Empress Zahara is already on the phone with her attorneys, don’t worry. Star Magazine, acting on a nine-month-old National Enquirer story that was pretty much identical, claims in a round-about way that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s youngest children, twins Knox and Vivienne, have Down Syndrome. The proof? Well, there is none. According to Jezebel’s synposis, Star just points out there is “speculation” and an insider says that the twins “are taking longer to grasp things.” Oh, and while the family visited Brad’s family over New Year’s, random Missourians “wondered if there was something wrong with the twins. It just seemed like something was off.” A source also says that “An employee recently voiced concerns, and Angelina freaked out.”
So… instead of even pretending this is anything other than a horrible (and unoriginal) tabloid piece of crap, let’s talk about whether or not Angelina and Brad (and the Empress) should sue. I think they should – for once, send the message to the tabloids that all of this nasty speculation about the kids is beyond the realm of acceptability. Of course, Angelina and Brad didn’t sue when the Enquirer reported an identical story last year, nor did they sue when Life & Style ran repeated Shiloh-is-a-lesbian-because-she-wears-pants covers. Do they just think that if they ignore it, this too shall pass? Or do they figure that the public backlash against these tabloids will be enough? I don’t know, I honestly don’t. I do know that Fax Cannes “Mystery” Jolie-Pitt is dyslexic, though. And it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Photos courtesy of Fame and WENN.
Snore….. Wow Star Mag is on fire with this story! ***bullsh!t***
Anyone can see they don’t have it from looking at enough photos.
this is way beyond disgusting.
I would sue.
But you are right, Kaiser, the public blacklash will hopefully be huge enough.
wow. that’s just….disgusting. They should definitely sue, the tabloids shouldn’t be allowed to get away with horrible stuff like this.
for these types of magazines the question is always “how low can you go?” apparently..veeeeery low
I usually think the pic choices the tabs use to illustrate their latest pulled out of their asses Triangle drama are funny, Angie looking furious, Brad looking shifty, Jen smirking etc etc, but this is actually quite sick. They’ve gone out of their way to locate pics of the babies (despite all the sweet pics of them out there) where they both look slightly odd, with no purpose other than to invite negative commentary on the physical appearance of a pair of 2yr olds. How fucked up is that? And what does it say about the mentality of Star’s staff and their views on disability?
And even if the twins have developmental issues (just saying, IF), that a tabloid would use it as a stick to beat the parents with is just… well, words fail me.
Just more BS from a tabloid known for BS. If they have grounds to sue, I hope they do.
Those babies are cute and adorable. Thanks for the photos.
They more than likely can’t sue because of the wording of the stories and the fact that libel laws are so lax in this country. The NE story never actually said the kids have Down Syndrome they said ‘fans’ at such and such blog believe the kids are D.S. which is actually true there are disturbed people who make nasty comments about these children wishing them to be sick because they hate their mom so much. This more than likely has a similar tone.
Pot shots at children (it does not matter who), come on is that the best these bullshit tabloid editors can come up with to sell their mags. Have some credibility
Totally disgusting.
Pitiful.
I dont care what they have……they are beautiful children and make a beautiful family. Angie always glows when she is with them…
Those babies are so beautiful. And whoever wrote this is giving themselves some pretty bad karma.
The funny thing is that both of their natural girls look like Brad( since he is quite pretty) and their boy looks like Angie……. He looks a lot like photos of Angie as a baby that I have seen.
You wonder how some folks can sleep at night. Really. How anyone can put that hurtful BS out there.
Ugly stuff. I do wonder, also, if their celebrity is worth it to AJ and Brad. They could choose a more private life, kind of disappear and raise their brood quietly, to protect them from this kind of stuff.
Each could still emerge to make movies and do other work, but just give the kids a chance to grow up away from cameras. Others stars do it. Brangelina have made their kids part of their act.
They should sue them for everything…make Star go broke. It’s disgusting when people go after children in the tabloids. For fucks sake, let the kids be kids!
As much as I cannot really get into AJ and BP as actors, this whole story just reeks. It is mean-spirited and over the top sensational — even for a tabloid. How dare they do this? Picking on kids is just vicious!
They need to leave her kids alone..say whatever about her or Brad but leave the kids alone.
It’s disgusting and they should sue — there must be a kickass, vicious lawyer out there who can manage to outsmart their way of speaking.
And is it me or does anyone else think they altered the girl’s eyes on the cover?
Star mag is just gross.
This is such crap and inappropriate beyond belief. In fact, it’s so horrible I’m asking myself if this BS should be re-featured in this way on CB, which is way classier than this.
I really hoped you’d skip this story like you did when NE first published it.
My brother has Down’s Syndrome, and having been around him his entire life, and around so many other Down’s children, I don’t think they have Down’s. And, it’s pure ignorance to speculate such things. F*ck off, STAR.
Unless we’re going to talk about how adorable they are (who doesn’t like a compliment?) the kids are really off limits. Especially when the tabs are making baseless headlines implying they have a mental deficiency?? That’s lower than I thought Star could go. Litigate.
@Tess–co-sign on all counts!
It’s pathetic, lame, and they’re really the worst for putting out again this kind of story.
those little earrings are so cute
They obviously don’t but even if they did, so what? Why is this a story used to sell a magazine. Beyond disgusting. Poor babies born to stars that didn’t ask for this type of attention and yet will have to learn to deal with it along with all the other things life throws their way. Boycott The Star. Put it out of business.
Disgusting. Kids should be off limits, end of story.
If you use your children as a marketing tool, you invite the media to speculate on them. Plenty of actors have managed to keep their kids out of the spotlight, others like Tom Cruise at least admit that they have no problem with the paps taking pictures. It’s like opening Pandora’s box (which Angie almost did in TR2!)- you can’t sell pictures of your kids to the gossip magazines, then expect them to take a step back, however insensitive the story…
Down Syndrome is very easy to diagnose with a chromosomal karyotype blood test. It’s obvious neither child has it. I also resent Down Syndrome being used as though it’s some sort of curse.
I blame Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie for this mess. They’ve made a circus of their children’s life and here the consequences…
Just two spoonfuls of sugar! Leave those babies alone !!!
