Angelina Jolie managed to escape the paparazzi in what seems like a nearly impossible escape. Somehow she and her newborn twins managed to sneak out of Lenval Hospital in Nice, France in the middle of the night last on Saturday morning. Which you’d think the paparazzi would be expecting. Given Angelina’s security team, if I were a photographer I’d half-suspect them to teleport her out of there somehow. In comparison, her departure was relatively low-key.

Jolie’s departure began at about 3:50 a.m. when, according to an eyewitness, a grey Volkswagen minibus with darkened windows arrived outside the hospital on its Promenade des Anglais.

“There was a sudden spray of light out of the hospital’s garage way and then four or five people came out of that through a rear doorway,” the witness said. “They stood behind the hospital in a small courtyard in the dark.”

The courtyard entrance, a gated area for emergency access has been closed during Jolie’s stay, “was suddenly opened by someone who was waiting in the bus stop beside the hospital,” the witness said. “This group of people got into the van, very quickly. . . . It was all done in a hurry. And they were very quick organizing themselves inside. Very rapid. And then ‘Pouf!’ they were gone.

“With all the press attention around them, a constant watch on the front of the hospital, they managed to leave so quickly, my hat’s off to them,” the witness added.

At 9 a.m., Dr. Michel Sussmann, who delivered the twins by Cesarean section on July 12, confirmed the family’s departure, telling reporters, “You can go home. The story is over.”

Added Bauer: “We enjoyed having her and her family here very much.”

[From People]

Yeah I bet it was a blast for all of you. I love the description of Angelina’s exit. Especially the “sudden spray of light.” It’s very heaven-sent, isn’t it? I half-expected the next line to be something about the magnificent glow emanating from their halos” or something. It was cute, but a little overdone.

A few less reputable sources said that Brad was along for the departure, though no one seems 100% certain about that. Still, it seems like the kind of thing he’d probably manage to show up for. Supposedly Angelina had originally wanted to leave the same way she arrived – by helicopter. But the hospital told her she couldn’t, because that was for emergences only. Which begs the question: was there some sort of emergency when she arrived?

No matter what, it sounds like Angelina’s security team did a remarkable job with her exit and ensuring whatever amount of privacy she could get. It sounds like she and the twins are all doing well, and now will get to have some family bonding time.