Angelina Jolie's Proud Brother

Angelina Jolie's brother feels ''honoured'' to be her sibling.

The 'Maleficent' actress revealed earlier this week she had undergone a double mastectomy after tests revealed she carried the BRCA1 gene and had an 87 per cent chance of contracting breast cancer and a 50 per cent chance of contracting ovarian cancer - the disease which killed her mother, Marcheline Bertrand - and her brother James Haven thinks her decision to go public will be helpful to others.

He told E! News: ''There is no question Angelina makes a difference in our world by bringing awareness to so many causes. Her compassion for humanity alone always makes me honoured to call her my sister.''

Meanwhile, Billy Bob Thornton has sent his best wishes to his 37-year-old ex-wife - who has children Maddox, 11, Pax, nine, Zahara, eight, Shiloh, six, and four-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne with fiance Brad Pitt - and praised her as a ''tribute to mankind''.

The actor - who married Angelina in May 2000 and separated from in June 2002 - told TMZ: ''We've communicated but not talked. I think she is not only a tribute to mankind, but she's done so much for people, she deserves absolutely the best in every way. She always has and always will in my book.''