Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s eldest son, Maddox, has taken a formal step to distance himself from his father by filing legal documents to drop “Pitt” from his surname. Court records obtained by E! News on May 29 show that the 24-year-old is requesting his name be changed from Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt to Maddox Chivan Jolie.
The filing adds to a pattern of name changes that Maddox has already made in public and professional settings. He previously removed “Pitt” from the credits of his work on Couture, the Angelina Jolie-led film in which he served as an assistant director. His updated name also appeared in the film’s production notes, which were distributed to journalists at the premiere of the French drama at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025.
Neither Angelina Jolie nor Brad Pitt has publicly commented on Maddox’s legal filing. E! News reached out to representatives for both parents for response.
Maddox is the eldest of six children Jolie and Pitt share. The former couple, who separated in 2016, are also parents to Pax, 22, Zahara, 21, Shiloh, 20, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 17.
The surname change is notable because it reflects Maddox’s increasingly independent identity, both personally and professionally. His decision to remove Pitt from his name follows earlier signs that he has been using Jolie instead of Jolie-Pitt in connection with his work. The latest filing, however, would make the change official in legal records.
Maddox has largely maintained a low public profile compared with some of his siblings, but his involvement behind the scenes in Couture brought renewed attention to his role in the entertainment industry. Working as an assistant director on a project led by his mother also highlighted the family connection to filmmaking.
The legal move comes amid long-running public interest in the Jolie-Pitt family, which has remained in the spotlight since the couple’s high-profile split. While the filing does not affect any of Jolie and Pitt’s other children, it underscores how the family members continue to navigate their identities as adults.
If approved, the change would formally mark Maddox as Maddox Chivan Jolie, aligning his legal name with the version he has already used in some professional contexts.
