Pregnant Jolie in French hospital

Jolie confirmed she was expecting twins in May

Actress Angelina Jolie has checked into a hospital in the south of France where it is expected she will give birth to twins, according to a report.

"She's very well. Everything is fine," Nadine Bauer, spokeswoman for the Lenval Hospital in Nice told the Associated Press news agency.

Bauer said Jolie, who is pregnant by actor Brad Pitt, would almost certainly stay in hospital until she gives birth.

Ms Bauer added that Jolie, 32, was not expected to give birth immediately.

She said the star's admittance to the maternity wing had been planned for some time and there was "no urgency", but refused to disclose when Jolie had checked in.

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Jolie and Pitt already have one daughter together, called Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, who was born in Namibia in 2006.

The couple have also adopted three more children; Cambodian-born son Maddox; daughter Zahara, from Ethiopia and Pax, from Vietnam.

Speculation

Jolie confirmed she was expecting twins at the Cannes Film Festival in May after her Kung Fu Panda co-star Jack Black accidentally referred to them in an interview.

She has since said the babies are due in August.

Media speculation over the pregnancy has been intense - and the arrival of Jolie's twins has been erroneously reported on several occasions.

Brad Pitt's manager dismissed as "a rumour" an item on US TV show Entertainment Tonight in May which suggested Jolie had just given birth.

The French edition of Closer magazine made similar claims earlier this week.

Meanwhile, Britain's Now magazine has even claimed to know the names of the latest additions to the Jolie-Pitt family: Isla Marcheline and Amelie Jane.