Brad Pitt's son Knox graduates using name 'Knox Jolie' on diploma

• Knox used the name "Knox Jolie" on his Fusion Academy graduation diploma
• Siblings Shiloh, Zahara and Maddox have also moved to drop the Pitt surname
• Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie finalised their divorce in December 2024

Knox Jolie-Pitt, who turns 18 on 12 July, used the name "Knox Jolie" on his high school diploma after graduating from Fusion Academy in Los Angeles earlier this month, a source exclusively told Page Six. Knox marked the occasion alongside his mother, Actress Angelina Jolie, 51; older brother Pax, 22; older sister Zahara, 21; and twin sister Vivienne. The decision makes Knox the latest of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's children to distance himself from his father's surname.

Conflicting accounts from sources

The name change has drawn sharply divided reactions from those close to the family. A second source exclusively told Page Six that Angelina "seems quite pleased with herself about the total success of her long-standing, intense, deliberate effort to alienate her children from their father."

The insider added: "It's so sad for the entire family that she would use the same weapon of the name change over and over for any other purpose other than to hurt their father. This was her goal and she succeeded."

A third source, however, offered a starkly different perspective, telling Page Six that "Angelina participated in years of family therapy with Brad and the children for everyone to try to heal after the events that led her to file for divorce." The insider continued: "If he isn't close to the kids, it's because of the harm that was done. He wasn't honest about his actions, and it affected the trust between them. It's been very hard for the kids. No one knows, except them, how bad it has been."

The source added: "The children are now adults and make their own decisions, which deserve respect. If they choose to distance themselves from him, it comes from that pain and harm. It's really horrible that he has tried to paint himself as a victim. When will people start asking real questions about what happened to the kids?"

Knox's graduation speech

Knox made headlines at the ceremony for more than just his diploma. During his graduation speech, he made no effort to conceal his excitement about a Muay Thai fight scheduled for that same evening. "Tonight, I'm gonna be fighting at Total Sonic Knockout 5 at 12:45 a.m., so catch me," he told the crowd. He rounded off the address with: "I'm gonna knock 'em the f—k out. Let's go!" — drawing cheers from the audience.

A family-wide shift away from the Pitt name

Knox's decision is the latest in a pattern emerging across the Jolie-Pitt siblings. In 2024, older sister Shiloh successfully petitioned a Los Angeles court to legally remove "Pitt" from her surname after turning 18. On 9 June, Zahara filed court paperwork requesting her name be changed to Zahara Jolie from Zahara Jolie-Pitt.

Last month, older brother Maddox filed legal documents seeking the same change, citing personal reasons — having already begun using "Maddox Jolie" professionally, including in credits for the film Couture, on which he served as assistant director and in which Angelina starred.

The Pitt-Jolie divorce

The estrangement plays out against the backdrop of one of Hollywood's most protracted divorces. Actor Brad Pitt, 62, finalised his separation from Angelina in December 2024, more than eight years after she filed to dissolve their marriage in September 2016.