VIV is so cute…..in this video she is Smiling and Waving……
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yqj4VGujtrM
Silly magazines always will make fake news to sell…..Brad and Angie family just have more this shits then others…… , better just ignore it
I had thought Knox looked like he had Down’s from his eyes. (and I truly don’t mean disrespect – I don’t feel God makes mistakes…..everything has it’s purpose, find it’s reason…in Every season, you know)
besides, who cares if he does or not. I think, no matter what, AJ looks like a fantastic mother and that’s all that matters.
****wait…if he does have Down’s (in re: to the commenters above saying that AJ and BP use the kids, ect)….well, she should DEF come public with it considering so many morons abort when faced with the prospect of “imperfect” kids. -And NOT in a Sarah Palin way…..that kid was used as a prop- which I was hesitent to say, TILL I watched her show…he should of been front and center. There is nothing “Retarded” about ppl w/Down’s….no, go hang w/ some, they STRIVE…they push themselves, no the true “retards” are the “normal” ppl who often have and find their limits, mentally, emotionally and physically.
Yeah, this is really disgusting. Let’s say for a moment that being a celebrity, you are in the eye of the public, and you put yourself up for this shit or whatever but come on the kids are not in the public eye. I don’t blame the parents, the paps follow them and get pics of them and the kids together. What are they supposed to do not go outside?
I said that a year ago.
Although adorable and arguably some of the most famous toddlers in the world…something is definitely off.
@cara great post!
Tess:
February 3rd, 2011 at 9:51 am
I do wonder, also, if their celebrity is worth it to AJ and Brad. They could choose a more private life, kind of disappear and raise their brood quietly, to protect them from this kind of stuff.
Totally agree. I don’t agree with others that their kids are fair game no matter how many times they’re papped, but I do agree that even though I’m a big fan of Angelina, I’d love for them to go away every once in a while. They don’t need to play the pap game, I wish they wouldn’t.
As for this story – you can determine if a baby has Downs Syndrome in the womb, or immediately after birth. It is not something that “develops” as the children grow. If anyone at Star had half a brain they’d know that. If the twins are developmentally disabled in some way, (which is possible, it’s somewhat common with twins – not common, but not uncommon) how vile is it to talk about it in a magazine? It’s tantamount to picking on them in the schoolyard. I’m not normally one for “Won’t somebody think of the children?!?!” but this is disgusting.
Those kids are beautiful no matter what.
Outside of the fact that this story has absolutely no merit and is based SOLELY on speculation, I wonder if anything is off limits these days? I agree with a majority of the posts that AJ and Brad should make an example out of this horrid rag and sue their pants right off. Personaly, I wouldn’t give two shits if that rancid mag printed anything ever. Absolutely pathetic.
@ Eve: I agree. They manipulated her eyes to make her look more like a child with Down Syndrome.
I really hope people won’t buy this issue or at least less than usual so that they get you can’t make money with such crap!
I hope Vivienne and Knox are well and we’ll see pictres of them in the near future where they aren’t carried around…
I was so distressed about this whole story and the state of humanity where people feel like it’s alright to make up rumors about celebrity kids…and then I read this:
“I do know that Fax Cannes “Mystery” Jolie-Pitt is dyslexic, though. And it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
It’s very hard to be upset at the state of humanity when you are spitting out coffee from laughing too hard. 🙂
I have toddler pics where I look full-on retard. Everyone does–hell, I have pics like that from my adulthood!
HORRIBLE thing to say about such lovely happy children. My GOD. Why aren’t they pointing out the obvious defects in Britney’s crack-baby children but picking on these gorgeous little angels??
I have definitely missed something. Who is Fax Cannes “Mystery” Jolie-Pitt???
And Star and Debra are just lower than low.
Why on earth does this magazine think it’s ok to go on about the possible issues these babies have?
I know that the parents shoved them out there for all the world to see but jeez-they are just babies.
There is a line crossed here, in my opinion.
But I will say that tapioca’s assessment of the situation is pretty much dead-on.
Good God Seri, hypocrite much?
Even if they did, they have really wonderful parents who apparently love them and their siblings to death – that is more than any child (special needs or not) can ask for. Star mag is absolutely disgusting making this seem like a terrible thing, what beautiful children. This totally made me just want to hurl my computer against the wall lol
@FUZZY CAT -thank you.
One Love
cherrypicking from the thosands and thousand of photos, i am sure there are a few that look like that. kids make faces and at certain angles “borderline” issues might be highly arguable.
it’s offensive for STAR to keep pushing this and offensive to decent folks, especially anyone who struggles with a family member with DS.
Down syndrome is diagnosed at birth or in utero. There is no such a thing as two-year-olds “maybe” having Down syndrome. They either have it or they don’t, and if they have it, their parents would have known before the children were even born.
I remember the tabloids saying Shiloh had Down syndrome because she kept her mouth open much of the time when she was a baby. Once it was obvious she didn’t have Down syndrome, they turned her into a lesbian.
No, Brad and Angie don’t have grounds to sue on this one. I checked out this mag in the supermarket this morning. It made vague references to people close to the family being afraid the twins might have Down syndrome; it didn’t say anywhere that they definitely have it.
Bottom line: It’s a slow news week and Brad/Angie stories always help to sell the tabloids. If they don’t have anything new they will recycle any bullshit story they can think of. ITW is running a story this week that Brad is still seeing Jennifer. As if anybody north of the South Pole still believes it.
Wow that’s pretty low even for these kind of magazines I definately would sue, it’s one thing to make up bullshit about Brad or Angie but to attack their kids that’s crossing the line.
I don’t think either baby has Down’s Syndrome. But seriously, WHAT IF THEY DID????
It’s not like they are saying they are serial killers. Down Syndrome is not disgusting or gross. I think it’s telling how “horrific” people think this story is.
Yes, leave the children out of tabloids. But I think readers are betraying their own prejudices here, too.
And if they do, so what? Their parents obviously take care of them.
I have no affection whatsoever for Brangelina, to put it mildly. And you can’t necessarily look at a child and tell if s/he has DS. Some people are very mildly affected physically.
I don’t think Brangelina would lie about it, and I don’t think it’s possible for fraternal twins to both have DS. I also think that it’s weird to say they should sue. Is having DS so horrible that to suggest it is legally actionable? People with DS are wonderful human beings, and the babies who have DS are as beautiful and precious as other babies.
If the twins have developmental delays, that is very common for twins. If fact, it’s common for many children who grow up perfectly normal.
