Vivienne Jolie, the 18-year-old daughter of well-known actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, has taken significant steps to legally remove her father's surname from her own. This decision is not isolated, as several of her older siblings have made similar changes, signaling a deepening rift within the family. Her formal petition, a necessary legal procedure, was publicly announced through a newspaper advertisement. While Angelina Jolie reportedly wishes for emotional recovery for her children amidst these events, those close to Brad Pitt indicate his profound distress regarding the strained connections with his offspring.
The latest development in the Jolie-Pitt family dynamic sees Vivienne, the youngest daughter of the former power couple, actively pursuing a legal name change. She is seeking to transition from Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie, as revealed through a newspaper advertisement published in The Los Angeles Daily Journal. This public notification serves as a standard requirement before a court can officially approve such a petition. Vivienne's notice was disseminated weekly for four consecutive weeks, from July 24 to August 14, requiring any objections to be submitted before a final hearing scheduled for November 2. As of now, representatives for both Pitt and Jolie have not commented on the matter.
Vivienne's move echoes those of her elder siblings, who have also sought to distance themselves from their father's surname. In May 2024, Vivienne had already made a public statement by being credited as Vivienne Jolie in the Playbill for the Broadway production of 'The Outsiders,' where she served as a producer alongside her mother. Sources close to Angelina Jolie suggest that her primary concern is the emotional well-being and healing of her children, emphasizing their dignity in choosing not to publicly disparage their father. Conversely, individuals close to Brad Pitt have conveyed his profound sorrow over the estrangement, perceiving Angelina's alleged role in the situation as a significant betrayal.
This ongoing family tension follows a protracted and contentious divorce between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, which concluded in 2024 after an eight-year legal battle. The former couple, once dubbed 'Brangelina,' began their relationship after co-starring in the 2005 film 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith.' They married in 2014 and share six children: Shiloh, twins Vivienne and Knox, and adopted children Maddox, Pax, and Zahara. Pitt's relationship with his adopted sons, particularly Pax, is reportedly severely strained, with Pax having previously made critical remarks about his father. Shiloh, another daughter, also legally changed her name to Shiloh Jolie last year. Despite these challenges, Brad Pitt reportedly maintains hope for reconciliation with his other children, believing that time can mend old wounds. He has since moved on romantically and has been dating jewelry designer Ines de Ramon for several years.
