Uh-oh. This could be seriously bad news for the Jolie-Pitt family: InTouch Weekly is set to report that Zahara Jolie-Pitt's birth family wants her back.
According to the InTouch story, first reported by Perez Hilton, little Zahara is not the AIDS orphan that she was reported to be. Apparently, her birth mother is alive and well and AIDS-free, and she has an extended family who desperately wants to see her. The family says that they were promised regular visits and contact with Zahara, but that they haven't seen her since her adoption and now want to fight for what's right - a relationship with their little girl.
A source close to Angelina says that she's heard about the family's concerns, but that she 'feels on a deeper level that Zahara is
part of her family. “She believes that Zahara is an orphan and the
woman who claims to be her mom is mistaken,” says a friend. Government
papers said Zahara was an AIDS orphan, says the pal, and “Angie had no
reason to believe otherwise. Zahara was days away from death and
Angelina saved that child. As far as she is concerned, that bonded her
to that little girl forever."'
Experts say that, regarding the issue of the birth family's right to visits with Zahara, 'Angelina has no obligation
to keep in touch with Zahara’s blood family. “It’s up to the adoptive
parents,” he says. “We cannot force them.”'
But could Zahara's birth mother sue for custody? Theoretically, yes.
According to the InTouch story, Zahara's birth mother 'never signed the papers giving
up her daughter, which could give her a case for getting Zahara back —
if she had the money to pursue it. “If some family member comes in and
leaves the child at an orphanage and signs her over, and then the
mother wants her back, you can make the argument that the person didn’t
truly understand that their child is gone forever,” says adoption
specialist Jerri Jenista.'
Obviously, Zahara's family doesn't have the money to pursue it, but even just speaking out yields some potentially bad press for Angelina and Brad. Not to mention, I imagine, a great deal of fear and anxiety.
Fingers crossed that this gets sorted out. For Zahara's sake.
(Source: PerezHilton, InTouch; Photo: PerezHilton)
