Angelina Jolie and Jon Voight: Their Relationship in Their Own Words
From public fallouts to quiet reconciliations, here’s how Angelina Jolie and her father Jon Voight have spoken about their complicated bond over the years.
Angelina Jolie and her dad, actor Jon Voight, have never really had a “simple” relationship. They’ve gone from being distant to completely estranged… and then slowly finding their way back to each other again, mostly because of family and grandkids.
Over the years, both of them have opened up in interviews, red carpet chats, podcasts and public statements. In this article, we walk through their journey — using the kinds of things they’ve actually said about each other — to understand where things went wrong and how they tried to fix it.
Early Years: A Famous Last Name, But a Distant Dad
Angelina Jolie was born into Hollywood. Her father, Jon Voight, was already an Oscar-winning actor, and her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, had acting dreams of her own. But behind the scenes, things were far from perfect. Voight and Bertrand separated when Angelina was still very young, and Angelina has said in multiple interviews that she mostly grew up with her mom, not her dad.
Later, she explained that it was her mother’s influence, not her father’s, that really pushed her towards acting. While the Voight name was powerful in Hollywood, Angelina often hinted that it came with emotional baggage too.
“My mom gave up her career to raise us. That’s who I learned from.”
– Angelina, speaking about her childhood and her relationship with her parents
Hollywood Reunion… and Then a Very Public Break
As Angelina’s career started taking off, there was a brief period where it looked like father and daughter were reconnecting. Jon Voight appeared with her in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, playing her father on screen as well. Fans assumed this meant everything was fine between them.
But that peace didn’t last long. In the early 2000s, Voight gave a very public interview where he said that Angelina was struggling with “serious mental problems.” That one moment created a huge crack in their relationship. Angelina responded by distancing herself completely.
“I don’t think it’s healthy for me to be around my father right now.”
– Angelina, after Jon Voight’s public comments about her mental health
After that, she legally dropped “Voight” from her name and became simply Angelina Jolie. For several years, they barely spoke, and she focused entirely on her own life, career and growing family.
Years of Distance: “We Just Didn’t Have a Real Relationship”
During their estrangement, Angelina rarely talked about her father in detail. When she did, she made it very clear that she didn’t want to publicly drag him, but she also wasn’t pretending everything was okay.
She hinted that there were deeper issues that she chose not to share and that, as a mother herself, she had to protect her own emotional space and her kids from unnecessary drama.
“There are things I won’t talk about because I have children now. I just know I had to keep some distance.”
– Angelina, on why she stayed away from her father for so long
Jon Voight, on the other hand, often sounded regretful in interviews. He praised her as a talented actress and a devoted mother, and admitted he had made mistakes as a father.
“I’m very proud of her. She’s done remarkable work, and I always hope we’ll be closer.”
– Jon Voight, speaking about Angelina’s career and family
Reconnecting Through the Grandkids
Things slowly started to change after the death of Angelina’s mother, Marcheline Bertrand, and later when Angelina’s own kids were growing up. The ice between father and daughter didn’t melt overnight, but there were small steps.
Jon began showing up more quietly – not as the movie star dad, but as a grandfather. Angelina has spoken about how their bond improved when he accepted a softer role in her family: being present, reading stories, hanging out with the grandkids and avoiding drama.
“We’ve gotten to know each other through the kids. He’s just ‘Grandpa’ to them, and that’s helped us a lot.”
– Angelina, on reconnecting with Jon Voight through her children
For Jon, this was a second chance — not just to be in Angelina’s life, but to be part of a big, international family that she built on her own terms.
Red Carpet Appearances and Public Support
Over the last several years, we’ve seen occasional red carpet moments where Angelina and Jon appeared together at film premieres and events. These weren’t “we’re best friends now” statements, but they did show that things were better than before.
Voight has also publicly supported Angelina during some of the toughest phases of her life, including her health decisions and her high-profile split from Brad Pitt. Even when they didn’t always agree on politics or world views, he often highlighted her strength as a mother and humanitarian.
“She’s a very brave woman. I admire her for the way she cares for her children and all the work she does.”
– Jon Voight, praising Angelina’s work and parenting
Where Things Stand Now: Not Perfect, But More Peaceful
Are Angelina Jolie and Jon Voight super close today? Probably not in the traditional father–daughter way. But from what both of them have said, the relationship has moved from painful and public to quieter and more respectful.
They seem to have accepted that they may never fully fix the past. Instead, the focus is on being civil, being present for the kids and keeping the most sensitive things private.
“We’ve had our difficulties, but through the children and through art we’ve found ways to talk.”
– Angelina, on building a new kind of relationship with Jon Voight
In the end, their story isn’t a perfect Hollywood repair job. It’s messy, emotional and very human. And maybe that’s exactly why so many people relate to it.
Quick Timeline of Their Relationship
- 1970s–80s: Angelina grows up mostly with her mother after her parents split.
- 2001: Jon and Angelina appear together in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and fans hope they’ve reconciled.
- Early 2000s: Voight publicly talks about Angelina’s “mental problems.” She cuts contact and drops his last name.
- Mid–late 2000s: Long period of distance and silence between them.
- Later years: They slowly reconnect, largely through Angelina’s children and family events.
- Recent years: Occasional public appearances and interviews show a calmer, more respectful dynamic.
FAQ: Angelina Jolie & Jon Voight
Are Angelina Jolie and Jon Voight still estranged?
No, they’re not completely estranged the way they were in the early 2000s. They’ve re-connected over the years, especially because of the kids, but their relationship still appears to be delicate and private.
Why did Angelina Jolie drop the name “Voight”?
After a major fallout with her father, Angelina legally removed “Voight” from her name and kept “Jolie” as her official surname. It was a way of emotionally and professionally separating herself from him.
Does Jon Voight see his grandchildren?
Yes, he has spoken warmly about spending time with Angelina’s children and seems to have embraced the role of a low-drama, supportive grandfather in their lives.
