When Brad Pitt was still married to Jennifer Aniston in 2004, rumors swirled that he was having an affair with Angelina Jolie on the set of “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” Seemingly confirming the rumors, the two officially came out as a couple, resulting in the now-iconic couple name “Brangelina.” Their whirlwind romance led to marriage, and they wed in 2014. But despite the initial sparks, it looks like this couple wasn’t meant to last. They broke up in 2016, leading to a messy divorce that was finally settled at the end of 2024.
As with most divorces, the drama wasn’t limited to the couple; their children were affected too, and as a result, they intentionally distanced themselves from their dad by dropping “Pitt” from their last names. Maddox, whom Angelina adopted in 2002 from Cambodia, is her eldest son. In 2005, Brad became his dad. In some film projects, he’s been credited as Maddox Jolie-Pitt, but for his mother’s film “Couture,” which premiered in 2025 at TIFF, his name was listed as Maddox Jolie. We’re not sure whether he’s legally changed his name, but it’s confirmed that some of his siblings have.
Shiloh Jolie switched her legal name, but her siblings were more subtle
When Shiloh Jolie turned 18 in 2024, she filed paperwork to remove “Pitt” from her last name, which a judge approved. It’s unclear whether Angelina knew Shiloh was making this decision, but it appears to have been an independent choice that she made with her own funds. When Brad Pitt found out, he wasn’t happy, and an inside source “close to Pitt” said that he was extremely bothered, commenting, “He’s never felt more joy than when [Shiloh] was born. He always wanted a daughter. The reminders that he’s lost his children are, of course, not easy for Brad. He loves his children and misses them. It’s very sad.”
Another child who changed her name was Vivienne Jolie, one of the couple’s twins. While we don’t have confirmation that she literally changed her name, Vivienne also dropped the “Pitt” from her last name, which was evident when her name was listed in the Playbill for the Broadway version of “The Outsiders.”
Lastly, there’s Zahara Marley Jolie, whom Angelina adopted from Ethiopia in 2005. Zahara enrolled in Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, where she participated in sorority life, joining Alpha Kappa Alpha in 2023. Essence shared an Instagram video showcasing new sorority members being introduced, and in the footage, Zahara introduced herself without mentioning the name “Pitt” at all.
Angelina and Brad’s other two children, Knox and Pax, haven’t confirmed anything about what last name they prefer to go by, but what we do know is that Angelina Jolie got sole custody of all six of their children in 2016 when the separation first occurred. Although we don’t have an insider’s perspective on their family drama, it appears that there’s still a lot of underlying tension between Brad Pitt and his kids post-divorce.
