakes. Page Six has reached out to Voight’s representative for comment.
Haven publicly came out as gay during a live video stream the previous Thursday. He told fans that coming out is not about becoming someone new, but about "allowing everyone else to meet the person who has been here all along." He expressed hope that his family and others would choose "love over fear, understanding over judgment, and connection over the beliefs that may have kept us apart."
He added, "I hope they can look beyond the labels and simply see me with the same heart, the same laugh, the same soul they’ve always known."
Imbelli stated on the live stream that Haven would always be her "life partner" despite his coming out.
Page Six also reported that Haven is launching a new weekly podcast titled “Safe Haven with James Haven,” where he plans to discuss the pivotal moments and choices that have shaped individuals' lives.