@seri. Seriously? I find your comment just as digusting as Star’s inferences about the Jolie twins.
the cover of Star is a total photoshop, that magazine is so disgusting!
This is the same BS the National Enquirer pulled last year.They never say the kids have DS they say people on gossip blogs speculate they do. Just like people on gossip blogs speculate a celeb may have a baby bump. Brad and Angie ignore this BS.Actually the tabloids had cut down on Brad and Angie stories there used to be 3 0r 4 every week now sometimes there are none and occasionally one. For the person who said Brad and Angie can disappear and the stories would disappear, that’s nonsense . They were no pics of them for months when they were in France yet they were on 3-4 tabloids. With the exception of Pax and a fuzzy pic of Pax in a car their kids haven’t been seen in weeks.Gwen stefani also sold a pic of Kingston and he is seen daily on celeb baBY blogs yet the tabs have never put him in on the cover. The same goes for Jessica Alba, Christina Aguiliar, Matthew Mcconaughy all sold pics of their kids to magazines. Brad and Angie sell magazines that’s why their on the covers andI guess the baby bump/wedding/adopting/ breakup stories aren’t selling.
Clearly nonsense, as DS is obvious at birth, and the odds both kids would have it are probably astronomical. And I don’t think AJ and BP “put their kids out there”, they are followed everywhere by paps – should they lock the kids in the house?
As for developmental problems, as noted elsewhere, Britney Spears’ kids do look as if they have something a little off. One kid, don’t recall which, looked vaguely fetal alcohol syndrome, sorry.
The implication of this article is that this family owes an explanation regarding their children’s developmental progress. Do the writer’s of this piece blog their own children’s developmental progress? Is it the public’s right to expect a family who might be dealing with this issue to bring us along for the journey. While I do not think these children have Down syndrome, as an educator, I am saddened that these children will someday see these articles, and that children with Down syndrome will see a headline stating that the worst possible scenario is a reality that they themselves face.
If the twins DID have Down Syndrome, I think Angelina would add it to her list of Causes. I can’t see her silently raising two special needs children. She’d be out there talking to other parents and organizations and raising awareness.
I agree, they picked unflattering pictures of the kids and made the whole thing up. Maybe the parents aren’t suing because that would put them in the position of saying “How dare you say our children have Down Syndrome,” which would be mean and judgmental about all the kids who DO.
Just more evidence of Star’s vendetta against Angelina. Fuelled by the FFers on here like Tapioca and Olivia et al who wrongly accuse Angelina and Brad of using the kids. So she is going to a store with the kids. Isn’t she allowed to? Must she hide inside because the tapiocas and Olivias of this world will accuse her of something insidious? Its low-lives like the tapiocas and Olivias of the world that keep Star in business. And people like her are the VERY REASON these tabloids print these things.
how low, Star.
if Brad and Angie were showing the kids everyday, they would cry “pimping”. unfortunately, they can’t be hidden away either; otherwise, they’ve got a health disorder. Catch-22.
Forgot to mention Why is anyone shocked by Star look what they did to Michael Douglas? Also the aricle does not say the twins have Down Syndrome ,they can’t sue. Even if they did say it what would the damages be. Its a lie but its not slander.
They so don’t, they just look exactly like Jon Voight.
I think they should sue. I think celebs should, for the most part, ignore tabloid lies about themselves. But I find it sick that the tabloids are going after the children of celebrities as well. I think the tabloids need to be sent a message that kids are off limits.
@Tess: Brad and Angelina are already doing what you say they should do. They disappear for months at a time, and we see nothing of the kids. Occasionally we see pictures of them, but I don’t think celebrities who are that famous can completley disappear forever. I think they do a really good job of keeping their kids out of the limelight.
@MrsOdie: I don’t think they should sue because having DownSyndrome is so horrible. I think they should sue because children should off limits to the tabloids. It’s sick that the tabloids feel the need to do articles of any kind about the children of celebrities.
Listen to these a**holes blame the parents for this disgusting article!!
Targeting children for an article that is meant to be derogatory is wrong. (The implication being that having DS is some kind of horrible catastrophe?)
People saying these children deserve to be targeted because the ‘parents used their children as a marketing tool.’ Vindictive and sick.
What a coincidence that people who hate AJ condone this shit and then blame her for it.
‘She’s pimping out the children’ why? Because she wanted to show her baby the snow falling? Or look at the river?
Yes, let’s not forget, they should lock themselves away just so insecure freaks don’t call them fame whores.
They should let themselves and their new babies be chased like animals by the paps until they get their inevitable photo. It only makes the frenzy bigger and more dangerous.
Better to let them take their shots in a safe, peaceful environment, on their terms, and then give the money away to charity. I guess this is what you mean by ‘selling their children’ right?
If this article was written about ANY other little children, you would be screaming your head off, calling it out for what it is.
That is so disgusting. There are just no limits! Can you imagine how you would feel if the media was attacking your tiny innocent children like that? Beyond Gross!
If this article was written about ANY other little children, you would be screaming your head off, calling it out for what it is.
@ Runs with Scissors:
Exactly.
I 100% agree w #50 Francesca about how telling of their own prejudices what the posters are saying.
Por favor no se metan con unos primero que todo lindos e inocentes. Dejenle la vida tranquila a esta familia. Estos anuncios los hacen solamente para vender publicidad. Se las pasan ya de vulgar.
Celebs never target the folks in their camp, someone gives out these insider tips..
its no telling WHO is selling them out (or trying)
kids are off-limits for me.
unless its that high heeled maven lil Suri (LOL)
@ Walderman “Fax Cannes “Mystery” Jolie-Pitt” is a joke term used when nobody’s sure which kid is in the picture.
@Francesca I don’t think anyone is calling Down Syndrome gross or disgusting. What is gross is the way the magazine splashes ” the truth about the twins” ominously across the cover, and the “down syndrome drama” at the top. The cover is what portrays Downs as a bad thing.
Angie had a live-in doctor! Do you think he didn’t do tests beforehand?
Didn’t she fly in her GYN doc to France for the births?
Do you really think they forgot to test the fetuses?
Yeah, they look like they have DS, but if they do, what the hell went wrong?
Runs with Scissors: Listen to these a**holes blame the parents for this disgusting article!!
