Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, the 18-year-old daughter of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, has filed a legal petition in Los Angeles to remove her father’s surname from her official records. According to People, the youngest daughter cited “personal” reasons on her court application to change her name from Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie.
Court Proceedings and Legal Timeline
The Los Angeles court has scheduled a hearing for early November to review the petition. This legal move follows a pattern among the children of the former couple, as several siblings have already sought or completed similar name changes to distance themselves from Brad Pitt.
Siblings’ Previous Name Change Petitions
Vivienne’s request mirrors actions taken by her older siblings. In 2024, 18-year-old Shiloh Jolie-Pitt filed a petition to legally drop the “Pitt” surname. According to court documents reported by People, Zahara and Maddox also have pending applications to be legally recognized as Zahara Marley Jolie and Maddox Chivan Jolie. These requests were slated for hearings in September.
The children involved in these filings include:
- Shiloh: Legally dropped “Pitt” in 2024.
- Zahara: Filed to change name to Zahara Marley Jolie.
- Maddox: Filed to change name to Maddox Chivan Jolie.
- Vivienne: Currently petitioning to remove “Pitt.”
Background of the Jolie-Pitt Separation
The legal friction between the children and their father stems from a decade of litigation. Angelina Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, alleging that Pitt had been physically abusive toward her and the children. While police investigated the allegations, officials eventually closed the probe without filing charges against Pitt.
Since the split, the parents have been embroiled in protracted legal battles over the custody of their six children—three biological (Shiloh, Vivienne, and Knox) and three adopted (Maddox, Pax, and Zahara)—as well as disputes over financial assets.
Case Summary: Name Change Trends
The trend of the children dropping the “Pitt” name aligns with the ongoing custody disputes and the public nature of the parents’ divorce. By filing these petitions upon reaching the age of majority (18), the children are exercising their legal right to determine their own identity independent of the court-mandated custody arrangements.
Current Status of the Family
While several children have sought to remove the “Pitt” name, the legal status of others, including Knox and Pax, remains unchanged in public records. The November hearing for Vivienne will be the latest development in a series of individual decisions by the siblings to redefine their legal relationship with their father.
Worth a look