Vivienne Jolie is the latest of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s children to move forward without the Pitt surname. While there’s been speculation for years that there is a giant rift between Pitt and his children, according to a source close to the actress, she’s focused on something much bigger than the headlines.
© GettyBetter times in 2008 at the Cannes film festival
With Vivienne petitioning to change her name, she is now the fourth out of six of the children to do so. Shiloh was the first to do it legally in 2024, followed by Zahara in June 2026, who had first embraced it in 2023 during her Spelman College sorority induction, and Maddox in July 2026.
The filing has reignited interest in the former couple’s family dynamic, with an ongoing theory that Angelina has been trying to sever her children’s ties to their father. But according to a source close to the Salt star, that narrative couldn’t be further from how she’s approaching the situation. An insider told Page Six she “isn’t angry,” and “hasn’t been fighting.” “She just wants everyone to heal.”
The insider noted that if the public knew “the whole truth, they would have more sympathy for the children and respect them.” “The fact they aren’t speaking ill or sharing things publicly only shows their decency,” they added.
© FilmMagicBrad has been seemingly out of their lives for years
You may also likeContinue reading
© GettyVivienne has distanced herself from the Pitt name since 2024
According to court documents obtained by Entertainment Weekly, Vivienne petitioned the Los Angeles County Superior Court to legally change her name from Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie.
She signed the paperwork on her 18th birthday, July 12, listing the reason for the request as “personal.” A hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 2. Vivienne previously appeared as “Vivienne Jolie” in the Playbill for The Outsiders, the Broadway production she helped produce alongside her mother.
What’s next for Angelina and her kids?
The latest filing also marks the end of another chapter for Jolie. With twins Knox and Vivienne now 18, she is no longer legally tied to Pitt through a custody agreement, bringing to a close one of the final legal connections between the former spouses nearly a decade after she filed for divorce in 2016.
Jolie has previously spoken about wanting to leave Los Angeles once her younger children became adults. In a 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she said she had remained in the city because of the custody arrangement following her divorce and planned to spend much more time overseas after the twins turned 18.
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupKnox and Vivienne are officially 18
“I grew up in this town. 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.
The Oscar winner expressed a desire to spend more time in Cambodia, where her eldest son, Maddox, was born and where she owns a home. She explained that she hopes to find more privacy and peace after years in the spotlight, and travel the world. “That humanity that I found across the world is not what I grew up with here,” she told the outlet.
Once she can move, she said, “I’ll spend a lot of time in Cambodia. I’ll spend time visiting my family members wherever they may be in the world.” She started making that plan a reality earlier this year, listing her historic Los Feliz estate for $29.9 million.
© GettyAngelina has had her children by her side throughout the divorce
Who still has the Pitt last name?
As for who is still sticking with the famous last name, for now it’s Knox and Pax. However, last month, reports claimed Knox used “Knox Jolie” on his high school diploma. So he might be next.
© x17/The Grosby GroupKnox reportedly dropped Pitt at his graduation
22-year-old Pax has also been sticking with the surname for the last 4 years since he turned 18. There could be one reason: According to Page Six, Pax, who has had a strained relationship with his father, still spends time with Brad’s extended family and recently attended his cousin Sydney’s engagement celebration.
© GettyPax is reportedly still in contact with Brad’s extended family