For almost eight years, the Jolie-Pitt kids, including daughter Shiloh, have had to watch their parents, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, fight it out in a back-and-forth divorce and custody war.
But on May 27, the day she turned 18, Shiloh made it clear whose side she’s firmly on when she filed a petition at a Los Angeles Court to drop the “Pitt” from her hyphenated surname.
Showing just how determined she is to be known only as Shiloh Jolie, the teen even hired and paid for her own lawyer to carry out the name change.
“Shiloh’s decision to file those papers may have seemed dramatic, but it’s something she’s wanted to do for years,” an insider tells Woman’s Day.
The insider adds that Shiloh is still affected by the plane ride in September 2016 where Brad, 60, was allegedly abusive to Ange and two of their children, which he denies. Days later, the actress, 49, filed for divorce.
“Shiloh will never forget that night in the plane. She was young, but she was old enough to remember every minute of it. It broke her heart,” the source says.
A FAMILY TORN APART
Shiloh was just 10 when her famous parents split and in the years that followed, was increasingly “caught in the middle” of their nasty divorce battle and fight for custody rights over her and her five siblings, Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 15.
But now an insider reveals that Shiloh could be ready to tell her side of the story, especially if Brad continues with the lawsuits against Ange.
“Shiloh wants to move on from the past, but she can’t stand by and watch it go on,” the source says. “She has material documenting that terrible divorce and whether it’s her own memoir or a documentary, she’ll use it if she feels she has to.”
TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE?
Although Brad’s had to get used to seeing less and less of his children in recent years, hearing that his oldest biological child wants to forget his side of the family has been particularly hard to accept.
“Brad’s absolutely devastated – the whole Pitt family is,” the source says. “He knows he
can’t force Shiloh into doing anything so his only hope is that things will heal over time.”
In late 2020, Angelina claimed that three of their children wanted to testify in court against Brad, showing just how strained their relationship with their dad had become since the split.
Yet, he still has custody rights to see the youngest kids, Vivienne and Knox.
“The last time Shiloh saw her father was a few days before she turned 18. It was a scheduled custody visit with the twins. And Brad put on a birthday lunch for her,” the insider says.
“He made sure she FaceTimed his parents and showered her with sentimental gifts.”
But for Shiloh, it wasn’t enough to make up for the past. “She’s had to watch as her hero dad turned into someone she didn’t recognise,” the insider adds.
ARE ALL THE KIDS ON TEAM JOLIE?
Zahara, the couple’s second adopted child has also made it clear she wants no link to the Pitt name, introducing herself as “Zahara Jolie” to her sorority at Spelman College last November.
Maddox, the eldest child divides his time between LA and South Korea. But he doesn’t ever visit Brad. “He has no intention of being in the same room as him again,” a source says.
Musician Pax has been long estranged from Brad. And in 2020, he blasted him as “a terrible person” who made his life “hell”. Adds an insider, “Pax wants nothing to do with Brad.”
Knox Viv’s twin still spends time with Brad, and our source says, “He and his dad have a lot of interests in common, from cars to art.” The insider adds Knox “keeps his emotions to himself”.
Vivienne, the teenager is her mum Ange’s mini-me, helping her to produce the new musical The Outsiders. On the program, Viv dropped Pitt from her name and was listed as Vivienne Jolie.
