Brad Pitt reportedly 'hurt' as his children continue to drop his last name amid ongoing family rift

Pitt’s 'biggest fear' is becoming permanently disconnected from his children and that he hopes for reconciliation

Brad Pitt is reportedly struggling with the growing distance between himself and several of his children after multiple members of the Jolie-Pitt family publicly moved away from using his surname. According to a new Us Weekly report, the actor feels especially hurt that some of his children no longer want a public association with the Pitt name.

The latest development came this week when Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s eldest son, Maddox Jolie-Pitt, reportedly filed legal documents requesting that “Pitt” be removed from his surname. If approved, he would legally be known as Maddox Chivan Jolie.

A source told Us Weekly that Pitt’s “biggest fear” is becoming permanently disconnected from his children and that he continues to hope for reconciliation despite having little control over their decisions. The insider claimed the actor views the surname changes as one of the most painful consequences of his years-long family estrangement.

Maddox’s reported filing follows a pattern that has emerged in recent years among several of Pitt and Jolie’s children. In 2024, daughter Shiloh legally dropped “Pitt” from her surname after turning 18. Zahara has publicly introduced herself as Zahara Marley Jolie, while Vivienne was credited as “Vivienne Jolie” in the playbill for The Outsiders on Broadway.

Maddox had already appeared to distance himself professionally from the Pitt surname earlier this year. When he worked as an assistant director on Angelina Jolie’s film Couture, he was credited simply as “Maddox Jolie”.

The family tensions trace back to Pitt and Jolie’s highly publicised split in 2016. Their divorce proceedings stretched on for years before a legal settlement was finalised in December 2024. Since then, reports have repeatedly suggested Pitt’s relationships with several of his children remain strained.

Pitt previously acknowledged his shortcomings as a parent during a 2017 interview with GQ, admitting that he needed to become “more” for his children and be more present in their lives. At the time, he said family had become his top priority following the breakdown of his marriage.

The latest reports have sparked significant discussion online, with many social media users viewing the surname changes as a reflection of the ongoing family divide. Reddit discussions surrounding Maddox’s reported filing have drawn thousands of comments, with many users pointing to the fact that several siblings have now publicly moved away from the Pitt name.

Neither Pitt nor Jolie has publicly commented on Maddox’s reported legal filing.