Brad Pitt allegedly objected to his and Angelina Jolie’s daughter Shiloh Jolie-Pitt testifying on her custody arrangement preferences.
A source exclusively shared in Us Weekly’s cover story that Shiloh, now 18, was one of the kids who wanted to testify during a 2021 hearing. (She was 14 at the time.)
The judge ultimately sided with Pitt, 60, and awarded him joint custody. However, a court later agreed with Jolie’s appeal to remove the judge because he hadn’t shared his business relationships with Pitt’s lawyers.
A second insider told Us that Brad’s bond with Shiloh shifted with time. “She [used to be] very close with Brad and his family, but that relationship [changed] in recent years,” the source said.
The strain in their relationship became apparent in May, when Us confirmed that Shiloh filed paperwork to legally change her name on her 18th birthday. She requested to drop her father’s surname and, instead, go by her mother’s maiden one.
A third insider told Us that reports that Shiloh hired and paid for her own lawyer to handle her case are true. The request has yet to be approved.
Legal expert Neama Rahmani exclusively explained to Us earlier this month that Shiloh’s wish may be granted soon. “Anyone can file to change their name if they’re 18 years old, and obviously, parents can do it for a minor,” Rahmani, who is not involved in the request, said. “And these requests in California, they’re liberally granted, so people can change their names as long as it’s not for a misleading reason.”
Pitt was “devastated” by Shiloh’s choice to alter her moniker. “To him, it was more than a change of name — it was a symbol of a deeper estrangement that has been brewing for years,” the third insider said.
Pitt and Jolie, 49 — who split in September 2016 — also share Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, and 15-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox.
Shiloh isn’t the only sibling that’s dropped Pitt’s name. Back in November, Zahara introduced herself as “Zahara Marley Jolie” while joining the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at Spelman College.
Months later, Us confirmed that Vivienne was credited with her mom’s name — rather than the hyphenated “Jolie-Pitt” — in the Playbill for The Outsides: A New Musical, which Jolie is producing. It’s unclear whether Vivienne legally altered her name.
Despite the changes, Pitt’s attempting to make amends with his kids. “Brad’s putting on a brave face,” the first source said, “but behind closed doors, he’s finding it extremely difficult to come to terms with [what’s happening].”
