Celebrity3 min(s) read
Brad Pitt hit with another family blow as youngest son Knox makes major name change
Brad Pitt's youngest son Knox has reportedly dropped "Pitt" from his surname, becoming the latest of the actor's children to distance themselves from the family name.
According to Page Six, the 17-year-old used the name "Knox Jolie" on his high school diploma after graduating from Fusion Academy in Los Angeles earlier this month.
The teen, who turns 18 on July 12, celebrated the milestone alongside his mother Angelina Jolie, brother Pax, sister Zahara, and his twin sister Vivienne.
Knox follows in his siblings' footsteps
Jolie and Pitt were married from 2014 until 2016 and have remained locked in legal disputes ever since.
Knox is not the first of the former couple's children to stop using the Pitt surname.
Earlier this year, Maddox reportedly filed legal paperwork requesting that his name be changed from Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt to Maddox Chivan Jolie.
Prior to that filing, he had already begun using "Maddox Jolie" professionally, including in the credits for Couture, a film starring his mom on which he worked as an assistant director.
Zahara introduced herself as "Zahara Marley Jolie" during her induction into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in 2023 and recently filed paperwork seeking to officially use the name Zahara Jolie.
Meanwhile, Shiloh successfully petitioned a Los Angeles court to remove "Pitt" from her surname after turning 18 in 2024.
Vivienne also appeared to drop the surname when she was credited as "Vivienne Jolie" in the Playbill for The Outsiders, which she helped produce alongside her mother.
Conflicting accounts emerge
Following reports about Knox's diploma, sources offered very different explanations for the family's ongoing distance from Pitt.
One source told Page Six that the Maleficent actress "seems quite pleased with herself about the total success of her long-standing, intense, deliberate effort to alienate her children from their father".
"It's so sad for the entire family that she would use the same weapon of the name change over and over for any other purpose other than to hurt their father," the insider continued. "This was her goal and she succeeded."
However, another source pushed back against that narrative. "Angelina participated in years of family therapy with Brad and the children for everyone to try to heal after the events that led her to file for divorce," they said. "If he isn't close to the kids, it's because of the harm that was done."
The insider added: "He wasn't honest about his actions, and it affected the trust between them. It's been very hard for the kids. No one knows, except them, how bad it has been."
The source continued: "The children are now adults and make their own decisions, which deserve respect. If they choose to distance themselves from him, it comes from that pain and harm. It's really horrible that he has tried to paint himself as a victim. When will people start asking real questions about what happened to the kids?"
Knox celebrated his graduation
Despite the attention surrounding his name change, Knox appeared to be focused on celebrating graduation.
During a speech at the ceremony, the teenager excitedly promoted an upcoming Muay Thai fight.
"Tonight, I'm gonna be fighting at Total Sonic Knockout 5 at 12:45 a.m., so catch me," he told the crowd. "I'm gonna knock 'em the f*** out. Let's go!"
His comments were met with cheers from fellow graduates and family members in attendance.













