Several of the children of actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have taken steps to distance themselves from their father, including officially dropping his surname. Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Vivienne and Knox have all either legally changed their last name or publicly used versions without 'Pitt.'
The legal and public distancing from their father follows an acrimonious split between Jolie and Pitt, which began with an alleged physical altercation on a private flight in 2016. Jolie claimed Pitt "physically and verbally assaulted" her and their children during the flight, allegations Pitt has denied. This incident marked a turning point in their relationship and has been a backdrop to the subsequent years of custody battles and legal disputes over shared assets.
Maddox Chivan, the eldest of the six children at 24, was adopted by Jolie in 2001 before she and Pitt began their relationship. Pitt later adopted Maddox, and his surname was changed to Jolie-Pitt in 2006. In February of this year, Maddox was credited as Maddox Jolie in the end credits of his mother's movie Couture, a change from his previous credit as Maddox Jolie-Pitt on Jolie's biopic Maria. Court documents obtained by the Daily Mail indicate Maddox filed to drop Pitt's last name shortly after the divorce was finalized in 2024.
Zahara Marley, 21, adopted by Jolie in 2005 and later by Pitt, has also moved to change her surname. Last month, Zahara filed a petition to be known as Zahara Marley Jolie. She had publicly used the name Zahara Marley Jolie as early as three years ago when introducing herself to sorority sisters at Spelman College, and her name was listed as such during her graduation ceremony. According to TMZ, Pitt allegedly did not attend her graduation.
Shiloh Nouvel, 20, the couple's first biological daughter, legally changed her surname from Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt to Shiloh Nouvel Jolie on her 18th birthday, hiring her own lawyer for the process. Sources close to Pitt told the Daily Mail that he was "loves her and no matter what happens, he is always only a phone call away," but respects her decision.
Pax Thien, 22, adopted by Jolie in 2007 and by Pitt a year later, has publicly expressed strong negative feelings towards his father. In a Father's Day Instagram post shared in 2020, Pax referred to Pitt as a "world class a**hole" and a "despicable person" who made his four youngest siblings "tremble in fear." It is not publicly known if Pax has legally dropped the 'Pitt' surname.
Vivienne and Knox, 18-year-old twins and the youngest biological children of Jolie and Pitt, have also altered their surnames. Vivienne was listed as Vivienne Jolie in the playbill for The Outsiders in May 2024, and Knox's name appeared simply as Knox Jolie on his high school diploma upon his graduation from Fusion Academy this summer. The extent to which these changes are legally formalized for Vivienne and Knox is not fully detailed.
Angelina Jolie has spoken about her children being a source of her renewed "fighting spirit" following the difficult divorce. She noted last year that her children "still like [her], which says a lot."