Maddox, the 24-year-old son of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, has chosen to remove his father’s last name from the credits of his latest film, following a similar path taken by some of his siblings. This change is reflected in the credits of the film Couture, where he is listed as Maddox Jolie.
Maddox’s Role in Angelina Jolie’s Latest Film Project
Maddox worked as an assistant director on Couture, a film starring his mother, Angelina Jolie. The drama features Jolie, 50, playing an American director who, upon arriving in France to prepare for Paris Fashion Week, faces a breast cancer diagnosis. The film was written and directed by Alice Winocour, known for her previous works Disorder and Proxima. Alongside Jolie, the cast includes Louis Garrell, Ella Rumpf, and Garance Marillier, who is recognized for her role in Raw.
Couture carries personal meaning for Angelina Jolie, who underwent a double mastectomy in 2013 after discovering an 87% chance of developing breast cancer due to a defective BRCA1 gene. The actress’s family history with cancer is significant—her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, passed away from the disease at age 56, and both her grandmother and aunt also succumbed to cancer.
Name Usage and Credits in Recent Projects
Released in France on February 18, Couture’s official credits list Maddox as Maddox Jolie, which People Magazine has confirmed. This is consistent with earlier appearances of his name in production notes sent for the film’s premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2025. These materials also noted him as Maddox Jolie.
Prior to this, Maddox’s most recent credit was in the 2024 drama Maria, which again starred Angelina Jolie portraying opera icon Maria Callas and was directed by Pablo Larraín. Both Maddox and his younger brother, Pax, 22, were involved as set production assistants on Maria and were credited with the double-barreled surname Jolie-Pitt.
Family Dynamics and Surname Changes Among the Jolie-Pitt Children
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who married in 2014 and separated in 2016, share six children: Maddox, Pax, Zahara (21), Shiloh (19), and twins Knox and Vivienne (17). Several of the children have made similar decisions to drop the Pitt surname from their official names.
Vivienne contributed to Angelina’s Broadway production The Outsiders in May 2024, where she was credited as Vivienne Jolie. Zahara notably joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at Spelman College in November 2023 and introduced herself as Zahara Markey Jolie in a video from a celebratory luncheon attended by Angelina. Shiloh, meanwhile, legally changed her name to Shiloh Jolie upon turning 18, removing Pitt completely from her surname.
A source told People Magazine,
“He’s aware and upset that Shiloh dropped his last name. He’s never felt more joy than when she was born. He always wanted a daughter,”
referencing Brad Pitt’s feelings about his daughter’s name change. The source further added,
“The reminders that he’s lost his children, is of course not easy for Brad. He loves his children and misses them. It’s very sad.”
Historical Context of the Jolie-Pitt Surname Adjustments
Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt was born in 2006, after Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt began their relationship. In 2024, Shiloh formally filed legal paperwork to drop the Pitt surname, a change approved that August. Shortly thereafter, she appeared under the name “Shi Joli” at a May event for Isabel Marant’s capsule collection launch with Net-A-Porter, as reported by US Weekly.
Significance and Future Considerations of the Name Changes
The decision by Maddox and his siblings to drop the Pitt surname reflects ongoing personal and familial dynamics following Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s separation. The children’s choices to use Jolie alone may indicate their closer alignment with their mother or a desire for individual identity separate from their father’s legacy.
Surname changes like these can have emotional and social effects, especially when they signal shifts within prominent families whose relationships are publicly scrutinized. Brad Pitt’s reportedly mixed emotions highlight the complexity behind such decisions. As Maddox and his siblings continue their careers, this name adjustment may also impact how they are publicly identified in the entertainment industry.
Representatives for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have been contacted but have not issued comments regarding these changes.
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