=========================================
They will believe every despicable lie about this family that is put out there. You should be used to that by now.
As a mom of a special needs child, I find Star’s story disgusting.
First, I don’t believe the Jolie-Pitt twins have Down Syndrome. Second, IF they did, so what? Would that make them “less than” and therefore the tabs should be allowed to tear them down because they have special needs? Fucking SICK. Star mag is a piece of shit, with shit writers and should be shut down.
This is the worst story ever! Star sucks! What kind of people write this stuff? And no employee in their right mind would go up to Brad Pitt and tell him that they think the twins have down syndrome. I hope they sue!
@Victoria: Can you tell a photoshopped picture when you see one? I doubt it. I also doubt you have ever seen a child who actually has Down syndrome, if you think either one of those kids looks like they have it.
I don’t get why some people say that the kids look ‘off’. What exactly does that mean? How can anyone, who you’ve never seen in the flesh and have only seen in manipulated tabloid photos look ‘off’? Compared to what?
Nothing about this story surprises me. We live in a society where reality stars are the new megastar that kids look up to and housewives are ho’s. Everything seems to be acceptable now in the name of entertainment.
Did she ever give birth in the U.S.? Just curious.
For some reason Star Magzine have been getting nastier and nastier with Brad and Angelina stories, seems as if they were paid to do it, not too long ago Jennifer Aniston used the “R” word just saying. The twins don’t have Downs Syndrome,I have been around it grew up around it, not talking badly about Sara Palin but her son is a prime example in the news look at the difference, have you ever seen her son Tripp smile, point or interact with his mother in publc , No! Most DS don’t, Jolie’s twins are just too active especially the boy, laughing pointing, saying hello in public the girl is always cranky spoiled child. It seems as if star magazine and the Pitts are at war for some reason.
MNGIRL76: Did she ever give birth in the U.S.? Just curious.
==========================================
What a ridiculous thing to be curious about. No. She hasn’t. So what?
wow. this is pretty low, even for the tabloids.
I like the Lady Gaga side story.. please, who hasn’t done that??
I don’t quite understand what the issue is. These kids are just that…kids. Little humans. They come in all shapes and sizes and forms. So sometimes they might photograph like they have some characteristics of DS…OK. Are we picking on them for their appearance? Are we attaching a stigma to DS now as well? Like, somehow, with all of the resources that B & A have, they’ve still failed at reproduction with somehow defective babies? What the f*ck?
They’re toddlers. They’re adorable. They’re learning things, and every child is different…every child develops at a different pace. And IF they have a developmental disorder, who the F*CK cares? What is it to any of us? They have constant high-end care and endless opportunities in life. Leave them alone.
@MNGIRL76 the babies were born in France. Last I heard they have a very thorough medical system. Statistically speaking it’s better then the U.S. in child mortality.
As for whether or not the twins actually have a disability, first and foremost it’s none of our business. You simply can’t diagnose either way by looking at a picture. They would almost certainly been aware of Down Syndrome during pregnancy if not immediately after the birth and I doubt they would have been as open with the press if there were any problems at that point. That doesn’t mean there is nothing wrong with the twins or any of the other JP children but again it’s not anyone’s business if there is.
By the way if you’ve ever seen baby pics of a young Angie she is very similiar to Viv with big eyes and chubby cheeks sometimes great beauties are awkward as children.
Ummm, I don’t think so. And so what if it’s true? Angelina and Brad spend lots of time with their children, play with them, shower them with toys, art projects, books and undying love and affection. These kids are happy and loved, what more do you want?
Runs with Scissors: i don’t think anyone was blaming the parents for this particular article. I think the point was made that since they put their children out there and sold pictures of them to the tabs, the tabloids now won’t back off and see the children as fair game.
EDIT: And before anyone comes up and tries to put words in my mouth-I think the article is nasty and mean-spirited and that the children should be off-limits.
@ Cheyenne, chill out. The girl was just wondering if Angie’s ever given birth in the US. There was nothing derogatory about that statement, and not everyone is crazy obsessed with Angelina Jolie like you are and knows everything about her. So stop getting all defensive about an innocent question.
As for this article, pure BS. In all the pictures I’ve seen of them, they look like normal toddlers, curious of the world around them, and obviously very much loved by both parents.
I think Star and the other tabloids always say shit about Angie because there’s literally no drama around her. She does her work with the UN, visits third-world countries, is a busy mother of six, and in a stable and loving relationship with Brad Pitt.
She’s pretty scandal free, except this triangle bullshit the tabloids keep bringing up, SIX YEARS LATER.
I dont think they will sue. I think that Star and Natl Enquirer say everything they need to say about themselves when they print these stories. Most kids have that pinched faced, high forehead feature into young childhood. Its normal!! Besides even if they (all of their kids, biological and adopted) had Downs or any other developmental disorder Id bet you a dollar Angie and Brad would be working to raise awareness about it. This is just mean and Brad and Angie wont dignify this nastiness with a response.
@DevilGirl (44)- “Good God Seri, hypocrite much?”
SERIOUSLY.
Re: Brangelina Should sue the magazine – I don’t know if that would do much good, honestly, unless they managed to completely bankrupt them. Some of the tabloids might back off for a little while, but I’m not sure if it’d be financially worthwhile. Tabs like those are careful about their wording to avoid such things.
They dont look even remotely down syndrome?? Star is bad. People bag on Nat Enq & i thought it was the worst rag for yrs but if you go back and look at their stories most end up being true. More so than not. They are actually more correct in their stories than most tabloids. Star is the worst though & Sun (is that still around?)- they will print anything.
Star magazine just lost me as a subscriber. Attaching children is wrong! I really hope they get sued by team pitt-jolie. I know they are a tabloid but there should be consequences for reporting something when you have no proof or sources.
WOW !!! They photo-shopped the crap out of the cover photos !!
Thank you Cherry Rose! Damn! I KNEW I was in for it when I posted that comment out of pure curiosity! I guess that’s supper ridiculous question to ask! This site is sooo crazy over A.J.!
Being a mother of twins ( and a singleton), my opinion is simply that they often look dead-ass tired. Too busy a schedule, too much travel.
They often have that just-woke-up-still-confused or need-a-nap look.
Big deal. Lay off.
I agree with everyone who says that children should be totally off limits. But, sadly, they never will be.
