Over the weekend, Page Six had a sympathetic story about Brad Pitt. It came after Shiloh Jolie filed the paperwork to change her legal name and drop “Pitt” from her surname. Shiloh did that on her 18th birthday in May. We’ve also heard that Vivienne and Zahara no longer use “Pitt” in their surnames, and the two older boys (Maddox and Pax) cannot stand Brad at all, and I believe they’ve both probably stopped using “Pitt” in their names too. Basically, Knox is the only question mark, name-wise, of the six kids. You would think that with four of the kids now reaching legal adulthood, Pitt would keep his mouth shut, lest they all clapback on him publicly. The problem is that Brad is an idiot who only cares about his own image, so now he’s running around, telling Page Six and Us Weekly that Angelina “alienated” the children from him… after he terrorized and assaulted his wife and children on a plane in 2016. This Us Weekly cover story is textbook family-abuser, but I appreciate that Us Weekly also made a point of including some pro-Angelina quotes and fact-checks in here. Some highlights:

Shiloh’s name change: “Brad was devastated by this choice,” a source exclusively shared in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “To him, it was more than a change of name — it was a symbol of a deeper estrangement that has been brewing for years.”

Brad doesn’t have a relationship with the kids now: “Sadly, Brad doesn’t have much of a relationship with his kids,” says a second source. “He’s not ready to give up on them, but knowing they are dropping his name is upsetting.” Adds a third source: “Brad’s putting on a brave face, but behind closed doors, he’s finding it extremely difficult to come to terms with [what’s happening].”

The children are fiercely loyal to their mother: “They’ve struggled to forgive and connect with Brad since the divorce,” the source explains. “Their mom is the head of the household, and she’s raised them with love and selflessness their whole lives. Once Brad left, it was very hard for them to see him go to war with her.”

The older kids don’t want to have anything to do with him: “Sadly, their rift has only widened over time. The boys found it difficult to reconcile with Brad despite his repeated apologies and efforts to rebuild trust.” Adds the third source: “Brad’s relationship with Maddox and Pax is nonexistent at this point, and he barely, if ever, hears from Zahara.”

Brad wasn’t charged for assaulting his wife & children on the plane: A fifth source notes that there “was a reason” there were no charges against Brad. “Angelina is the one who is going after him through Miraval and won’t let up, Brad is just trying to see his children, not tear her or her businesses down,” the insider adds. Pitt has denied in the past that he was abusive.

Maddox is done: “Maddox was very affected by that incident, and he’s taken it upon himself to be Angelina’s protector,” says the third source, who adds that the older boys’ opinions of Brad “rubbed off on” the younger kids. The insider tells Us Shiloh’s name change is “connected” to the alleged “abuse history,” noting, “That’s part of it.”

Shiloh wanted to testify in the child custody hearing: According to the insider, Shiloh was one of the kids who wanted to testify on her custody arrangement preferences in a 2021 hearing, but Brad objected. The judge sided with him and awarded him joint custody. However, a court later agreed with Angelina’s appeal to remove the judge, as he hadn’t disclosed his business relationships with Brad’s lawyers. The second source says Brad’s once-solid connection with Shiloh weakened over time. “She [used to be] very close with Brad and his family, but that relationship [changed] in recent years,” the insider adds.

The twins have moved on: A fourth source says it’s a similar situation with Vivienne and Knox. “They used to have Facetime calls when they were apart and he was much more involved in their lives, but the dynamic has shifted,” the insider notes. The third source says Brad still sporadically sees Vivienne, Knox and Shiloh at his Los Feliz mansion, located just a few blocks away from Angelina’s home. “Brad makes a big effort to spoil the kids when they hang out,” says the source. “He orders their favorite foods and makes the most of those few hours.”

Brad doesn’t make his dealings with the kids public. “He’s very private, and does everything he can not to be photographed,” says the second source, claiming that Angelina “is the opposite.” The Eternals star is “very aware of when she’s being watched and is cognizant of her image [as a doting mom].”

Brad blames Angelina for all of it: Multiple sources say Brad blames Angelina for the tense family dynamics. “He feels that the negative narrative Angelina presents to the kids is a major obstacle in his efforts to reconnect,” explains the first source. “With Angelina having daily influence over the children, Brad finds it nearly impossible to change their perceptions.” The fifth source says, “This is textbook parental alienation,” and claims Angelina “targeted Shiloh from the start because she was the closest to Brad.”

Angelina’s side: “They know what they saw. For anyone to suggest she’s controlled them is off base,” says the third source. According to the insider, Brad blaming Angelina for the fallout with his children is off base. “You don’t get to physically assault your wife and kids, then sue her and say, ‘But she turned my kids against me.’ That’s not OK. He’s still trying to punish her for standing up against his abuse,” explains the insider. “He really just needs to let her go and, most importantly, finally let their children heal and find peace. This has been [Angelina’s] priority all along.”

[From Us Weekly]

“He barely, if ever, hears from Zahara” – he expects the child he (most likely) abused to do the emotional labor of maintaining their relationship. That’s true across the board as well – he expects his kids to do the labor of maintaining ties to him, to forgive him and give him more opportunities to be an abusive deadbeat loser. The idea that “Angelina targeted Shiloh” is especially disgusting too – Shiloh witnessed what Brad did to her siblings and mother. Shiloh was apparently ready to testify against Brad in the child custody case and he got a compromised judge to keep her off the stand (which is new information, sort of). Shiloh is the one who went out and hired her own lawyer and filed for the name change of her own volition. Shiloh has been completely done with Brad for years and good for her. The last quote is the best one – “He’s still trying to punish her for standing up against his abuse.” That’s exactly what’s happening.

Cover courtesy of Us Weekly, additional photos courtesy of Backgrid.