Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, once known as “Brangelina,” formed one of Hollywood’s most high-profile relationships. They met in 2004 on the set of “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and quickly became a global media sensation.
The couple has six children, three of whom are adopted. Maddox Jolie-Pitt, from Cambodia, was adopted by Angelina in 2002 before her relationship with Brad began. Brad later adopted Maddox as well.
In 2005, they adopted Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt from Ethiopia.
Their third child, Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt, from Vietnam, was adopted in 2007. They also have three biological children: Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, and twins Knox Léon and Vivienne Marcheline Jolie Pitt.
Brad and Angelina split in 2016. The process of finalizing the divorce got so messy that the former power couple was embroiled in a custody battle. Reports of conflicts between Brad and some of the children, particularly Maddox, also made headlines. The aftermath of their public divorce has been difficult for Brad, Angelina and their children.
In 2022, People Magazine obtained a redacted confidential FBI report detailing an alleged incident that happened days before Angelina filed for divorce. The report revealed that the Los Angeles Department of Child and Family Services (DFCS) and FBI had investigated Brad after receiving a tip that he got into a drunken argument with Angelina in front of their kids while traveling via a private jet from France to Los Angeles. A source claimed Brad was allegedly “verbally abusive” and got “physical” with one of their children on the plane.
Despite no longer being a couple, the media has continued to scrutinize the famous family’s every move, including some of the children’s decisions to drop their father’s name from their own.
Despite Angelina Jolie filing for divorce from Brad Pitt in 2016, the media has continued to hound the pair and their children. Despite the unwanted public attention, they have continued on with their lives as best they can.
In 2022, their daughter Zahara enrolled in Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, one of the top historically Black colleges and universities. In August of that year, Zahara and her celebrity mother met with senior college staff members and in a video, Angelina was heard saying, “I’m gonna start crying! I have not started crying yet.”
While the clip was an adorable snapshot of a beautiful mother-daughter moment, another video featuring Zahara made even bigger news. A November 2023 video shared by Essence showed Zahara taking an Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority event introducing its newest members. When Zahara took to the spotlight to introduce herself, she declared:
“My name is Zahara Marley Jolie, coming all the way from the Golden State in the city that is full of angels, Los Angeles, California. I am this line’s number seven.”
While her enthusiastic announcement was thrilling to watch, many viewers also took notice of the fact that Zahara had dropped “Pitt” from her last name. The seemingly minor detail has since sparked discussion over Zahara and her relationship with her parents.
“Imagine your adopted child dropping your name,” one user lamented, while another wrote: “That’s sad. He loved those children and accepted them as his own.” However, others backed up Zahara’s choice. “She’s an adult and she can make that decision,” one wrote, while another said hopefully, “This doesn’t mean reconciliation is not an option eventually.”
One user commented:
“Sad this family drama is being played out publicly. Especially when children are involved and being weaponized.”
However, Zahara isn’t the only child of the couple to drop the “Pitt” name. After Vivienne lent her mother a hand in producing the musical “The Outsiders” at the La Jolla playhouse in 2023, eagle-eyed watchers noticed a bombshell in how she was credited in the playbill.
According to a People report, the playbill listed the 15-year-old simply as “Vivienne Jolie.” It has yet to be confirmed whether the two young women’s names have been changed legally.
A clip showing Vivienne in the background watching her mother speak to the media about the play also made the rounds. However, many took to the comments section to air their opinions about the broken family. Some argued Angelina had “turned those children against Brad” while others claimed, “Unfortunately Brad let them down.” One user remarked:
“I feel bad for all the children, you are supposed to always put the children first in a divorce.”
One report alleged that Angelina encourages her children to “avoid spending time” with their father during visitation periods. Meanwhile, Angelina’s previous insights into her own relationship with her mother have been scrutinized as well.
“My mum always made it clear that I was her friend — and that is a lesson on how to bring up my own children. When we talked, I felt she wanted to hear what I had to say. She enjoyed me and I feel I’m enjoying my kids,” she told The Sun in 2011.
Soon after Vivienne’s name change was noticed, a TMZ report claimed Shiloh was the next child to axe “Pitt” from her name. The report alleged that after turning 18 on May 27, 2024, Shiloh filed a petition to have her name legally changed to “Shiloh Jolie,” with “Pitt” completely struck out.
As Angelina and Brad’s tenuous divorce proceedings continued, many shared their feelings about the issues on social media.
“Shame on you Angelina Jolie!!!” one user exclaimed.
“If her allegations are true then I understand her wanting to protect her kids but so far this always just points to a bitter divorce and using the kids as weapons,” another person wrote.
“Hopefully his children are old enough to want to explore a relationship with him so they can judge for themselves,” one user said.
“What a sad situation,” someone else wrote.