Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s son Maddox files to legally drop ‘Pitt’ from his name

WASHINGTON: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s eldest son, Maddox, has filed to legally remove “Pitt” from his surname, marking the latest name change within the Jolie-Pitt family.

According to court documents obtained by E! News on May 29, Maddox, born Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt, has requested that his name be legally changed to Maddox Chivan Jolie. The legal move follows earlier changes in how Maddox has been credited professionally.

The 24-year-old removed his father’s surname from the credits of ‘Couture’, the Angelina Jolie-led film on which he worked as an assistant director. His updated name was also included in the production notes distributed to journalists during the film’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s son Maddox—born Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt—has filed to legally remove his dad’s surname, requesting his name be changed to Maddox Chivan Jolie.https://t.co/448jFQYC9h pic.twitter.com/Rn5j9T1LEV

— E! News (@enews) May 29, 2026

Maddox is one of six children shared by Jolie and Pitt, who separated in 2016. Their children are Pax, 22, Zahara, 21, Shiloh, 20, and 17-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. He is also the latest of the former couple’s children to stop using Pitt’s surname either officially or in personal and professional settings.

In 2023, Zahara introduced herself as Zahara Marley Jolie after joining the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at Spelman University. Earlier this month, she was introduced by the same name while receiving her college diploma. Vivienne similarly appeared as Vivienne Jolie in the 2024 Playbill for The Outsiders musical, a production on which she worked alongside her mother.

Among the siblings, Shiloh made the most formal change before Maddox. Born Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, she filed on her 18th birthday in May 2024 to legally remove “Pitt” from her surname and adopt the name Shiloh Jolie. The request was approved in August of the same year, as per E! News.

The latest filing comes against the backdrop of the former couple’s long-running legal disputes, although name changes are not unprecedented in the family.

Jolie, whose birth name is Angelina Jolie Voight, dropped her father Jon Voight’s surname early in her career. Pitt’s legal name is William Bradley Pitt, though he uses a shortened version professionally. Despite some of their children pursuing work in the entertainment industry, Jolie has said they are not eager to embrace celebrity life.

Speaking at the 2025 Santa Barbara Film Festival, she said, “None of them are dying to be on screen. They’re not interested. They really don’t like any of the celebrity part of it.” (ANI)