Vivienne Jolie-Pitt Legally Drops Her Father's Surname After Los Angeles Court Ruling

A Los Angeles judge on Monday granted a petition from Vivienne, the 18-year-old daughter of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, to legally drop her father's surname. She changed her name from Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie, according to Page Six and USA Today, which obtained the court filing.

The ruling adds to a series of similar name changes among the couple's children. Outlets disagree on exactly how many of the six siblings have now dropped "Pitt."

What the court decided

Judge Virginia Keeny of Los Angeles Superior Court approved the request at a hearing at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse on Nov. 2, Page Six reported. Vivienne's attorney, Peter Kenneth Levine, appeared remotely. The judge read aloud the names of petitioners whose requests were being approved and said decrees could be picked up in person in about a week.

The court's minute order states that, with no objections, "the petition for change of name is granted." It adds that the decree was signed and filed.

How the request unfolded

USA Today reported that Vivienne moved to make the change legal a little more than a week after turning 18 on July 12. As California law requires, notice of her request was published several times in the Los Angeles Daily Journal during July and August.

USA Today also reported that she had stopped using her father's name years earlier. Page Six noted that in May 2024 she was credited as "Vivienne Jolie" in the Playbill for the Broadway production of "The Outsiders," which she helped her mother produce.

Representatives for Jolie and Pitt declined to comment to USA Today. A representative for Pitt also declined to comment to The Independent.

Where her siblings stand

The sources give differing counts, and some details differ as well.

• Shiloh, 20: Page Six and USA Today reported she was first, filing on her 18th birthday in May 2024. Page Six said her request was granted that August.
• Zahara, 21: Page Six and USA Today said a judge granted her petition in September. USA Today put the date at Sept. 28 and said she filed in June. The Independent instead reported that she took out newspaper ads in July.
• Maddox: USA Today, which lists his age as 25, said he filed in April, citing "personal" reasons, and that his request was granted Sept. 14. The Independent, which lists his age as 24, said he and Zahara took out newspaper ads in July.
• Knox, Vivienne's twin: The Independent said it is not known whether he has legally changed his name, though he publicly used "Knox Jolie" at his high school graduation in June.
• Pax: The Independent described him as the only child still using the double-barreled surname and listed his age as 24. USA Today listed him as 22.

Page Six said Vivienne joins three siblings who have legally dropped the name. USA Today called her the fourth child to do so. The Independent called her the fifth of six children to no longer go by "Jolie-Pitt."

Background on the family split

Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in September 2016, after they met on the set of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." Page Six reported the two were declared legally single in 2019, and the divorce was settled in December 2024.

The Independent reported that the family divide followed a 2016 incident on a private flight, in which Pitt allegedly had a heated argument with Jolie and the children. According to the outlet, an FBI investigation followed and Pitt was cleared of all charges. Details of Jolie's account became public in 2022 divorce documents. The Independent said a representative for Pitt denied the claims, and a source close to him told The Sun that he has "great respect" for his children.

USA Today reported that the couple has also been in a long legal fight over the finances of their winery, Château Miraval, and a custody dispute. It said the custody case seemingly ended when Vivienne and Knox turned 18 in July.

What this means for the family and the public record

For Vivienne, the order makes the change official in legal documents, not just in how she is known professionally. USA Today described her as an aspiring artist. Once the decree copy is issued, it will be available to her from the courthouse, according to the judge's remarks reported by Page Six.

For readers following the family, the ruling shows that most of the couple's children have now gone through the court process or taken public steps to stop using the Jolie-Pitt name. The sources do not agree on the exact tally, and neither parent commented.

USA Today also quoted Jolie's lawyer from 2024, who said that after the divorce was finalized she "has focused on finding peace and healing for their family."

Around Prague, based on reporting by Page Six, The Independent, USA Today