Maddox, the son of former Hollywood couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, has filed legal documents seeking to remove the word “Pitt” from his surname.Maddox is now the fourth of Jolie-Pitt’s six children to drop “Pitt” from their surname amid the ongoing public feud between Angelina and Brad, following their divorce.As TMZ reports, the 24-year-old has filed a petition to legally change his name from Maddox Jolie-Pitt to “Maddox Chivan Jolie.” The move comes after Maddox was recently given the title of “Maddox Jolie” in the upcoming film “Couture”, where he served as an assistant director alongside his mother, who played the leading lady.Maddox is the latest Jolie-Pitt child to distance himself from his father.
Shiloh Jolie previously filed a legal request to remove her father’s surname after she turned 18 years old. Meanwhile, Zahara Jolie recently obtained her bachelor’s degree under the name “Zahara Jolie”. Meanwhile, Vivien Jolie also dropped the word “pit” from her name in the list of her Broadway plays. It is still unclear whether Zahraa and Vivian have legally changed their names.Maddox’s legal request has reportedly not been officially approved by the court.
These developments came amid reports of a strained relationship between Pitt and his children, following the actor’s separation from Jolie in 2016, which received much media coverage. While the couple’s divorce was finalized in 2024, they are still in a battle over ownership of their French winery, Chateau Miraval.According to a Daily Mail report, sources close to Pitt claimed that the constant public scrutiny surrounding his relationship with his children has been difficult for the actor.
“When you made it clear that you were pushing him away from the kids, no reasonable person could complain that he’s not close to the kids,” a source reportedly told the outlet.Additional sources defended Pitt against the accusations, claiming that he continued to rebuild his relationships with his six children. “Those close to him, including his friends and family, do not judge him by any of this because they know he is truly doing his best under very difficult circumstances,” the report states.Family tensions reportedly resurfaced after Pitt’s mother, Jane Etta Pitt, died last year at the age of 84. Reports claimed that she was separated from her grandchildren for several years and was prohibited from speaking to them before her death.However, according to the report, those close to Jolie claimed that “Brad continues to play the victim.” He goes on to claim that his fractured relationship with his children is “a direct result of how he treated them.”