Maddox Jolie Drops Pitt Surname in Mom's New Film: A Family Name Shift Unfolds

BY Morgan Blair • FEBRUARY 26 2026 AT 5:10 PM ET

Credit: Angelina Jolie in London on Oct. 18, 2024; Maddox Jolie-Pitt in New York City on Feb. 25, 2019; Brad Pitt in Venice on Sept. 1, 2024. Credit: Jeff Spicer/Getty; Monica Schipper/Getty; Primo Barol/Anadolu via Getty

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's eldest son has made a notable change to his professional identity.

Maddox, who worked as the third assistant director on his mother's upcoming movie Couture, is credited simply as Maddox Jolie in the film's credits, according to PEOPLE. This marks a shift from his previous credit as Maddox Jolie-Pitt on Jolie's 2024 film Maria, where he served as a production assistant. Maddox, the oldest of the former couple's six children, has been involved in his parents' projects before, including as an executive producer on Jolie's 2017 film First They Killed My Father and as a trainee on the 2015 drama By the Sea, which both parents starred in.

Representatives for Brad Pitt have not commented on this development, while Jolie's team has yet to respond to inquiries from TheEntBase. The producers of Couture have also been contacted for their input.

Couture features Jolie as a filmmaker navigating a breast cancer diagnosis during Paris Fashion Week, directed by Alice Winocour and co-starring Louis Garrel, Anyier Anei, and Ella Rumpf.

Maddox, now 24, isn't the first of Jolie and Pitt's children to alter their surname. His sister Shiloh, 19, legally removed Pitt's name upon turning 18 in 2024, with her lawyer citing it as a response to "painful events." Similarly, their youngest, Vivienne, 17, was listed as Vivienne Pitt in a Broadway Playbill for The Outsiders, a project she co-produced with her mother. In 2023, Zahara, 21, introduced herself as Zahara Marley Jolie when joining a sorority at Spelman College.

Jolie and Pitt's relationship began in 2005 after meeting on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. They married in 2014, but Jolie filed for divorce in 2016 following an alleged incident of abuse on a private plane. While the FBI investigated and later dropped the case in 2022 without charges, and child services found no evidence of abuse, the divorce was finalized in late 2024. Jolie's lawyer described it as a relief after an exhausting eight-year process, while Pitt downplayed its significance in an interview with GQ.

THE ENTBASE VIEW

"This isn't just a simple name change—it's a symbolic shift in a high-profile family's identity. Maddox dropping 'Pitt' from his professional credits, following similar moves by his siblings, speaks volumes about the lingering impact of Jolie and Pitt's tumultuous divorce. While the legal battles may be over, the emotional and personal repercussions are clearly still unfolding, with the children making deliberate choices to distance themselves from their father's name. This story taps into the public's fascination with celebrity family dynamics, blending Hollywood gossip with deeper themes of legacy, loyalty, and healing. It's a viral moment because it's relatable on a human level—who hasn't grappled with family identity after a split?—yet amplified by the star power involved. As Editor-in-Chief, I'd push for more exclusive insights into the children's perspectives, but for now, this update keeps the narrative alive and engaging."

CONTRIBUTOR: Morgan Blair

Senior Fashion Editor. Leading coverage on red carpet style, luxury brand ambassadorships, and costume design.