Brad Pitt's Circle Slams Angelina Jolie For Kids' Name Drop
By Afouda Bamidele on February 27, 2026 at 7:15 PM EST
Brad Pitt's camp is absolutely displeased with this bold move from his son!
The actor's closest pals are reportedly heaping the blame for his son dropping his famous last name in favor of Angelina Jolie's on the actress, citing it as a ploy to separate the family.
Since Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie separated as a couple and subsequently finalized their divorce in 2024, four of their kids have undergone a dramatic name change, mostly blindsiding the actor and reportedly leaving him heartbroken.
What Are Brad Pitt's Quarters Saying About Maddox Jolie's Name Drop?
Right after Maddox Jolie-Pitt pulled that move by dropping his father's last name in the credits for his mother's latest movie, one of Brad's pals expressed his displeasure to TMZ.
In the statement, Brad's friend described it as a sad situation and a "textbook example of what a successful campaign to separate a family looks like." Maddox has worked as an assistant director on his mother's latest project, "Couture," and in the credits, he opted for Maddox Jolie to roll up the screen.
It was reported that this move marked a change from Angelina's 2024 project "Maria," where Maddox's old name was used in the credits after serving as a production assistant on the Netflix project.
Vivienne Jolie Let Her Father's Last Name Go In A Similar Manner Nearly Two Years Ago
In 2024, The Blast shared that Vivienne also opted for the Jolie last name as the only addition to her name in the credits of her mother's musical and production debut, "The Outsiders."
The playbill for the project had listed Vivienne as a production assistant and revealed that she was excited to work alongside the actress for her first theatrical production. Vivienne herself was recognized as a theatre student and supporter of the arts who seemingly inspired the project, according to Angelina.
On the opening night for the 2024 musical, Angelina described her daughter with touching words, noting that she is a young artist who focuses her efforts on supporting others. The actress added that her daughter has been there to assist in any way she can and has learned so much from the whole creative team.
While it is yet to be confirmed if the 15-year-old at the time had made any legal changes to her surname, she has certainly joined several of Brad and Angelina's kids to do the same.
Zahara Jolie Announced Her Name Change At College Sorority Ceremony
In 2023, the couple's third child, Zahara, who Angelina adopted when she was just seven months old in 2005, made her debut as a new Alpha Kappa Alpha member.
The sorority is regarded as the first historically black type, and in the induction ceremony, she proudly introduced herself as Zahara Jolie, very much ignoring the Pitt.
Harper's Bazaar stated that the 21-year-old loudly declared her name as Zahara Marley Jolie as she gave a lovely speech and performance in a lovely black mini dress, black heels, and strands of white pearls. Zahara has been studying at Spelman College, a liberal arts school in Atlanta, since 2022.
Brad and their six kids have reportedly been estranged since she filed for divorce and requested sole physical custody of all the children in 2016. The actor was also reportedly under investigation for child abuse following the argument on the plane with Maddox.
Shiloh Jolie Approached The Court To Effect A Name Change In 2024
The former couple's first biological child pulled the plug on the Pitt tag as soon as she clocked 18, with The Blast noting that she bolted to court to make it official. Shiloh got exactly what she wished for without a formal hearing or any legal drama, making her the third offspring to opt for the Jolie last name at the time.
The 19-year-old had reportedly begun the process by hiring a lawyer and financing the legal process from her pocket without the knowledge of her famous mother.
Shiloh cited her reasons for witnessing and experiencing an abuse of her rights on the private jet in 2016 when her mother and Brad engaged in a scuffle.
Shiloh also published a mandatory statement about her name change in the Los Angeles Times as part of the things to fulfill so a judge can approve the request.
Brad and Angelina welcomed Shiloh in 2006 in Namibia, making her their fourth child, directly after Zahara, who was co-adopted by Brad in 2006, one year after Jolie made the move.
Brad Pitt Is Hopeful About Mending Fences With His Estranged Family
Sources close to the actor claimed he was not so surprised at Shiloh's move, but he still feels a sense of powerlessness knowing that his lengthy court tussle with Angelina may have lowered his chances of ever becoming close with his kids again.
Brad and Angelina, whose relationship and marriage were once the envy of all eyes, literally dragged each other to court over every single detail in their marriage, including custody arrangements and property division.
Despite the messy state of the divorce and a subsequent settlement, Brad is still very hopeful that he may have a clean slate to begin with when it comes to his biological kids. He reportedly understands why his adopted kids may feel uneasy about the idea of letting him back into their lives, and he respects it.
According to a source, "Brad truly feels that with Shiloh, as well as Vivienne and Knox, that when this divorce is over, and the lawsuits are far behind them, they will take a good look in the mirror and realize that their father is a part of them."
How will Brad Pitt address the latest development?
