Angelina Jolie is prioritizing her family's healing process as her daughter Vivienne Jolie-Pitt becomes the latest of her children to legally file to drop the surname “Pitt.” A source close to the actress stated that Jolie is not angry about the situation and is focused on reconciliation.
“If people knew the whole truth they would have more sympathy for the children and respect them,” the insider told Page Six. “The fact they aren’t speaking ill or sharing things publicly only shows their decency.”
Vivienne, 18, submitted paperwork on July 20 in Los Angeles Superior Court to change her legal name from Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie. In the court documents, she cited “personal” reasons for the change. This filing is the latest development in the ongoing family rift that has been unfolding since Jolie and Brad Pitt's highly publicized split in 2016.
Jolie and Pitt, who share six children—Maddox, 24, Pax, 22, Zahara, 21, Shiloh, 19, and twins Knox and Vivienne—finalized their divorce in December 2024, concluding more than eight years of legal proceedings after Jolie filed for dissolution of their marriage in September 2016.
Several of the couple's children have previously taken steps to distance themselves from Pitt's surname. Shiloh successfully petitioned a Los Angeles court in May 2024 to remove “Pitt” from her last name shortly after turning 18. In May 2026, Maddox also filed legal paperwork citing personal reasons to drop “Pitt” from his surname. Prior to this, Maddox had already begun using “Maddox Jolie” professionally. On June 9, Zahara filed paperwork to legally change her name from Zahara Jolie-Pitt to Zahara Jolie.
Knox also appeared to distance himself from the Pitt surname. He was listed as “Knox Jolie” on his high school diploma after graduating from Fusion Academy in Los Angeles. A source reported that Knox celebrated this milestone with Jolie and his siblings Pax and Zahara, as well as his twin sister, Vivienne.
Vivienne publicly dropped her father's last name in May 2024, being credited as “Vivienne Jolie” in the Playbill for the Broadway production of “The Outsiders,” which she helped her mother produce. She was previously pictured with her mother at the opening night of the show. 
In contrast to some of his siblings, Pax reportedly maintains a relationship with members of Pitt's extended family. He has been observed spending time with them, even attending a family gathering to celebrate his cousin Sydney’s engagement. Pitt’s sister, Julie Pitt Neal, and niece Reagan Pitt were among those present. However, sources indicate that while Pax remains connected to his paternal relatives, his personal relationship with Brad Pitt is strained.
