Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s 18-year-old daughter, Vivienne Jolie has joined the roster among her three other siblings to drop “Pitt” from her last name via a petition filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Here’s everything we know about the legal dropping of her dad’s last name.
The Filing That Broke the News
Vivienne Jolie, among her three siblings, is the latest Jolie-Pitt child to seek a legal name change. According to court documents obtained by People, she filed the petition on July 21, 2026, and wants her name changed from Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie, so just dropping “Pitt” from her name.
Since Vivienne is now 18, she filed as a legal adult and does not require parental consent to proceed, Notably, Vivienne and Knox are twins, both born in July 2008, making them the youngest of the six Jolie-Pitt children.
As for the why part, the reason listed is “personal.” A hearing on the petition has been scheduled for November 2, 2026.
She’s Not the First Sibling to Take This Step
Like I said earlier, she’s not the first sibling to do something like this. Now, let’s take a deeper look.
Vivienne follows a growing list of her siblings who have filed similar petitions. Shiloh successfully petitioned a Los Angeles court in May 2024 to remove “Pitt” from her name shortly after turning 18. Her petition was granted.
Maddox filed legal paperwork to change his name from Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt to Maddox Chivan Jolie in May 2026 seeking the same change, citing personal reasons.
Zahara followed in June 2026, requesting to change her name from Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt to Zahara Marley Jolie.
Both Maddox and Zahara’s petitions remain pending, with hearings scheduled for September 14 and September 28, respectively.
This leaves Pax and Knox as the only Jolie-Pitt children who haven’t formally filed for a name change; though Knox has already been using “Knox Jolie” on his high school diploma, as reported by Page Six.
The Signs Were Already There
A hard pill to swallow for the fans. Vivienne had already been distancing herself from the Pitt surname publicly. In May 2024, she was credited as “Vivienne Jolie” in the Playbill for Broadway’s The Outsiders, which she helped produce alongside her mother.
The move was widely noticed at the time and now appears to have been an early signal of her intent to formally drop the name.So yeah, wouldn’t be wrong to say we saw it coming, considering the siblings’ name changes as well.
What’s the Bigger Picture?
With four of six children now seeking to remove “Pitt” from their legal names, the pattern is clear. Each filing has come shortly after the child turned 18, suggesting a deliberate choice made once they gained legal independence.
The filings come amid the fallout from Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s legal battles, which included disputes over custody and finances. The couple’s divorce was finalized in December 2024, though the pair remain locked in an ongoing legal fight over their shared French winery, Château Miraval.
Neither Brad nor Angelina has publicly commented on any of the children’s name change petitions.
What Happens Next
Vivienne’s hearing is set for November 2, 2026. If the court approves her petition, she will legally join the Jolie-name-change club with Shiloh as the second sibling to have successfully completed the name change, assuming her siblings’ pending petitions aren’t approved first. Maddox and Zahara’s hearings in September will likely be decided first, so we’ll keep an eye out for that as well.
As for the remaining siblings: Pax and Knox, no filings have been made public. But given the pattern, it wouldn’t surprise all of us if more changes are on the way since we’ve made it this far.
But let’s not forget the messy divorce that may/may not have led to this.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s high-profile split began when Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016, citing irreconcilable differences; what started as a custody and separation case quickly expanded into years of contentious legal battles over custody arrangements, finances, and business assets.
The breakup has played out publicly over the last decade, with intermittent settlements and ongoing court skirmishes even as the children have grown into legal adults.
Whatever be the reason for the name changes of four out of six siblings, one thing is clear: their choices underscore the children’s desire to define their own identities as they step into adulthood and that will likely keep the spotlight on this family for some time to come. It’s their personal, adult decisions
