For nearly a decade, the fallout from Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s divorce has played out quietly through legal filings, family milestones, and subtle personal decisions made by their children. Now, a new report claims that while several of the former couple’s children have distanced themselves from the Pitt surname, one child appears to be taking a different path. According to Page Six, Pax Jolie-Pitt recently attended a family gathering with members of Brad Pitt’s side of the family, including relatives celebrating the engagement of Pitt’s niece, Sydney Pitt. While sources claim Pax does not have a particularly close relationship with Brad himself, the report suggests he has continued maintaining connections with his paternal relatives.
What makes that detail interesting is how differently each of the Jolie-Pitt children seems to be navigating the aftermath of one of Hollywood’s most public family breakdowns.
Over the last two years, several of the couple’s children have publicly moved away from the Pitt surname. Shiloh legally removed “Pitt” from her name after turning 18. Zahara has reportedly begun using Zahara Jolie professionally and recently filed paperwork to formally change her name. Maddox has also reportedly sought to drop Pitt from his surname and has already been credited professionally as Maddox Jolie. Even Knox reportedly used “Knox Jolie” on his high school diploma.
Pax Jolie-Pitt: The Only Sibling Still Using the Pitt Last Name
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) June 19, 2026
While most of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s six kids have distanced themselves from the Pitt surname, Pax (22) remains the exception — still going by Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt.
Breakdown of the changes (chronological… https://t.co/sYdP0cWxpZ pic.twitter.com/FNyYVgSEdJ
In Hollywood, surname changes often become headlines. But in this case, they also highlight something deeper. Children from the same family can process the same situation in completely different ways.
Celebrity divorces are often discussed as if every family member experiences them identically. Reality rarely works that way. Some children stay close to both parents. Some drift toward one side. Others maintain relationships with extended family while creating distance elsewhere.
The Jolie-Pitt family may be one of the most famous examples of that reality.
What stands out is that nearly ten years after Angelina Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, the story is no longer really about Brad and Angelina. It’s increasingly about the lives their children are building for themselves.
And those lives don’t seem to be following the same script.
While some siblings are publicly redefining their identities away from the Pitt name, Pax appears comfortable maintaining at least some connection to that side of the family. Neither approach is necessarily right or wrong. It simply reflects how differently people respond to the same family history.
For years, the Jolie-Pitt divorce dominated entertainment headlines. Today, the more interesting story may be how their children are choosing to move forward on their own terms.