So if you sell your baby pics to People Magazine they are fair game.Watch out Julia Roberts,Paltrow, Marcia Cross, Patrick Dempsey,Nicole Ritchie,NPH,Christina A, Brooke Sheilds, John Travolta…Oh yeah I just looked at the pics of the twins in Venice on the balcony . They look adorable especially the one of Knox puckering up to kiss his mommy.FYI Star Magazine doesn’t even feature this story on their website. Very telling IMO
Hamm: i don’t think anyone was blaming the parents for this particular article.
Olivia: I blame Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie for this mess. They’ve made a circus of their children’s life and here the consequences…
===========================================
@Hamm: What part of the above comment are you unable to comprehend?
” I do know that Fax Cannes “Mystery” Jolie-Pitt is dyslexic, though. And it’s nothing to be ashamed of. ”
How very observant of you, Kaiser! 😉
Angie is a leftie, and most of them are dyslexic for a time because the brain is wired differently. Left-handers usually overcome this problem eventually, if parents and teachers are patient and help them out.
@Runs with Scissors: Excellent comment. I agree.
” I do know that Fax Cannes “Mystery” Jolie-Pitt is dyslexic, though. And it’s nothing to be ashamed of. ”
Either is downs syndrome. From the degree of outrage here, you’d think they were accusing the twins of being sociopathic serial killers or something. My own disabled child has a 3.5 gpa, plays guitar, & is currently rehearsing his 9th Shakespeare play, and spends some time with younger disabled kids as a counselor every summer. Altho only a H.S. junior, he also has racked up quite a few college credits. He has a great life, as many disabled people do.
I doubt if Angie or Brad give a rats *ss about this. If they did, they’d make a public statement. However, for those of you who are their fans, you might want to consider that your well intentioned outrage might be painful to them (as well as others) since you’re in effect acting like a disability is so horrible.
@RunsWithScissors: ITA with you on this one. I don’t really care for AJ or BP but babies and small kids should never be involved in entertainment gossip. And it should never involve looks or health! These kids will get older and have to read this about themselves! Disgusting.
What I find curious is that rumors of an actor’s kids having Down Syndrome are “disgusting” – yet I don’t see that word used very often when other rumors, involving something other than D.S., makes the rounds.
Having D.S. is not “disgusting.” Disagreeing with ANY rumor involving a child is one thing, but the way people hyper-react to a D.S. story (more than they react to any other rumor) is very telling. People with D.S. still have a long way to go, if the hint that someone even has D.S. is considered “disgusting.”
“These kids are happy and loved, what more do you want?”
isn’t that really all that matters?
ALL of their kids are quite adorable. period.
@Jane16 and Benny – I think you both have totally misinterpreted where the disgust is coming from here. It’s nothing to do with the possibility that the twins have DS, it’s the pond-life mentality of Star Mag deliberately setting out to suggest that it would be some dark, tragic, hidden secret that the JPs are ashamed of and attempting to hide! THAT’s what has generated the disgust, nothing to do with the condition itself or any other developmental condition that the twins may/may not have.
@WhiteNoise (104)- “THAT’s what has generated the disgust, nothing to do with the condition itself or any other developmental condition that the twins may/may not have.”
I agree with WhiteNoise completely. I don’t (for 1 second) believe that anyone who used the word ‘disgusting’ was referring the possibility that the children had that condition (or the condition itself).
Only that the magazine was disgusting for stooping to the level of targeting the children, making accusations about them, for the sake of selling their magazines.
that’s mean. 🙁
Cheyenne: Good detective work. Must have skimmed that comment or skipped it altogether though I don’t think it was there when I was reading the comments. But if it was, I was wrong to say that no one had said that the parents were to blame. One whole person said that. Must’ve missed that two sentence comment.
Also, you are a tad obsessive with trying to prove that I can’t read nor comprehend. Are you still peeved that I’ve pointed out more than once that you were wrong about something or the other? And unlike you, I can actually admit when I’ve missed something…
It doesn’t look to me like the twins have ds. And btw ds is not a tragedy. Ignorance is. I also don’t agree that Angelina and Brad should have to go into hiding just to keep tabloids from attacking their children. There might be days when the kids want to go to a movie, get an ice cream, go to the park, ride a bike etc. I’am no fan of AJ but this story is really disgusting. It makes a mockery of all the people who really are living with ds.
@jane16, mln76, and MNGIRL76
Thank you for adding a little sanity to this thread. it is crazy how rabidly defensive AJ/BP Stans get when someone’s not worshiping them.
Star magazine didn’t imply anything offensive about DS in their article; they weren’t making a joke out of the disability or teasing the children about it. It’s the AJ/BP Stans that are getting worked up and acting offensive by implying DS is some horrible defect.
For the stans, the physical characteristics of people who have is DS runs from mild to severe–you can’t always tell by looking at someone whether or not they have it. AJ/BP probably knew before the twins were born whether or not they had DS. if the found out the children did have it, what makes you think they would release that kind of info? Yes, DS is nothing to be ashamed of, but that doesn’t mean a) AJ/BP feel the same way, or b) that they would want to talk about it if the rumors are true.
I’m disgusted magazines can get away with trash like this. The twins are beautiful. Hell, all the Jolie-Pitt kids are adorable. Leave this family alone or karma will come back and bite you on the ass!
I haven’t “totally misinterpreted anything”. When the tabloids post pix about these kids eating ice cream, or walking thru a park, the fans here are practically wetting themselves talking about how perfect and wonderful they are. Where’s the righteous indignation about their rights to privacy then? Now that this trashy bird-cage-liner suggests they have DS, people here are screaming that B & A should sue, as though their kids were being horribly defamed, and DS is something to be ashamed of. I hope B & A continue take the high road and not respond.
I’ve been posting here for a couple of years now & have had to defend myself or apologize more than once becuz my remarks weren’t “PC” enough for some of the other readers. Well, now its my turn, lets show a little “pc-ness”, a little sensitivity, for disabled kids, adults, and the people who love them. I would much rather have my disabled, amazing, bright, fun, totally wonderful teen son than some of the non-disabled demon spawn that my poor brother-in-law, a HS teacher in Los Angeles, has to put up with on a daily basis.
I’m sure Brad & Angies kids are loved immensely and have whatever they need for a happy and fulfilling life.
