Was Angelina Jolie's son Maddox STOLEN from biological parents? New documentary shocker
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's son Maddox may have been taken from his biological family, according to a new documentary about the rules of adoptions in Cambodia, claims an exclusive report in The Sun. The Hollywood couple with a blended family of adopted and biological children has often been in the spotlight for news regarding the children's backgrounds.
Jolie and Pitt's tumultuous marriage life took center stage due to their high-profile divorce. After months of court hearings with Jolie, Pitt officially won joint custody of their children in May this year. The Hollywood power couple reportedly spent $1 million each on their divorce, which Jolie filed in September 2016. Pitt got 50/50 custody of his children with Jolie after she blocked access claiming he had been abusive to their then 15-year-old son Maddox on a flight
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After losing her bitter custody battle with Pitt last month, Angelina Jolie paid a surprise visit last month to her ex-husband, Jonny Lee Miller, in his New York City apartment. Weeks later, The Sun revealed the information about Maddox via a news article.
Is Angelina Jolie's son stolen?
'The 'Tomb Raider star was one among hundreds of American parents who hired Lauryn Galindo to assist with the adoption formalities from Cambodia, seemingly ignorant of her possibly unethical actions. Maddox was adopted by the A-list actress from Cambodia back in March of 2002. However, it is unclear if her son Maddox's biological parents are still alive and were misled by Galindo's "baby recruiters," who allegedly preyed on poor rural families, claims the report in The Sun.
Maddox's "orphan status" at the time of his adoption in 2002 was questioned, with Cambodian child care professionals claiming he was sold for $100 by a poor mother, the news site reported. "I'm sure that this child was not a real orphan and was not abandoned," claimed Kek Galibru, the president of the human rights organization Licadho, which examined the adoption controversy at the time. 'The Changeling' actress, on the other hand, stated she went to great pains to verify that Maddox was an orphan and has always maintained that he was.
In an interview with Vogue in 2020, the actress emphasized the importance of making sure her adopted children stay in touch with their respective homelands.
Jolie had said: “They must never lose touch with where they came from. They have roots that you do not. Honour them. Learn from them. It’s the most amazing journey to share. They are not entering your world, you are entering each other’s worlds.”
When she was asked about her home in Cambodia during the interview, she revealed “Cambodia was the country that made me aware of refugees. It made me engage in foreign affairs in a way I never had, and join UNHCR. Above all, it made me a mom. In 2001, I was in a school programme in Samlout playing blocks on the floor with a little kid and as clear as day I thought: ‘My son is here.’ A few months later I met baby Mad at an orphanage. I can’t explain it and am not one to believe in messages or superstition. But it was just real and clear."
'The Stolen Children'
"I would never rob a mother of her child. I can only imagine how dreadful that would feel," The 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider' actress said. Now, in a new documentary called 'The Stolen Children', director Elizabeth Jacobs is determined to unearth the truth behind Galindo's adoptions. She plans to visit Cambodia later this year in the hopes of learning more about her own adoption, which might help her better comprehend hundreds of others who were adopted around the same time, including Maddox. Jacobs, who is 21, is from the same generation as Maddox, 19, and the circumstances of her own Cambodian adoption, which was also handled by Galindo, are still unknown.
Between 1997 and 2001, Galindo and her sister Lynn Devin's agency, Seattle International Adoptions, handled at least half of all adoptions from Cambodia to the United States (approximately 800 of 1600), the news outlet revealed. Galindo and Devin were both prosecuted a year after Maddox's adoption, with Devin receiving a $150,000 financial penalty for fabricating paperwork to acquire US visas for "orphans."
Lauryn Galindo's defense
In 2004, Galindo was sentenced to 18 months in jail for the same offence and money laundering. After her release, she took up residence in Hawaii. Despite pleading guilty, Galindo denied any involvement when contacted by The Sun.
When asked if her methods were unethical, she said: "Absolutely not. Every single day, I wake up and I want to dedicate my body, my speech, my mind, my actions, to doing the best I can to being a force for good." She claims Jacobs has not contacted her directly, but she is willing to assist her in answering inquiries about her background.
"I consider myself a champion for the children, I'm in touch with many of the children and happy to help if Elizabeth has questions and ways for me to help her, I certainly will. But she has not contacted me," she said. Speaking to The Sun, she said, "I have no reason to believe that there's anything about Maddox. They were very careful, especially given his celebrity parent. I think that was double-checked, and I know that Angelina was not in the country during those investigations, because she was making the movie Beyond Borders in Namibia. So there was no interference by [the] adoptive parent, and nor was I involved in the investigations in any way."
MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) cannot independently verify and does not support any claims being made on the Internet.