Why Did Knox Jolie Drop His Father's Name Before Turning 18?
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s son Knox dropped “Pitt” from his last name on his high school diploma.
The teenager, who turns 18 on July 12, used the name “Knox Jolie” on his certificate after graduating from Fusion Academy in Los Angeles earlier this month, a source exclusively told Page Six.
Knox celebrated the milestone ceremony alongside the “Maleficent” star, 51; his older brother Pax, 22; older sister Zahara, 21; and his twin sister Vivienne.
A second source exclusively told Page Six that Angelina “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.”
A third source exclusively told Page Six, “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.”
“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?”
Meanwhile, Knox didn’t censor his excitement during his graduation speech as he dropped an F-bomb while addressing his classmates and their families hours before his Muay Thai showdown.
“Tonight, I’m gonna be fighting at Total Sonic Knockout 5 at 12:45 a.m., so catch me,” he told the crowd in a clip from the ceremony.
“I’m gonna knock ‘em the f—k out. Let’s go!” he added, eliciting cheers from the audience.
Knox’s move marks the latest chapter in the longtime rift that has played out in the years since Brad and Angelina’s highly publicized split.
The “Fight Club” actor, 62, finalized his long-running divorce from Angelina in December 2024, bringing an end to more than eight years of legal proceedings.
Angelina filed to dissolve their marriage in September 2016.
Knox’s gesture follows a similar path taken by several of his siblings. On June 9, Zahara filed paperwork to request her name be Zahara Jolie instead of Zahara Jolie-Pitt.
In 2024, Knox’s older sister Shiloh successfully petitioned a Los Angeles court to legally remove “Pitt” from her last name after turning 18.
Last month, Knox’s older brother Maddox also filed legal paperwork seeking to drop “Pitt” from his last name, citing personal reasons in court documents.
Prior to the filing, he had already begun using “Maddox Jolie” professionally, including in credits for the film “Couture,” which he worked on as an assistant director and starred Angelina.
