Hollywood
Brangelina’s secret wedding: Jolie’s father not invited
MUMBAI: After nine years of togetherness and six children later, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt finally tied the knot in an intimate ceremony on 23 August at Chateau Miraval, France.
Keeping the whole thing under wraps, while everybody else was preoccupied with the VMA Awards and the Emmy Awards, Pitt and Jolie got their marriage licence in California, and got married in front of a very small group of friends and family.
According to media reports, along with the rest of the world, Jolie’s father, the veteran actor Jon Voight was also unaware of this event. When asked about the wedding, the actor told TMZ that he first read about them via an online news site.
Jolie and Voight have had a turbulent relationship in the past. Back in 2001, Voight announced that Jolie had been suffering from ‘serious mental problems’ and said that he had urged her to seek professional help. They eventually reconciled in 2011.
Asked whether he was upset not to be invited, he responded by saying he was busy with the Emmy Awards anyway, having been nominated for a prize for his portrayal of the character Mickey Donovan in TV series Ray Donovan.
According to the reports, talking about the wedding he also said, “I’m very happy that I can legitimately call him my son-in-law, this wonderful fellow who I love, you know what, they are very happy. The kids must have had a wonderful time at the wedding, they all had their things to do and it must have been very beautiful so I’m very happy for them.”
Jolie reportedly walked down the aisle with her eldest sons Maddox, 13, and Pax, 10, on each arm while her daughters Zahara and Vivienne threw petals, and Shiloh and Knox served as ring bearers.
The secret wedding seems to have been a quiet affair although Brad’s brother Doug Pitt, sister Julie Neal and their respective families are believed to have been there.
Hollywood
WBD sets April 23 vote on $110bn Paramount Skydance merger
Investor approval key step, but regulators loom over mega media deal
NEW YORK: Warner Bros. Discovery has set April 23 as the date for shareholders to vote on its proposed $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance, marking a crucial step in one of the biggest media deals in recent years.
The all-cash transaction offers WBD shareholders $31 per share, a hefty 147 per cent premium to its unaffected stock price, signalling strong intent to push the deal across the finish line. The company’s board has unanimously backed the merger and is urging investors to vote in favour.
Even if shareholders give the green light, the deal is far from done. Regulators in the United States and Europe are expected to scrutinise the merger closely, weighing concerns around competition and potential price impacts for consumers.
To keep investors on side, WBD has built in a safety net. If the deal is not completed by September 30, shareholders will receive a quarterly “ticking fee” of $0.25 per share until closure.
The proposed merger would significantly reshape the media landscape, combining the assets of Warner Bros. Discovery with those linked to Paramount Global and Skydance Media. It would also cement the growing influence of David Ellison, who has been steering Skydance’s aggressive expansion strategy.
“The WBD Board has been guided by the singular principle of securing a transaction that maximises the value of our iconic assets and delivers as much certainty as possible to our shareholders,” said Warner Bros. Discovery board chair Samuel A. Di Piazza Jr.. “This historic transaction will expand consumer choice and create new opportunities for creative talent.”
Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive officer David Zaslav added that the company is working closely with its counterpart to close the deal and unlock value for stakeholders.
With investor backing likely but regulatory hurdles ahead, the proposed merger is shaping up to be a defining moment for the global entertainment industry, where scale, content and competition are increasingly intertwined.
