Brad Pitt reportedly has no intention of giving up on rebuilding his relationships with his children, even as four of the six children he shares with Angelina Jolie have taken legal steps to remove “Pitt” from their names.
Sources speaking to RadarOnline in an Aug. 14 report said the 62-year-old actor remains hopeful about eventually reconnecting with his family. The report focused on Maddox and Zahara’s pending name-change petitions and described Pitt as taking a patient approach to the strained relationships.
Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh and, most recently, Vivienne have all sought to remove “Pitt” from their surnames. Shiloh’s request was granted in 2024, while Maddox, Zahara and Vivienne’s petitions remain pending, according to PEOPLE.
Pitt has largely avoided publicly discussing his individual relationships with the children. In a recent Esquire interview, when the interviewer asked whether a particularly difficult period involved “kid stuff,” Pitt corrected the description to “family stuff” before adding, “We could leave it at that.”
Sources Say Pitt Still Believes Reconciliation Is Possible
The latest claims about Pitt’s hopes for reconciliation come from unnamed sources. One insider told RadarOnline that Pitt remains optimistic despite the family situation and believes he will eventually have a place in all of his children’s lives again. The source described him as patient, resilient and unwilling to despair over the estrangement.
Another source said Pitt continues to view himself as available if any of the children need him. “He’ll always pick up the phone if his kids need something from him and he’s not going to change that policy anytime soon,” the insider said. RadarOnline also reported that Pitt has a different relationship with each of the six children he shares with Jolie.
Vivienne Became the Fourth Child to Seek Removal of ‘Pitt’
Vivienne filed a petition in Los Angeles County Superior Court in July asking to change her legal name from Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie. Court documents obtained by PEOPLE list her reason simply as “personal.”
The filing followed requests from Maddox and Zahara earlier in 2026. Shiloh had already petitioned to drop “Pitt” shortly after turning 18 in 2024, and a judge granted her request that August.
Vivienne had also used “Vivienne Jolie” professionally before seeking the legal change. She was credited under that name in the Playbill for the Broadway production of The Outsiders, which she worked on alongside Jolie.
Maddox has similarly used “Maddox Jolie” professionally, including in the credits for his mother’s 2026 film Couture, before seeking to make the change legal.
Pitt Has Rarely Addressed the Family Rift Himself
Pitt’s recent Esquire interview contained one of his rare direct acknowledgments of a deeply difficult period involving his family, although he declined to specify which relationships or events he meant. During a discussion about an emotionally painful period in his life, interviewer Ryan D’Agostino asked whether Pitt was referring to “kid stuff.” “Family stuff,” Pitt answered.
When the interviewer repeated the phrase, Pitt responded, “Family stuff. We could leave it at that.” A PEOPLE report on the interview noted that Pitt has generally avoided commenting publicly on the petitions.
In a separate 2025 red-carpet interview, he spoke more broadly about the importance of surrounding himself with friends and family he loves. “I think you get to my age and see how important it is to surround yourself with the people you know, the people you love, the people that love you back,” he said at the time.
In July 2024, PEOPLE reported, citing a source close to the family, that Pitt had “virtually no contact” with his adult children at that time. The source said his engagement with the younger children was also more limited while he was filming F1 in Europe.
Three Name-Change Petitions Are Still Pending
Maddox, Zahara and Vivienne are still awaiting hearings on their requests. Maddox is seeking to change his legal name to Maddox Chivan Jolie. His hearing is scheduled for Sept. 14.
Zahara is seeking to become Zahara Marley Jolie, with her hearing scheduled for Sept. 28. Vivienne is requesting the legal name Vivienne Marcheline Jolie. Her hearing is set for Nov. 2. A source close to Jolie told PEOPLE after Vivienne’s filing that Jolie “just wants everyone to heal.”