Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, the 18-year-old daughter of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, has filed a formal petition in Los Angeles County Superior Court to legally drop her father’s last name, changing it from Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie, according to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail. The filing marks the latest step by the youngest sibling to distance herself from the actor, following similar moves by her older brothers and sisters amid an ongoing family rift.
Court Filings and Personal Reasons
According to court records obtained by the Daily Mail, the teenager listed “personal” as the reason behind her name change petition. An official court hearing regarding the request is scheduled for November 2. Vivienne is the youngest of the former couple’s six children, born in 2008 alongside her twin brother Knox. Representatives for both Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie declined immediate comment when reached by the publication.
The legal petition formalizes a shift that first surfaced publicly in May 2024. During the Broadway run of the production The Outsiders, where Vivienne served as a producer alongside her mother, she dropped her father’s surname in the Playbill program, being credited simply as Vivienne Jolie.
The name change follows similar actions by her older siblings. Earlier in June and July, notices for 21-year-old Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt and 24-year-old Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt were published in the Los Angeles Daily Journal, revealing their intentions to drop Pitt from their surnames as well, with hearings scheduled for September. Under California law, individuals seeking a legal name change must publish an Order to Show Cause for four consecutive weeks in a newspaper prior to their court date. Additionally, another sister, Shiloh, legally dropped the actor’s last name last year.
Family Dynamics and Public Response
A source recently told the Daily Mail that Pitt views the estrangement from his children as “deeply painful” and believes Jolie’s role in the family dynamic represents “the ultimate betrayal.”
Conversely, sources close to Jolie have defended the children’s independence regarding public milestones. When Zahara went by Zahara Marley Jolie during her graduation ceremony at Spelman College—following her public adoption of the drop three years prior during sorority intake—reports noted that Pitt did not attend. A source close to Jolie told TMZ that “nothing prevented him from showing up for her. Or ever visiting her. The day was about all she accomplished.” At the same time, other sources speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail have defended Pitt, insisting he wants a relationship with all six of his children and is not an absent father.