Brad Pitt he may be facing another painful development in his strained relationship with his children as his youngest son, Knox, appears to be moving towards distancing himself from the actor’s famous family.
The 18-year-old has yet to take legal action to change his name, but sources say he has already started using his mother’s surname in certain circumstances.
If he makes the change officially, he will be the fifth of Brad Pitt and Angelina Joliesix children to stop using their father’s last name.
Brad Pitt’s youngest son is preparing to give up the ‘Pitt’ surname In the latest ‘heartbreaking’ move
according to Page six, Knox is expected to follow his sisters by removing Pitt from his surname, although he has not filed a formal petition.
A source familiar with the situation suggested the decision is likely to happen eventually, explaining, “Knox hasn’t submitted anything yet, but it’s only a matter of time before he drops Pitt from his last name.”
The insider said there is no specific date for the move, but he believes it is inevitable.
“It’s inevitable. It’s just a matter of when, and there’s no timetable for that right now,” the source said. The prospect has reportedly been difficult for the actor, with the insider describing the situation as “heartbreaking for Brad”.
However, Knox has already shown that he prefers to use Jolie over Pitt in public. When he graduated from Fusion Academy in Los Angeles in June, his high school diploma identified him as Knox Jolie. He celebrated the event with his mother and several of his siblings.
Knox isn’t the first to drop the ‘Pitt’ name
Knox was not the first of the couple’s children to make this decision. Knox’s decision to change his surname comes days after a judge in Los Angeles granted his sister Vivienne’s request to change her legal name.
The 18-year-old girl is now officially Vivienne Marcheline Jolie, after Pitt removed her old surname, Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt.
Shiloh, now 20, started the process on her 18th birthday in May 2024, and a judge approved her request in August. She was the first of six siblings to legally remove her father’s surname.
Maddox and Zahara have also completed their name changes. Maddox, 25, is now legally known as Maddox Chivan Jolie, and his older sister, 21, became Zahara Marley Jolie. Both had already been using their mother’s surname in public before they got legal permission.
The increasing number of name changes has introduced competing accounts of what has happened in the family.
A source close to Pitt previously accused Jolie of turning the children against their father, saying she tried to separate them from him. The insider reported the situation to Page Six as “the complete success of her long, intense, deliberate effort to take her children away from their father.”
However, another source gave a different explanation, saying that Jolie had participated in family therapy with Pitt and the children in an attempt to repair their relationship.
The insider argued that the damage caused by Pitt’s actions affected the children’s trust, saying, “It’s been very difficult for the children. No one but them knows how bad it’s been.”
Pax Jolie-Pitt Once shared Brutal Father’s Day Message About Brad Pitt
Pax’s strained relationship with his father became a matter of public debate after a social media post from 2020 resurfaced in November 2023.
The message, which was shared on Father’s Day, offered a harsh assessment of Pitt and accused him of causing pain within the family.
In the post, Pax appeared to be speaking directly to the actor, writing, “Happy Father’s Day to this fucking world!” He went on to accuse his father of showing little understanding of his younger siblings, saying they were afraid of him.
“You have no thought or sympathy for your 4 youngest children who tremble with fear in your presence,” the message continued, according to the statement. Daily Mail.
Pax also accused Pitt of failing to recognize the consequences of his actions, saying, “You will never understand the damage you did to my family because you can’t do that.”
The post ended on another sharp note, as Pax said his father’s actions had made life difficult for those close to him.
“So, Happy Father’s Day, you are the king of awesome human beings!!!” Pax said. The message provided a rare insight into the depth of the tension between father and son
Brad Pitt opens up about suicidal thoughts
Pitt has also spoken about the emotional struggles he experienced during a very painful time in his life.
In an interview with Esquirethe actor reflected on how personal struggles affected him, admitting that there was a time when he understood why someone might consider suicide.
He was careful to explain that taking his own life was not something he had ever intended to do. “I’ve never been selfish in any way. It wasn’t just my looks,” Pitt said, describing himself as someone who usually approaches life with optimism. However, he admitted that at one time it was difficult for him to see a way forward.
“Anyway, I’ve never been suicidal except for a little while,” he explained. Recalling how excruciating the pain felt, he said, “I couldn’t – I just couldn’t see a way out.”
He said that although he had no intention of acting on these thoughts, he understood suicide as an attempt to escape unbearable suffering.
Brad Pitt linked the difficult experience to ‘family stuff’
When the Esquire the interviewer asked if the experience was connected to problems related to his children, Pitt kept his answer short. “Family stuff. We could leave it at that,” he replied.
He also explained how important it is to have supportive people around him, saying in a separate interview in June 2025 that being surrounded by loved ones, friends and family has been increasingly meaningful to him.
The comments provide a rare glimpse into how the family situation has affected Pitt personally since his fall-out with Jolie.
However, with Knox now able to consider the same surname change as his siblings, the children’s disagreement remains an unresolved part of the actor’s life.