At 62, Brad Pitt is facing one of the most painful chapters of his life. Five of his six children, all now adults, have taken steps to stop using his last name. Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne have each moved away from the Pitt name in recent years. Some made the change through legal filings, while others simply stopped using it in public and professional life.

Pitt shares all six children with ex-wife Angelina Jolie. The couple adopted Maddox, Pax, and Zahara together, and had Shiloh and twins Knox and Vivienne biologically. They married in 2014, after years together as a couple, and separated in 2016. Their divorce was finalized in 2024, closing out one of Hollywood’s longest and most public legal battles.

In August 2026, Pitt broke his silence on the toll this has taken on him. In an interview, he described going through a period so difficult that he could understand why someone might feel life was not worth living. He called himself a natural optimist, even during the hardest moments with his family.

Friends say Pitt still hopes for reconciliation. He reportedly wants to repair his relationship with all six children and has told those close to him that he will always be there if they need him. His mother, Jane Pitt, passed away in 2025 without seeing the family reunited, which friends say made the estrangement even harder for him to accept.

Despite the heartbreak at home, Pitt’s life has moved forward in other ways. He has found new happiness with girlfriend Ines de Ramon, stepping out publicly with her throughout 2026. He also continues to work, earning an Oscar nomination for F1 and releasing the survival thriller Heart of the Beast this September.