Brad Pitt’s relationship with the children he shares with his ex, Angelina Jolie, is rumored to be troubled. Reports suggest that the Jolie-Pitt children have varying feelings about Pitt, with many of them distancing themselves from him in different ways.
The couple’s children include Maddox Jolie-Pitt, Pax Jolie-Pitt, Zahara Jolie-Pitt, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, Knox Jolie-Pitt, and Vivienne Jolie-Pitt. Maddox, Zahara, and Pax are adopted, while Knox and Vivienne are twins.
It’s reported that Jolie and Pitt faced difficulties co-parenting even before their divorce. Allegations of abuse by Pitt are believed to be the reason Jolie decided to file for divorce.
This alleged incident occurred on a private plane in 2016 and marked the beginning of their legal battles, which have included complicated custody disputes. Amidst all these issues, there are signs that Pitt’s relationship with his children may be deteriorating.
#1. The plane altercation started the family’s splintering
In 2016, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were involved in an argument on a private plane while flying with their children. According to TMZ, Maddox Jolie-Pitt intervened to defend Jolie, and Pitt and Maddox ended up making physical contact. Pitt was possibly drunk at the time. An insider told TMZ that Jolie filed for divorce to protect their children.
Pitt denied any claims of child abuse from that incident, and investigations by the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services and the FBI found no evidence of abuse. However, Jolie’s accusations, detailed in the FBI report shared by NBC News in 2022, painted a troubling picture.
The report described a physical and verbal altercation involving Pitt, Jolie, and at least some of their children, with Maddox being directly involved. An insider for Pitt stated in 2016, “He is emphatic that it did not reach the level of physical abuse, that no one was physically harmed. … He put his hands on him, yes, because the confrontation was spiraling out of control.”
However, the FBI report also noted that the plaintiff’s “husband allegedly physically and verbally assaulted plaintiff and the children, who have ‘experienced lasting physical and mental trauma as a result of the assault.'”
#2. Is Brad Pitt estranged from his older children?
Angelina Jolie’s countersuit over the sale of her and Brad Pitt’s winery revealed new details, alleging that two of the Jolie-Pitt children were involved in the physical altercation on the plane, according to Variety.
The filing also claimed that Pitt had been physically abusive toward Jolie before this incident, but she chose to leave him when the children became involved. In 2019, Us Weekly reported that Maddox Jolie-Pitt and Pitt had not reconciled and had been estranged since the breakup. A source said, “Maddox hasn’t been receptive. And for Brad, it’s a tremendous loss.”
Sources speaking to Us Weekly in 2024 provided further insight into Pitt’s relationship with his older children. One source noted, “They’ve struggled to forgive and connect with Brad since the divorce,” adding that the children found it hard to see their parents at odds.
Reports suggest that Maddox and Pax Jolie-Pitt no longer speak to Pitt at all. Another source commented, “Sadly, their rift has only widened over time. The boys found it difficult to reconcile with Pitt despite his repeated apologies and efforts to rebuild trust.”
Another source mentioned, “Brad’s relationship with Maddox and Pax is nonexistent at this point, and he barely, if ever, hears from Zahara.” This source also revealed, “Maddox was very affected by that incident, and he’s taken it upon himself to be Angelina’s protector.”
#3. Many of Pitt’s kids dropped his last name
Another indication of the strained relationship between Brad Pitt and his children is that many of them have chosen to drop his last name. For example, Zahara Jolie-Pitt dropped the surname when she pledged the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority in 2023, identifying herself as “Zahara Marley Jolie.”
Additionally, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt requested to remove Pitt’s surname from her legal name on her 18th birthday in May 2024. According to an insider for Us Weekly, Shiloh “hired her own lawyer and paid for it herself.”
The youngest Jolie-Pitt child, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, was credited as “Vivienne Jolie” when she worked as an assistant and co-producer on Angelina Jolie’s Broadway adaptation of “The Outsiders” in 2024.
An insider told Us Weekly in June 2024, “After years of legal battles, Pitt still isn’t ready to give up on his children. But knowing his children are dropping his last name is upsetting.”
#4. One of Pitt’s children shared scathing words for him online
In 2023, the Daily Mail published screenshots of an Instagram Story they claimed was posted by Pax Jolie-Pitt. The then-16-year-old Pax reportedly expressed harsh criticism of Brad Pitt in a Father’s Day 2020 post.
The Story featured a photo of Pitt receiving an Oscar for “Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood,” accompanied by the caption, “Happy Father’s Day to this world class a**hole!!”
The post continued with a scathing message: “You have no consideration or empathy toward your 4 youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence. You will never understand the damage you have done to my family because you are incapable of doing so.”
There has been no confirmation from Pax or his family regarding the authenticity of the post.
After the screenshots were shared, a source told The Sun that Pitt was still in contact with his three younger biological children—Shiloh and the twins—and added, “He still sees Shiloh and the twins whenever he can, though not as often as he would like.”
Reportedly, Pitt needed to schedule visits in advance and required supervision during these meetings.
#5. Some of Brad Pitt’s children wanted to testify against him
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s custody battle began after the 2016 plane incident. During the 2021 court proceedings, 19-year-old Maddox Jolie-Pitt testified, and an insider told Us Weekly, “Maddox has already given testimony as [an] adult in the ongoing custody dispute and it wasn’t very flattering toward Brad.”
The insider also noted that Maddox used only “Jolie-Pitt” as his last name on legal documents, although Jolie did not want him to drop “Pitt” from his name at that time.
Later in 2021, Us Weekly shared court documents from 2020 indicating that three of the Jolie-Pitt children—likely three of the five who were minors at the time—wanted to testify against Pitt.
The documents stated, “The children whose custody is at issue are old enough to understand what is going on. The trial is necessarily going to impact them emotionally.”
Jolie also sought to have the judge removed from her custody trial due to his connections with Pitt’s legal team.
In March 2024, a Us Weekly source reported that Jolie had been granted primary custody of their minor children, while another source noted that Pitt was accepting of this arrangement because it wasn’t the full custody Jolie had originally sought.
A third insider mentioned that Pitt would retain visitation rights and hoped to improve his relationship with his children.
