There are love conflict aftermaths that almost never heal. Since Brad Pitt (62) and Angelina Jolie (51) filed for divorce and one of the bloodiest legal battles in postmodern Hollywood began, every move of the stars is analyzed with surgical precision.
This time, the spotlight has been on Maddox, the couple's eldest son, as a judge from the Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled on Monday, September 14, that the young man could legally change his last name from Jolie-Pitt to Jolie. This was revealed by People magazine, which had access to court records. The ruling comes almost four months after Maddox filed the lawsuit.
This has not been the only case of identity change in the family since some of their siblings also decided to legally change their official documents and those who have not yet done so have shown it in their work credentials. But before discussing who the protagonists have been, it is worth remembering what happened on September 14, 2016, exactly a decade ago, for everyone to make these drastic decisions.
It all started when after a peaceful vacation at the château Miraval owned by Pitt and Jolie in Correns, in the French Provence, the couple and their six children boarded a private flight from France to Los Angeles. According to official FBI investigation documents accessed by People, at one point during the flight, the star of Babylon (2022) grabbed his wife and pushed her against a wall, causing her to immediately hit the plane's ceiling.
Due to his state of intoxication, when it seemed that Pitt was about to attack one of his children for calling him 'idiot' during the argument, Jolie reported having grabbed Pitt by the neck with her arms, strangling him. Jolie said that Pitt was "turning into a monster" while "ranting" and "mimicking monster behavior and yelling at them." Apparently, the actor was drunk. She added that she and the children were "shocked" and said she was "paralyzed, scared, and not knowing what to do". Jolie also stated that his actions made her feel "like a hostage" on the plane. After the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services completed its investigation, Pitt was cleared of child abuse allegations.
In April 2019, the judge granted them separation while negotiations continued on custody and asset division. Also, Pitt became sober again after attending Alcoholics Anonymous therapy and has not had a drink since. Over the next two years, they fought over custody agreements for their minor children, with provisional agreements that kept changing before the resolutions of a private judge became the subject of extensive appeals and the annulment of judicial decisions due to judge recusal reasons.
The following year, the *Maleficent* star confessed to *Vogue India* that she had "separated for the well-being of [her] family. It was the right decision. I continue to focus on their healing. Some have taken advantage of my silence, and the children see lies about themselves in the media, but I remind them that they know their own truth and have their own minds. In fact, they are six very brave, very strong young people."
Child custody was paramount. The ex-spouses fought fiercely and spent millions of dollars on legal teams, but ultimately, the actress was awarded custody. Consequently, she decided to invest 24.5 million euros in a historic mansion—spanning just over 1,000 square meters—in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles; the property had once belonged to legendary producer and director Cecil B. DeMille. Since last April, the residence has been on the market for nearly 30 million dollars.
However, that apparent calm was short-lived; in 2021, Pitt sued Jolie after she sold her stake in the French vineyard Château Miraval to a subsidiary owned by a Russian oligarch. The actor maintained that there was a verbal agreement not to sell their respective shares without the other's permission—meaning a verbal agreement had been breached.
In the latest chapter of the only contentious legal battle the two stars are still fighting, Brad's lawyers demanded—via new legal filings in early August—that a judge compel Angelina to produce financial documents shedding light on her current situation.
As reported by *People*, this information was to include "advance fees for film roles, brand endorsements, or other professional services Jolie provided prior to the time she allegedly decided she needed to sell Miraval to achieve financial independence." The actress's lawyers were quick to counter: "This is essentially controlling behavior on Pitt's part."
As Maddox (25), Pax Thien (22), Zahara (21), Shiloh (20), and twins Vivienne Marcheline (18) and Knox Leon (18) have grown older, they decided to side with their mother. Consequently, in the summer of 2024, Shiloh was the first to officially request a name change immediately upon turning 18. Similarly, when Vivienne made her debut that same year as a co-producer on the Broadway musical *The Outsiders*, she insisted on being credited as Jolie rather than Jolie-Pitt; in June of this year, Zahara also petitioned the court to drop her father's surname. For the time being, the twins are the only ones who have not taken a side.
Since the legal troubles began, Angelina Jolie has not pursued a new romantic relationship, whereas Brad Pitt has been with Spanish-born jewelry designer and businesswoman Inés de Ramón (33) for three and a half years. In every official appearance, they appear in love, at ease, and enjoying the moment—such as during their most recent public outing at a US Open match.