AceShowbiz - Maddox Jolie-Pitt, son of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, has officially removed his father's last name from the credits of his new film, marking a notable shift in his public identity.

The 24-year-old, born Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt, is credited simply as Maddox Jolie in the drama Couture, where he contributed as an assistant director. According to People, this change is reflected not only in the film’s on-screen credits but also in the production notes distributed to journalists at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025.

Brad Pitt's representatives have been contacted by E! News but have yet to provide a statement regarding the name change.

Couture, which made its debut in French cinemas on February 18, 2025, features Angelina Jolie as an American film director confronting a breast cancer diagnosis just before a trip to Paris, adding emotional depth to the drama.

Besides Maddox, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who separated in 2016 after a two-year marriage, share five other children: Pax, 22, Zahara, 21, Shiloh, 19, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 17. Maddox is not the only child to have dropped the Pitt surname publicly. In 2023, Zahara stopped using Pitt while introducing herself in her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at Spelman College.

Similarly, Vivienne appeared as Vivienne Jolie in the program for the Broadway production of The Outsiders in 2024, where she worked alongside her mother. Shiloh took formal steps in May 2024 on her 18th birthday by filing legal paperwork to change her name to Shiloh Jolie. The court approved this change in August 2024.

This trend of modifying surnames is not unprecedented in the family. Both Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have altered their own names for professional reasons. The actress was born Angelina Jolie Voight but dropped her father Jon Voight’s last name, choosing to use her middle name as her surname. Meanwhile, Brad Pitt’s full legal name is William Bradley Pitt, though he opted to use his middle name when entering the acting world.

While many of their children have followed in their parents’ footsteps by changing their names and entering the entertainment industry, Angelina Jolie has emphasized that her children are not eager to pursue acting careers. Speaking at the 2025 Santa Barbara Film Festival, she said, “None of them are dying to be on screen. They're not interested. They really don't like any of the celebrity part of it.”

The trend of celebrity children dropping their last names extends beyond the Jolie-Pitt family. For instance, Rosie O’Donnell and her ex-partner Kelli Carpenter’s adopted daughter legally changed her surname to her birth mother Deanna Neuens Micoley’s maiden name in January 2025.

Similarly, Suri Cruise, daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, was known as Suri Noelle—using her first name and her mother’s middle name—during her high school graduation ceremony in June 2024.

Former First Daughter Malia Obama also removed her last name professionally, credited simply as Malia Ann for her 2023 film project The Heart, highlighting a preference for a more private identity.

In the music industry, several performers have dropped or altered their last names for their careers. For example, Elle King, daughter of Rob Schneider, uses her middle name combined with her mother’s surname rather than Schneider. Similarly, Samia Najimy Finnerty, daughter of Kathy Najimy and Dan Finnerty, performs as Samia, dropping both parents’ last names.

Other well-known figures who have adopted different surnames for professional reasons include Nicolas Cage, born Nicolas Kim Coppola, and Willow Smith, who uses just her first name as her stage name.

The Jolie-Pitt children’s decisions to change or simplify their surnames reflect a broader pattern among celebrity offspring seeking to establish their own identities separate from their famous parents. This movement also underscores the complex dynamics of family, fame, and personal choice in the public eye.

As Maddox Jolie-Pitt embarks on this new chapter in his film career, dropping the Pitt from his name symbolizes both a personal and professional evolution, continuing the legacy of individuality that defines the Jolie-Pitt family.