Oh for crying out loud, Star magazine is so damn offensive they should be sued in the court of law for everything they have. If the Jolie twins had DS or anything else,leave it to the parents to devulge that information to the public, only a nin-com-poop could think the magazine is in the right. also mild or severe DS or autism does not depend on appearance it shows up in a baby’s awareness raction to surroundings. The twins have neither because their reaction to their parents seem normal, not only that it is reported that the twins speak French how would a child with any of these conditions learn french at such a young age.
I actually think that the thing that is really wrong here is that you know in order to print articles like this you must know that you have audience for the said article/picture.That there are people out there who will buy your paper because you put a headline that says that 2y olds may have Down syndrome.
I like Angelina, but if someone doesn’t and is expressing that,it’s OK she’s grown woman aware of the business she’s in and capable to defend herself,so go on hate her but do not say oh she exposes her kids to the paps lets laugh at them.(Few months ago there were comments, a lot of them actually, about how “ugly” A.Sandlers girl is. I was appalled!Whats wrong with people)
I honestly like to look pictures of Jolie/Pitt kids now and then but this kind of thing is wrong wrong wrong no matter whose kid is in question.
I just reread all the comments here, and there are lots of good ones, and a lot of people here get what I was trying to say, and other interesting points of view. All in all, even tho the subject was about a filthy rag article, it provoked a good discussion.
@123isme: You’re right on autism but wrong on Down syndrome. The physical stigmata of Down syndrome are so apparent that they are difficult to mistake even in people of Asian ethnicity. Also, you can tell by their hands. People who have Down syndrome have a single line across the palms of their hands instead of multiple lines. And if any doubt remains, a chromosome test will settle the question once and for all. People with Down syndrome have 47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46.
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@Hamm: No detective work was necessary. The comment was there right under your nose if you had taken the trouble to read it.
It always blows my mind when people say that Brad and Angelina love the paps and shove the kids in front of cameras. If you go to most celebrity sites like X17 and Popsugar there’s hardly any stories about them. Especially compared with other celebrities like Gwen Stefani and Jennifer Garner. Since the Globes 3 or 4 weeks ago I think there’s been a total of 3 or 4 photos of any of the family. Other celebrities are photographed that many times a week. It would be interesting to see which celebrities are actually photographed the most.
Also it’s ridiculou to say that the stories would stop if Brad and Angelina gave up their careers. Many times they have been out of sight for 2-4 months. That’s when the stories become the most vicious. After the twins were born and no photographs tabloids said Angelina was constantly attempting suicide along with the breakup rumors. In early 2010 there were a ton of breaup/going but to Jennifer stories. Basically no matter what they do, the stories won’t stop.
Brad and Angelina probably won’t sue. Celebrities rarely sue American tabloids because the laws are so strict and hard to prove. Brad and Angelina have actually sued foreign tabs several times since it’s much easier.
She should sue them !!!
I mean children ? hello ? how far they gonna go ?
An oldie but a goody.
Tantalize the proles by implying that punishment for possessing conventional physical beauty can be *gasp* visited on the children of said conventional beauties in a Grimm-style twist of fate that has a million suburban mothers toasting their own sanctimonious, DS-free mediocrity.
Beauty has always been seen as suspicious and even demonic, especially by the bored, half-mad, frustrated dumbarse housewife demographic that buys this shit, and their historical equivalents; Im surprised they’re not photoshopping hornbuds onto those poor fucking kids.
AJ AND BP are pretty unspectacular outside their superficial physiology, but that doesn’t seem to matter to most. Their children must be doomed, DOOMED, I tells ye!
@Louise (117)- “Also it’s ridiculous to say that the stories would stop if Brad and Angelina gave up their careers. Many times they have been out of sight for 2-4 months. That’s when the stories become the most vicious.
I agree with you. Were Brad & Angelina to ‘go underground’ (so to speak), the tabloids would become even more voracious, having to rely on creating even more cruel, baseless headlines in order to catch attention.
I really don’t blame them, & I’m not one of these so called ‘Brangeloonies’ people often reference when someone defends them. Actually, they get on my nerves for the most part. That doesn’t make vindictive baseless stories right, though.
tapioca unbelievably says:
“If you use your children as a marketing tool, you invite the media to speculate on them. . . you can’t sell pictures of your kids to the gossip magazines, then expect them to take a step back, however insensitive the story…”
First, this isn’t a story as in news story. It’s a made up piece of garbage intended to sell their magazine.
Second, of course you can set limits on how much coverage you will allow. Even entertainers and public figures have that right. They all get to draw a line where they are comfortable. What difference does it make if a public figure allows some access to themselves & their lives. It is utterly without merit to suggest that they then must allow every and all types of coverage. Where did this all or nothing fantasy come from?
MNGIRL76: “I KNEW I was in for it when I posted that comment out of pure curiosity! I guess that’s supper ridiculous question to ask! This site is sooo crazy over A.J.!”
Mngirl76, try to understand that for SIX YEARS Angelina fans have had to put up with so much hate thrown at A.J and for no reason. She has been called every combination of name under the sun that a drunken sailor could come up with. She’s been wished death upon her, attacked for being outside of the US a lot, attacked for adopting outside the US and even had her children hoping they’d die and zahara had AIDS. Oh, and they wished Shiloh would have Down Syndrome to. So you and others will just have to pardon those of us for being pretty defensive. It always makes me so unbelievably frustrated that WE are the ones who are the ‘loons’ when WE are not the ones wishing death and mayhem on Angelina. Her haters and the Jen fans, the loonifers, the truth loons are the ones doing that. We’re just defending her. Perhaps if someone you respect and look up to was attacked and wished she and her baby would die in childbirth, then maybe, just maybe you may stop and think and look at it from other people’s perspective and maybe understand the defensiveness and the backs up of people. Please try to look at it from our perspective. Angelina has been slammed a lot for adopting overseas and for giving birth overseas and we’ve heard the questions and statements over and over and over again. Surely you can understand.
I wish all kids healthy and happy life. I also wish these stars quit doing dr*gs and making babies. But narcissists always breed.
