Brad Pitt's Painful Family Rift Intensifies as Son Maddox Follows in His Siblings' Footsteps and Ditches Famous Surname
Maddox Jolie no longer uses the last name Pitt.
May 29 2026, Published 11:00 a.m. ET
In yet another blow to Brad Pitt, his 24-year-old son Maddox dropped his last name.
The young actor reportedly made an official legal request to pull "Pitt" out of his family name, keeping just "Maddox Chivan Jolie" as his moniker, RadarOnline.com can reveal. With that swap, Maddox seemingly cut ties with his father while staying connected to mother, Angelina Jolie, 50.
Maddox Notes Reason for Name Change
Maddox admitted it was a personal choice to drop the Pitt name.
He previously dropped the last name in a more informal capacity when only "Jolie" was listed in the end credits of his mom's movie, Couture.
The reason for the legal name change was listed as "personal," according to the Daily Mail.
Maddox's Siblings Makes Similar Move
Maddox's siblings also dropped the Pitt last name.
Maddox is just the most recent in the family to brush off the Pitt legacy. In fact, sister Shiloh, 20, made the same request to a California court in May 2024 when she turned 18.
His other siblings, including Zahara, 21, and Vivienne, 17, haven't yet made the legal change. However, they've both publicly used only the "Jolie" name in an informal capacity.
Knox, 17, and Pax, 22, both continue to use the "Jolie-Pitt" name – at least as far as the public knows.
Brad Pitt Adopted Maddox in 2006
Brad Pitt adopted Maddox and Zahara after Jolie.
Pitt, 62, and Jolie were involved in a tumultuous and very public split.
The pair first reportedly began cozying up in 2005, being seen one month after Pitt's separation from Jennifer Aniston, 57. At the time, Angelina was already the adoptive mother to Maddox, and Pitt didn't file adoption paperwork until 2006, when Maddox assumed the hyphenate.
While Pitt and Jolie were seemingly romantically entangled in 2005, Jolie similarly adopted Zahara independently from her relationship with Pitt, who completed his share of the adoption in 2006.
In January 2006, Jolie and Pitt confirmed the actress was pregnant Shiloh. Pax was adopted in 2007 by the couple. In 2008, she gave birth to twins, Knox and Vivienne.
The couple spent years distancing themselves from the idea of marriage, resisting pressure from the public, the media, and their family. Instead, they reiterated they were holding out until marriage equality was accessible for everyone. After all, at the time, the United States had not yet legalized gay marriage.
Pitt told Parade in 2009, "I have love in my life, a soul mate – absolutely. When someone asked me why Angie and I don't get married, I replied, 'Maybe we'll get married when it's legal for everyone else.' I stand by that, although I took a lot of flak for saying it–hate mail from religious groups. I believe everyone should have the same rights. They say gay marriage ruins families and hurts kids. Well, I've had the privilege of seeing my gay friends being parents and watching their kids grow up in a loving environment."
Jolie Assumed Custody of the Children
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Jolie filed her divorce from Pitt in 2016.
In 2012, despite the lack of marriage equality across the United States, the couple got engaged. They were not married until 2014. The official decision from the Supreme Court that legalized gay marriage in the United States followed in 2015.
In 2016, Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt, stirring up what has become a decade-long bitter fallout.
At the time, a legal representative for Jolie said, "This decision was made for the health of the family. She will not be commenting, and asks that the family be given its privacy at this time."
Ultimately, Jolie assumed custody of the children.
Jolie filed a lawsuit against Pitt in 2022, in which she alleged the actor "physically and verbally" assaulted both her and her children during a flight. She alleged Pitt struck a 15-year-old Maddox.
Pitt denied the allegations and the FBI cleared him of criminal wrongdoing.
