Brad Pitt's daughter Vivienne legally drops the Pitt surname in Los Angeles

A Los Angeles court approves the change

A judge at the Superior Court of Los Angeles approved the name change on 2 November 2026, according to court documents reported by People and Page Six. Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt is now legally Vivienne Marcheline Jolie. Judge Virginia Keeny presided over the hearing and read out the names of applicants whose requests had been approved. Because nobody objected, the change was certified, and the judge said a copy of the signed order could be obtained possibly within a week.

How the petition moved through court

Vivienne filed the petition in July 2026, shortly after her 18th birthday, and gave 'personal' reasons on the form, according to People. California law requires the request to be published in a local English-language newspaper for four consecutive weeks. El País reports that her notice ran once a week from 24 July to 14 August, while stern.de describes two notices in July and two in August. Anyone wishing to object had to file in writing two court days before the hearing and appear in person, and nobody did. Her name had already appeared without the Pitt surname in May 2024, when the Broadway production of The Outsiders credited her as Vivienne Jolie, according to stern.de.

Her siblings and the family divide

Spiegel and stern.de call Vivienne the fourth of the six children to drop the surname, while The Independent calls her the fifth, so the count depends on the source. Shiloh, 20, was the first to change her name, in 2024 on her 18th birthday, according to The Independent. Maddox and Zahara had their requests approved this year. Stern.de says both have used the shortened name since September, while El País places Zahara's change in September and Maddox's a few days later. The six children include three biological children, Shiloh and the twins Vivienne and Knox, and three adopted children, Maddox, Pax and Zahara.

The divorce and earlier allegations

Jolie and Pitt were together for twelve years, two of them married, and their relationship ended in 2016 when Jolie filed for divorce. She accused Pitt of physical violence toward her and the children. Investigators examined the alleged incident, and the case against Pitt was dropped, while The Independent reports that an FBI investigation cleared him of all charges. Court records made public during the divorce proceedings in 2022 describe Jolie telling investigators that Pitt's behaviour on a private flight from France to Los Angeles frightened the children, who were between eight and 15 at the time. N-tv reports the divorce has been final since December 2024.

Pax, Knox and the open questions

Pax has been openly critical of his father. In a 2023 Father's Day post on his private Instagram account, then 16, he wrote the following, according to The Independent.

“You have no consideration or empathy toward your four youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence.”

Pax still uses the double-barrelled surname, and The Independent reports he is the only sibling still in contact with Brad's family. Spiegel reports that Knox, Vivienne's twin, still carries the surname. Media reports say he was called 'Knox Jolie' on his graduation papers, but stern.de reports that no application from him has been filed. Whether Knox or Pax will pursue a change is not known.