Ah, ladies. Fact is, Angie and Brad are related. BLOOD RELATIVES. KISSIN’ COUSINS. (and not only that but to Obama and the Queen as well,,,yes peeps,,,a bona-fide royal bloodline as they all are in Horror-wood,,,but they keep that hush to sell you on the illusion that America isn’t really BRITAIN). And that boy Knox DOES have downs, it’s obvious to anyone with eyeballs. That said Viv looks fine which is why they parade her out for pap shots and not her brother. Come on, don’t act like these ppl have any kind of morals like normal humans do. They sold their souls years ago and now EVERYTHING they do is FOR PUBLICITY, including this army of kids. NWO SHILLS. BARF!
You have serious issues Lemuria.
“Many times they have been out of sight for 2-4 months. That’s when the stories become the most vicious.”
Seriously you only have to look back one year to the way that the media stopped when the breakup rumor was printed in that crappy UK tab. All the major morning shows and so-called news networks reported the story as if it was fact. And none of them them have apologized, eventhough there was a lawsuit.
Both children look like they have DS and I have been saying so since they were infants.
Why are they off limits when AJ herself talks about how her daughter likes to dress like a boy and wants to be called a boy’s name. And Max like to play with guns and knives. She opened the door.
Angelina and Brad are very proud to be parents. They seem to always talk about their kids every time I catch one of their interviews.
Even though I don’t think their children’s lives are any of our business, seeing to how their lives revolve around their kids, it seems very likely that if their kids did have DS, they wouldn’t care to hide it.
In fact because they do so much to help others, they would probably proudly be part of organizations that support and cherish people who have DS.
I’m kind of glad they don’t give the tabloids the time of day anyway. I’d be horribly embarassed to purchase a tabloid magazine focusing on gossip about a child on the cover, so I doubt that mag will sell well.
Also children with DS are just as cute and precious as children who don’t have it, so people should watch with the comments of… oh they don’t have it, they are so cute. It seems offensive to those who actually have DS, even if you don’t mean it that way.
Lemuria, I think you are experiencing some paranoid delusions. I’m not trying to be mean but there is help for that.
The children are off limits as the subject of tabloid lies especially as low as this. No one who knows anything about developmental disabilties would identify either of these children as having DS. Further they would not be diagnosing children they do not know and have not examined for anything else.
It’s so obvious that those who are always looking and seem to want to find something wrong – anything wrong – with her chidlren are those who also have ugly things to say about Jolie and clearly don’t like her. That’s as sick as Star Magazine.
Cheyenne, you’re wrong that the “stigmata” of DS are obvious in the facial features. I’ve seen hundreds of pictures of children with DS. I did a lot of research when I screened positive for DS during this pregnancy. Some children have very obvious “typical” DS features on their faces. Others really do not look affected at all. Their eyes look normal, their noses aren’t as short, and so on. You’re right about the hands, though.
As for the Spears-Federline kids, Kevin Federline has always looked like someone with FAS to me. It’s the eyes. However, if you show me a picture that shows them with a flat smooth upper lip, I could say for sure. I just think they look like their weasely looking dad.
I’m not saying this was a nice story to print. but I don’t get it: when did children become more important than people? Horrible things have been printed about celebs (who are old enough to read and understand what is being written and that’s ok) but this is unacceptable because it’s an “innocent” child? Again, lousy story but all the outrage confuses me.
Cheyenne: Obviously I hadn’t taken the trouble to read it. Now everyone knows that sometimes I don’t read every single comment.
Stop the presses. I’ve admitted that I’m not perfect.
1) who cares as long as they are healthy
2) HORRIBLE.AWFUL thing to make up
@Lemuria: Lemme see now… so Brad and Angie are blood relatives, which means Shiloh and the twins were conceived in an incestuous relationship?
Honey, you don’t have issues, you have a whole damn subscription. I see a padded cell in your future.
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@NicoleAM: I’ll break it down one word at a time so maybe you can understand it:
YOU
DO
NOT
SLANDER
OTHER
PEOPLE’S
CHILDREN.
Slandering grownups is one thing; slandering children is something else again. It’s tacky. It’s ugly. It’s foul. Children are defenseless and cannot answer back.
Now do you get it?
there was no need to hate on britney’s kids there, @41.
@Jane16 – “people here are screaming that B & A should sue, as though their kids were being horribly defamed, and DS is something to be ashamed of.”
I didn’t get that, hence my post. The comments still read to me as primarily disgust at Star’s shitty little story, not at DS, but I do see the point you’re making re outraged fan reaction/hypocrisy and the perception of those with DS, and agree with it.
I doubt the kids have Down’s Syndrome, they just look a bit goofy because of their large foreheads and are mouth breathers. Shiloh looked pretty much the same.
I agree with MrsOdie2, some babies have almost no physical signs at all, which is why a blood test would have been performed if there were any suspicions. If they do have DS, at least their parents have the resources to care for them, and it really wouldn’t be the end of the world.
Now my issue with this story is that if you want the media to stop printing stories about celeb kids, that should apply to all stories and all children. Not just the stories you find offensive about the children of movie stars you like. You can’t have the stories about what they bought at an art supply shop, what they wore for halloween, or pictures of them eating gellato, and not the unpleasant, purely speculative pieces about their health, personal style, bratty behaviour, future sexuality, etc. The world doesn’t work that way unfortunatly.
You can’t pick and chose what the media reports on, if something or someone is fair game, them’s the breaks I’m afraid.
Also it’s libel, not slander. Reading comprehension and all that…..
i don’t just think they don’t have DS. i know they don’t have it. cos AJ and BP sold the baby pics to People and Hello. (legitimate celeb new sources and not gossip mags like one poster so incorrectly asserted) they could have told People and Hello then and there about any DS. in Hello, they asked if the kids were IVFed and Angie “no” but did not demean IVF.
@Waldemar: Fax Cannes is Knox and Viv’s triple threat! or better yet , the kid Angie is carrying in the falling snow. can you tell which twin it is? 🙂 inside joke.
“I remember the tabloids saying Shiloh had Down syndrome because she kept her mouth open much of the time when she was a baby. Once it was obvious she didn’t have Down syndrome, they turned her into a lesbian.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! u got me, Cheyenne.
oh man, Star. what are you guys gonna come up with next when we see Viv and Knox walking around all smiles and fine.
i do have a cousin with DOWN’S SYNDROME, and i agree that it is nothing to be ASHAMED of.
