Reports indicate that Brad Pitt is deeply hurt by his children’s decision to drop his surname, attributing this to the influence of his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie. Earlier this month, it was revealed that their 18-year-old daughter, Shiloh, filed to remove ‘Pitt’ from her surname, becoming Shiloh Jolie on the day she reached legal adulthood.
Shiloh is one of six children shared by Jolie and Pitt, and she’s not the only one distancing herself from her father. Their 15-year-old daughter, Vivienne, recently made headlines when she was listed as Vivienne Jolie in the official Playbill for “The Outsiders,” a production she helped her mother with.
Furthermore, 19-year-old Zahara, one of the couple’s three adopted children, is also reportedly going by Zahara Jolie. TMZ reported that their oldest child, 22-year-old Maddox, also no longer uses ‘Pitt’ in his surname.
In 2020, their son Pax publicly criticized Pitt in a resurfaced Instagram post, accusing him of making life difficult for those closest to him.
The ongoing estrangement from his children has profoundly affected Brad Pitt. A source told Little Things, “Brad was devastated by this choice. To him, it was more than a name change — it was a symbol of a deeper estrangement that has been brewing for years.”
Another insider mentioned that Shiloh hired her own lawyer to manage her name change, emphasizing that the decision was entirely hers. However, Pitt suspects that Angelina’s influence is a significant factor in the strained relations with his children. According to the source, “He feels that the negative narrative Angelina presents to the kids is a major obstacle in his efforts to reconnect. With Angelina having daily influence over the children, Brad finds it nearly impossible to change their perceptions.”
Since their 2019 divorce, Pitt and Jolie, once known as ‘Brangelina,’ have been embroiled in legal disputes and public controversies. In April, Jolie filed papers in the Los Angeles Superior Court accusing Pitt of physical abuse, allegations he has denied. The former couple also remains in conflict over the sale of a French winery they bought together.
