Brad Pitt's Daughter Shiloh Made An 'Independent' Decision To Drop His Name After 'Painful Events'

Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, daughter of Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, reportedly dropped her father's name due to "painful events."

The claim was made by the 18-year-old's lawyer, Peter Levine, whom previous reports revealed Shiloh hired and paid for his services by herself. Levine also claimed that it was an "independent" decision.

Amid the name-change drama, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are still embroiled in a bitter legal battle over their French vineyard, Château Miraval.

In May, Shiloh garnered attention by filing a petition to remove "Pitt" from her last name, wanting to be addressed as "Shiloh Jolie" rather than "Shiloh Jolie-Pitt.:

The filing was made on the 27th of the month, which coincided with her 18th birthday celebration. It also came with a notice in the Los Angeles Times, which made the public fully aware of what she was trying to do.

Since then, speculations have swirled about why she chose to drop her father's name. Many claimed that it was due to her strained relationship with him after his divorce from Jolie.

Now, the teenager's lawyer, Levine, has echoed these sentiments, sharing in an interview with People Magazine that Shiloh chose to make the petition "following painful events."

However, for those who may have believed that Jolie influenced her teenager to make the change, that seems not to be the case.

"The media should be more careful in their reporting," Levine told the news outlet. "Especially when covering a young adult who has made an independent and significant decision following painful events and is merely following legal process."

Levine also sought to clarify that Shiloh did not personally place the ad in the Los Angeles Times to announce the name change.

He explained that he was responsible for the ad, as it is a legal requirement when a client wishes to change their name.

He told the outlet, "As Shiloh's attorney, I am required to publish a legal notice because the law in California requires that of anyone who wants to change their name. That legal notice was published in the Los Angeles Times, as is required."

The 18-year-old, for her part, has yet to publicly address the rumors about the name change, hinting that her lawyer would be in charge of any communication with the media.

Amid the news about Shiloh's petition, it became known that Pitt had "virtually no contact" with the teenager and any of the older kids he shared with Jolie.

The children in question appear to be Maddox, Pax, and Zahara, who have already turned 18 or recently reached that age, which means they are no longer subject to any custody arrangement.

While the exact timing of their relationship breakdown is unclear, it is believed to have started around the time Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt. This was shortly after a brutal fight between them occurred on a private jet while traveling with their children.

Jolie reportedly suffered injuries to her back and elbow during the episode, while Pitt was said to have sustained a scratch on his body. However, all parties ultimately agreed that criminal charges would not be filed due to several factors that were not disclosed.

According to a report, Shiloh's parents got a written notification about their daughter's name change petition.

This written notice is likely what made Pitt aware of Shiloh's decision, which he is said to have been "devastated" by.

"Brad was devastated by this choice," a source told Us Weekly. "To him, it was more than a change of name — it was a symbol of a deeper estrangement that has been brewing for years."

Another insider claimed that despite how bad the situation might seem, Pitt still wants to connect with Shiloh and his older children.

The source added, "He's not ready to give up on them, but knowing they are dropping his name is upsetting."

Amid the drama of his name being dropped, the Hollywood star is believed to be "putting on a brave face" in public. However, in his private space, he is "finding it extremely difficult to come to terms with" being abandoned by his kids.

Jolie recently pleaded with her ex-husband to drop the $67 million dollar lawsuit he filed against her after she sold her share of Château Miraval to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler.

The actress's rep said in a statement, "While Angelina again asks Mr. Pitt to end the fighting and finally put their family on a clear path toward healing, unless Mr. Pitt withdraws his lawsuit, Angelina has no choice but to obtain the evidence necessary to prove his allegations wrong."

According to an insider, Jolie's plea to drop the lawsuit has been refused as it shows she "does not have a strong case."

The insider told the Daily Mail, "Brad is not going to drop this lawsuit – why would he? This was a very standard business dispute but unfortunately, Angelina has consistently introduced personal elements that are meant for a divorce court."

They added, "Angelina is asking him to put an end to the fighting as if she is a peacemaker. This is nothing more than to paint herself as the victim. This is not a fight. This is a business dispute over the sale of property that was ultimately going to be for their kids. It was their inheritance, and she knows this."