@MrsOdie2: I used to work in a clinic for mentally retarded children. We had dozens of DS clients. The facial stigmata was unmistakeable. The degree of retardation ranged from mild to severe, and the DS features were pronounced in some of the children and less pronounced in others, but it was definitely there. The facial stigmata tended to correspond to the degree of retardation.
That said, those kids were some of the sweetest, kindest, most loving and affectionate children I have ever met.
In any event, the whole argument about “suspecting” DS in a two year old is ridiculous. DS is confirmed at birth, if not before. Since prenatal testing for DS became routine, it’s been estimated that over 90% of DS pregnancies are terminated. (Wikipedia has a good article on Down syndrome.)
I agree with everyone who says having DS is nothing to be ashamed of, my cousin who had DS (she died some years ago) was one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met — active, smart, funny and had a fulfilled a life (she studied and had a job).
But the way Star is showing it, at least on the cover, is derogatory. Look at the word “drama” right next to Down Syndrome.
It’s disgusting because somehow thy managed to be offensive to both Jolie-Pitt’s kids and parents of children who indeed have Down Syndrome.
I agree that *if* any of their children had any sort of medical issue (or mental issue, I’m not sure what the best non-offensive way to refer to DS is, apologies.), that Brad & Angelina would very likely be up front about it, & offer open support & donation to the causes related to it.
That aside, admittedly, Reality@138 is right. You can’t pick & choose, and while most of us know where to draw the line on what’s ‘decent’, the tabloids certainly have no interest in decency. You can’t weed through which stories are okay. It’s okay to see them on magazines, or it isn’t.
Someone up above thread said libel laws are so lax in the U.S. This is NOT TRUE. Anyone can sue, and prove their case in a court of law. In the “olden days” of tabloid character assassination, stars did sue, and then typically donated their settlement to a charity. I would like to see them sue about ANYTHING involving false medical information about children. The fact that they don’t sue makes me angry…and it also makes me suspect that they aren’t great parents….or they would sue.
@Anti-Icon @144 – Admittedly I know *nothing* about such laws, though I’m sure the people who write for those tabloids know them backwards & forwards.
Can the magazine be sued for such a thing, if they say a ‘source’ is the one who made the claim, which they’re ‘merely quoting’ in their publication? (I’m not being sarcastic, I’m generally curious.) I know if Brad & Angelina were to pursue such a thing successfully, the money would end up going to a charity.
Plenty of kids look like they have Down Syndrome, but don’t. I always thought young MacCauly Culkin looked like he had DS.
MrsOdie2: Plenty of kids look like they have Down Syndrome, but don’t. I always thought young MacCauly Culkin looked like he had DS.
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LOL you’re right about Culkin. I think it’s his narrow squinty eyes.
I always did think there was something really off about those kids’ faces.
Salem – I loved your assessment. Couldn’t agree more. Maybe now some people will understand the “Loonies” need to refute these stupid stories.
Lemuria – Honey, you should immediately go find the person who makes sure you take your medication.
this entire family is extremely annoying. perhaps if they got the hell out of the limelight for five damn minutes, I’d get over it. but until then, ugh. however, even I think this is really a rotten piece thats been written on them. it doesn’t seem to bother them, though. these stories have been cycling since their twins were born. if they were going to sue, they would have done it already.
Viv is sooooo adorable. i want to pinch those chubby cheeks
Jayem ITA I guess Lemuria earned access to the computer lab at the mental hospital. FYI there are twice as many pics of Knox as there are of VIV on line. #144 does it make you angry that hardly any celebrity sues American tabloids or just Brad and Angie. Would it make you angry if the tabloid said the twins had diabetes or MS? Would they be bad parents if they didn’t sue.GMAB I hope they never sue regarding a health issue if they do the tabloid will have access to all their medical records.They would be required to prove the story isn’t true by allowing their kids physicians to testify.No win situation IMO.As someone mentioned earlier The JP kids have been seen twice in 2011 Pax at a store , Knox in a car.I ve seen pics of Kingston and/ or Zuma Rossdale at least 15 times in 2011.It appears the kids are seen more because they are featured on this site but in terms of actual pics The JP kids are rarely seen. The same goes for Brad and Angie besides The Golden Globes there has been 3 pics of Brad and 3 of Angie in 2011.
I’m with jane16. So bloody what if they have Down’s? I was in line at Target’s the other day and a Down’s adult was behind me in line, after another lady, who was crawling up my ass because she couldn’t bear to be near the person with Down’s. She finally moved to another line after the lady with Down’s sneezed, which much relieved me, as I was perfectly comfortable with the Down’s syndrome lady and very uncomfortable and annoyed with the idiot standing practically under my arm trying to get away from her. 🙄
Here’s something else I don’t understand: I see this site for what it is: entertainment! Yet the passion from ppl’s posts (and you can always count on it for a AJ and BP story) just jumps off the screen. Relax, why are you getting so bent out of shape? You don’t know these people and I wouldn’t waste my pity on them either. They’re leading far better lives than 99% of the world. There’s being a fan of someone’s body of work and being a fanatic.
And no, I still don’t get the “off with their heads!” attitude when the tabs write a story on a kid. Again, I didn’t say it’s a nice thing to do, but I assure you the toddlers in question are completely oblivious. The same ppl who are outraged have zero prob writing comments calling someone ugly, fat, untalented etc etc.
@Crash2G02, what the hell, did she think DS is contagious or something? Idiot.
I honestly don’t understand how some tabloid editors can live with themselves. Speculating on if kids have DS (or any medical condition, for that matter), and making DS sound like the most horrible thing in the world is so fucking low.
If these kids belonged to any other couple, this story wouldn’t exist. But because Brad left his wife for Angelina six fucking years ago, it’s fine to come up with shit like this. GMAFB.
could they have used a worse picture of knox, in those other pics hes so cute, these tabloids pulling pics that are of people sneezing or whatever to make a story of theirs “validated” is so cheap and obvious
The Star is disgusting for two reasons here. 1. They make Down Syndrome out to be something that is shameful and secretive, which is grossly FALSE and shows their ignorance to a stunning new degree.
and 2. They exploit two innocent children for the purpose of making money.
The lowest of the low.
Star should just leave those kids alone.
they are beautiful children.
I do trust all the ideas you’ve introduced on your post. They’re really convincing and can certainly work. Nonetheless, the posts are very brief for starters. May just you please extend them a bit from subsequent time? Thank you for the post.
Maybe they have autism