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Brangelina rents French villa; twin births denied

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

10:57 AM EDT, June 1, 2008

CORRENS, France - Brangelina buzz sweeps south of France

Brangelina must be cocooning.

The paparazzi swarming France's Cote d'Azur can't find Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Locals mutter or giggle about the invasion of Hollywood glam. A flyover of their new home in a luxurious villa turned up no clues about a report they've added a set of twins -- which Pitt's manager says is "not true."

This pastoral sliver of the south of France has been abuzz ever since reports emerged last week that the Brangelina clan was moving in -- confirmed by the mayor of the village in question, Correns.

A helicopter swing Saturday over the vast yet reclusive Chateau Miraval, where the couple and their four children are said to be settling, turned up only stepped vineyards, empty chairs at a table on a pockmarked stone patio and a helicopter parked on a finely groomed lawn in front of a farmhouse and accompanying buildings.

A handful of parked cars and two men were seen from up above -- one planted next to the chopper, another peering skyward through binoculars from an estate driveway. Other than that, there was no sign of human life outdoors or in. Several shutters were pulled on the main stone house.

The apparent calm did not stop the buzz.

"Entertainment Tonight" first reported on its Web site Friday that the actress had given birth in France. Show host Mary Hart cited an unidentified source who claimed to be in the delivery room, saying the twins were born and that "yes, mother and babies are fine."

Pitt's manager, Cynthia Pett-Dante, told The Associated Press: "We have no comment except the story is not true," and several celebrity news outlets also reported the story was false.

Despite the denial, the Web site of Britain's Now magazine on Saturday cited "sources in France" saying Jolie's doctor had flown in from California, and that the couple named the twin girls Isla Marcheline and Amelie Jane Jolie-Pitt.

With no concrete proof, reporters and photographers staked out the entrance to the estate, nestled between rolling, wooded hills on the fringe of Correns, population 800, and invisible from any public roadway.

Jolie has said previously that her twins are due in August. She and Pitt already have four children: 6-year-old Maddox, 4-year-old Pax and 3-year-old Zahara, who are adopted, and 2-year-old Shiloh.

Hospital officials in maternity clinics and hospitals in the region said they weren't aware that Jolie had come in -- and would not say if she were scheduled. France strictly respects privacy rules governing health matters.

On Saturday, shopkeepers in the nearby town of Brignoles murmured about a sighting last week of the family strolling through town and stopping at a women's clothing boutique -- before the media hordes breezed in.

Some locals were blase about the incoming stars.

"She's a woman like any other," a Correns villager who gave his name only as Leon told Associated Press Television News, referring to Jolie. "I've never ever seen her. You know, as far as pretty women go, there are others on Earth."

Others were tickled about the new neighbors.

"My son is delighted that Angelina Jolie is here," said Nadia Caetano, of her 16-year-old. "He said, 'I'm going to be an orphan, and she'll adopt me. Mom, say that you've abandoned me, and she'll adopt me."'

Traditionally, the region has lured tourists mostly for rock-climbing excursions on the rolling hills of the verdant region and leisurely strolls in its medieval villages.

Security guards and local gendarmes were blocking the gates to the estate Saturday, where only a trickle of vehicles were allowed in.

According to its Web site, the Miraval estate is located on a site first inhabited in pre-Roman times. Today, it features fountains, ancient aqueducts, a moat, a pond and vineyards that produce a highly esteemed organic wine.

Locals know Miraval most for receiving rock stars over the years. The estate includes a studio that's hosted the likes of Sting, the Cranberries and Pink Floyd, who recorded tracks for "The Wall" album there.