Brad Pitt's brutal blow as youngest child legally drops father's famous surname


Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were together for 11 years, with their romance ending in lengthy divorce proceedings and a bitter custody battle


Brad Pitt vivienne jolie split image
Faye James
Faye JamesSenior Editor
1 hour ago
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Vivienne Jolie-Pitt is the latest of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's six children to legally drop Pitt from her last name, amid the F1 star's reported estrangement from his family. The 18-year-old, who celebrated her milestone birthday on July 12, filed a petition with the Los Angeles County Superior Court to legally change her name from Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie. 

According to court documents, she listed the reason for the major decision as "personal", and a court hearing is scheduled for her petition on November 2. Vivienne has made no secret about distancing herself from her famous father in the past, and chose to drop "Pitt" when her name was listed on the playbill for The Outsiders, which Angelina directed on Broadway in 2024. 

The teen is following in her siblings' footsteps with the move, after Shiloh, 20, was the first to legally change her name. Zahara, 21, and Maddox, 24, are currently in the process of dropping "Pitt" from their name, with the former's hearing scheduled for September 28 and the latter's hearing scheduled for September 14. 

Vivienne Jolie-Pitt and Angelina Jolie attend the 77th Annual Tony Awards 2024© WireImage
Brad and Angelina's youngest daughter has filed to change her name

Angelina and Brad's remaining two sons, Pax and Knox, have yet to make any legal moves to change their names, but the latter opted to go by "Knox Jolie" on his high school diploma when graduating in June. Brad has not been spotted in public with any of his six kids since 2016. 

The former couple, who were together from 2005 until 2016, went through a bitter divorce which lasted eight years, involving a custody battle and a fight over their French vineyard, Chateau Miraval. Angelina recently opened up about finding herself again after the heartbreaking divorce, and shared that she learned self-confidence from her daughters, Zahara, Shiloh and Vivienne. 

"I'm discovering something now that my daughters are older," she told Yahoo Entertainment. "They're talking to me as young women, and I'm seeing what I want for them. I'm seeing what I don't want them to lose and what I want them to hold on to. And it's kind of reminding me what I may have lost."

Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, Zahara Jolie-Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, Maddox Jolie-Pitt and Knox Jolie-Pitt in 2021© WireImage
Vivienne is following in her siblings' footsteps with the legal move

The Couture actress explained that she wanted her daughters to hold onto their "strength and openness and softness and faith and ferocity" as they carved a path for themselves.

Learn more about Brad and Angelina's legal battle below...

WATCH: Brad & Angelina's bitter legal battle

"I think in some way they're bringing me back to my old self," she continued. "My desire for them to have all of the strength and openness and softness and faith and ferocity is reminding me."

"I think they kind of want me now to not just be 'Mom.' There's a different room for me to be that woman again, that's not just a mom."

Shiloh Jolie© Getty Images
Shiloh was the first to drop Brad's last name

The Oscar winner previously told The Hollywood Reporter that once her twins Vivienne and Knox turned 18, she was free from the constraints of her custody agreement and would likely set off to travel the world. 

Brad Pitt, kids Maddox Jolie-Pitt, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, Pax Jolie-Pitt and his parents arrive at the Los Angeles premiere of "Unbroken" at The Dolby Theatre on December 15, 2014 in Hollywood, California© Getty
Brad has not been pictured with his kids since 2016

"I am here because I have to be here from a divorce, but as soon as they're 18, I'll be able to leave," she said. "When you have a big family, you want them to have privacy, peace, safety."

"I have a house now to raise my children, but sometimes this place can be…that humanity that I found across the world is not what I grew up with here [in LA]. I'll spend a lot of time in Cambodia. I'll spend time visiting my family members wherever they may be in the world."

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