Brad Pitt continues to face significant emotional turmoil within his family after his daughter Shiloh officially removed his last name in August 2024. According to insiders, the 62-year-old actor was “hurt” by her decision but is still hopeful he can eventually rebuild his relationship with his estranged children.
Shiloh Nouvel Jolie’s petition to alter her name was approved on August 19, 2024, nearly three months after she filed the request on her 18th birthday in May to drop “Pitt.” California law required a legal notice to be published for four weeks in the Los Angeles Times before the hearing, which publicly revealed her intention.
The move reflects a troubling pattern for Pitt, who has watched several of his children pull away from him in recent years. Zahara eliminated “Pitt” from her name when she enrolled at Spelman College in 2023, and Vivienne omitted his last name in her Playbill credit for the Broadway show “The Outsiders.” Maddox also stopped using Pitt in the credits for Angelina’s recent film, Couture, which premiered in September.
“It’s unfortunate, but Brad has accepted that his strained relationship with the kids and Angelina is something he can’t change right now,” a source told the Daily Mail.
Pitt and Angelina Jolie, 50, met while filming “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and married in 2014. They share six children: Maddox, 24, Pax, 21, Zahara, 21, Shiloh, 19, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 17. Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016 following an alleged physical altercation on a private plane. The FBI and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services investigated but did not press charges. Still, the incident severely damaged Pitt’s relationship with several of the children.
Despite the ongoing difficulties, Pitt has not abandoned hope that time may eventually heal the fractures. One source claimed he believes his biological children will one day reconsider the turmoil caused by the divorce and custody battles.
“He sincerely believes that Shiloh, along with Vivienne and Knox, will one day look back—once the divorce is finalized and the lawsuits are behind them—and recognize that their father remains an important part of their lives,” the source said.
RadarOnline.com reported that an “insider” claims Pitt now feels his only remaining option is to reveal Jolie’s “secrets.” The insider said: “Brad knows his legal pathways are limited, but he isn’t willing to let this go without taking some form of action.”
Under their divorce terms, Angelina may move out of the United States once all six children reach adulthood, a milestone that arrives in July on the twins’ birthday.
Sources say Pitt has always had a deep emotional connection with Shiloh—and that her decision will be extremely difficult for him.
The custody dispute has been marked by extensive legal complications. In December 2016, Pitt requested that the Los Angeles Superior Court seal his children’s records, accusing Jolie of compromising their privacy. His lawyers argued that Jolie “put the children at risk by making public the names of their therapists and other mental health specialists.”
Judge John W. Ouderkirk, who officiated the couple’s wedding in 2014 and later handled their divorce proceedings, granted Pitt joint custody in May 2021. However, that decision was reversed in July 2021 when California’s 2nd District Court of Appeals removed Ouderkirk for failing to fully disclose his professional ties to Pitt’s legal team. The court said this omission “could cause an objective observer to doubt the judge’s ability to remain impartial.”
Maddox reportedly gave testimony critical of his father during custody hearings, and Pax posted a severe message online claiming his younger siblings feared Pitt. The adult children—Maddox, Pax, and Zahara—are believed to have no current contact with him.
Shiloh’s personal transformation has drawn attention as well. She recently got a Gemini tattoo representing her zodiac sign, which she shares with her mother. She has also been wearing braided hairstyles similar to Jolie’s look in “Tomb Raider.” Those close to Shiloh say she hired her own lawyer and paid for the name change herself, highlighting her independence.
Jolie’s brother, James Haven, has stepped into a more protective role since the breakup, emphasizing the importance of being present during what he called the children’s “massively formative years” as they transition into adulthood.
The court ruled Pitt and Jolie legally single in April 2019, and their divorce was completed in December 2024 following more than eight years of legal battles. However, their intense legal dispute over their French estate, Château Miraval, is still unresolved.
