Four of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's Children Drop the Pitt Surname
Four of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's children have legally dropped the Pitt surname, marking a painful culmination of years of family estrangement following the couple's 2016 split.
Twenty years after Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie legally added the Pitt surname to their eldest children, Maddox and Zahara, a Los Angeles court has finalized the removal of the actor's last name for four of their six children. The legal name changes mark a profound chapter in the unraveling of one of Hollywood's most high-profile families.
A Decade of Family Estrangement
The friction within the family trace back to September 2016, following a private flight from France to the United States that ended the marriage. Jolie filed for divorce five days later, citing irreconcilable differences and later detailing allegations of physical and verbal altercations during the flight, which Pitt's representatives vehemently denied. Investigations by the FBI and Los Angeles welfare services closed without filing criminal charges against the actor.
Over the subsequent years, distance grew between Pitt and his children. In November 2023, Zahara was introduced at a college event as Zahara Marley Jolie, dropping Pitt. Shiloh officially dropped the surname upon turning 18 in August 2024, with her attorney citing painful events. Maddox and Zahara completed their legal name changes in September 2026, followed by Vivian on November 2, leaving Pax as the only sibling still using the double-barreled name publicly.
Moving Forward Amid Complex Realities
While Pitt and Jolie reached a formal divorce settlement in December 2024 after more than eight years of litigation, disputes over business ventures like the Miraval winery have persisted. Sources close to Pitt indicate he remains deeply hurt by the children's decisions and hopes to mend relationships, while representatives for Jolie emphasize the independence of the children's choices.
