The children of Pitt and Jolie demanded that the court exclude their father's last name from their documents.

Almost ten years after the breakup of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, the story of one of Hollywood's most famous families is back in the spotlight. The reason was the publication of The Independent newspaper that two more children of the former spouses, Zahara and Maddox, began the official procedure of abandoning the Pitt surname. Shiloh had already taken a similar step earlier, and Vivien has long used only her mother's last name in her professional activities. At the same time, family relationships do not develop in the same way: if most children practically do not communicate with Brad Pitt, then Pax, according to sources, continues to keep in touch with his paternal relatives. About how the conflict developed in the Jolie and Pitt family and what kind of relationships the actors maintain with their children today, see the Izvestia article.

From a Hollywood fairy tale to a multi-year legal conflict

The story of Jolie and Pitt has long been considered one of the most famous in Hollywood. They met in the early 2000s on the set of the movie "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," and officially got married only in August 2014 after almost 10 years of relationship. During this time, the couple raised six children: three adopted children — Maddox, Pax and Zahara — and three biological ones — Shiloh, as well as twins Knox and Vivienne.

However, in September 2016, Jolie filed for divorce. The reason was an incident that occurred during a family flight on a private jet. In the following years, it was the events of that flight that became the central topic of numerous court proceedings. The actress claimed that Pitt behaved aggressively towards her and the children. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted an investigation into the circumstances of the incident, but no criminal charges were brought against the actor. Despite this, the legal disputes between the former spouses continued for several more years.

Although the divorce was officially finalized at the end of 2024, the differences between them did not end there. In addition to the ongoing dispute over the French Chateau Miraval estate, legal issues related to custody of minor children have persisted for a long time. It wasn't until July 2026, when twins Knox and Vivienne turned 18, that the multi-year custody agreement finally expired.

Why did the children distance themselves from Brad Pitt and who maintains a relationship with their father

Over the years of litigation, Pitt's relationship with most of the children has deteriorated markedly. According to American media reports, Maddox's eldest son practically stopped keeping in touch with his father a few years ago. It was he who, according to sources, became one of the first children of the couple who stopped using his father's surname in everyday life, and now initiated the official procedure for changing it.

Angelina Jolie appeared on the red carpet with Louis Garrel

In recent years, each of the six children of the former couple has been building relationships with their parents in their own way. Zakhara's eldest daughter has been publicly using Jolie's last name for a long time, and in the summer of 2026, according to People magazine and the tabloid Page Six, she began the official procedure of rejecting her father's last name. A similar process was launched by Maddox, who had previously used the name Maddox Jolie in the credits of film projects. According to California law, before considering such applications, it is necessary to publish a corresponding notice in an official publication, after which the court makes a final decision.

Shiloh had already taken a similar step earlier. On her 18th birthday in 2024, she applied for an official name change and subsequently began using her mother's last name. Another daughter of the couple, Vivienne, did not report on the legal name change, however, in the theatrical program of the musical "The Outsiders", which was produced by Angelina Jolie, she was listed as Vivienne Jolie. The children themselves and their representatives have not publicly commented on these decisions.

Special attention is focused on Pax. Sources close to the family told Page Six from the family's entourage that he continues to maintain relations with Brad Pitt's relatives, in particular, with his sister and other family members. At the same time, the interlocutors of the publication emphasize that this does not mean the restoration of relations between Pax himself and his father: according to them, personal communication remains minimal, despite maintaining contacts with part of Pitt's family.

Much less is known about the younger twins, Knox and Vivienne. Their parents tried to protect them from the attention of the press, so there is practically no public information about their relationship with their father. However, after reaching the age of majority in July 2026, it was they who finally brought the family out of a long-standing custody dispute: since all six children became adults, the corresponding agreement between Jolie and Pitt ceased to operate.

Why is this story still one of the most talked about in Hollywood?

Even after the divorce process is completed, Jolie and Pitt's family continues to attract public attention. The reason is not only the high-profile divorce and years of litigation, but also the fact that now adult children independently make decisions about which surname to wear and what kind of relationship to maintain with each parent. Recent reports about the name change by Maddox and Zahara have only confirmed that the consequences of the family conflict are still being felt.

At the same time, the current information flow shows that the situation within the family remains more complicated than it might seem from the outside. Despite the obvious distancing of most children from Brad Pitt, separate ties with his relatives remain. This means that the history of one of the most famous Hollywood families is still far from the final point, although the main legal disputes between the former spouses have already been completed.