Maddox Jolie-Pitt Petitions to Drop 'Pitt' at 24 as Family Rift Spreads

8 articles · Updated · The Daily Beast · May 29

Los Angeles court filings on Thursday show 24-year-old Maddox Jolie-Pitt asked to remove “Pitt” from his surname, citing “personal” reasons.
The move formalizes a shift he had already signaled in February, when he was credited as “Maddox Jolie” on the 2025 film Couture after previously using his full hyphenated name on Maria.
Maddox becomes the latest of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s children to distance themselves from Pitt’s name: Shiloh filed to drop it in 2024, while Zahara and Vivienne have used “Jolie” publicly.
The filing lands as Pitt and Jolie, who settled their divorce after more than eight years, are still fighting over Château Miraval, their 1,200-acre French winery estate.

As the Jolie-Pitt children erase their father's name, what does this reveal about the true cost of celebrity divorces?

Is Maddox's name change a reaction to trauma or a move in his parents' multi-million dollar winery war?

Beyond legal filings, what is the psychological toll of a public, decade-long family conflict on a child's identity?