With her very first act as a legal adult, Shiloh Jolie sent a clear message to her father – and the world.
No sooner had she turned 18 on May 27, the daughter of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie retained a lawyer – using her own money – to formally drop the Pitt portion of her surname.
The surprise move, which comes after eight years of custody scrapping between Angelina and Brad after their 2016 separation, shows just how volatile things have been between the four walls of the Pitt and Jolie households.
Shiloh’s move has left Brad, 60, devastated, with a source close to the actor telling People magazine that he is “aware and upset” over Shiloh’s filing.
“He’s never felt more joy than when she was born,” says the source. “He’s always wanted a daughter.”
A source speaking to the Daily Mail blames Shiloh’s filing on “textbook parental alienation” by Angelina, 49.
“There have been years and years where Angelina has had the opportunity to tell lies about him, and she seems to have now alienated the kids, and that is upsetting to Brad. He cares about all of them. It is devastating.”
But sources close to Angelina tell New Idea exclusively that they reject these allegations.
Ange and Brad have been engaged in an ugly war ever since she announced their divorce in 2016, when it’s alleged he became drunk and violent on a private jet, which Brad denies.
The FBI closed the enquiry into the alleged incident and it did not lead to any criminal charges.
However, in recent years, older children Maddox, Pax and Zahara have stopped using their father’s name, with Pax once sensationally alleging the “younger kids tremble in fear” around Brad.
“Angelina says it’s laughable that Brad’s grasping at straws and pretending that she’s poisoned the kids against him, when he only has himself to blame,” says the insider.
“These are well-educated young adults who know what they saw with their own eyes back then. If he’d truly owned up to his actions and taken responsibility, no doubt things would be very different now.”
While Angelina insists she won’t “dignify Brad’s attempt at a blame game”, we understand Brad may not be willing to accept Shiloh’s public rejection.
“He loves his children and misses them,” says People’s source. Adds our own insider: “He doesn’t want to give up on a relationship with them, and still holds hope.”
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