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Insiders are giving a behind-the-scenes look at how Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's daughter, Shiloh, went about changing her last name.
On May 27, the 18-year-old filed paperwork to legally change her name from Shiloh Jolie-Pitt to Shiloh Jolie, dropping her allegedly estranged father's last name from her surname. TMZ was first to report Shiloh's legal move to seemingly further separate herself from Pitt, who is still going through a contentious divorce with Jolie.
Now, a source is claiming Shiloh hired and paid for her own lawyer in order to legally drop Pitt from her last name.
"Shiloh hired her own lawyer and paid for it herself," a source recently told People, who alluded to Jolie's allegations that Pitt has an "abuse history" as one of the reasons why Shiloh decided to legally petition to change her name.
According to TMZ, Shiloh filed documents on Monday—the day she turned 18.
"So, it seems this was one of the first things she wanted to do as an adult," the publication reported at the time. “Of course, it’s incredibly telling—it’s no secret Brad has had a strained relationship with some of his kids since he and Angelina filed for divorce...an ugly split that has dragged on in court, even to this day.”
Jolie officially filed for divorce from Pitt in 2016, requesting sole physical custody of their six children.
“Many times, there have been long gaps where he didn't see the kids at all," a source told People back in 2022, adding that the strain between Pitt and his children has been "a sad situation for years."
Meanwhile, according to documents obtained by People, a former security guard for the couple who still works for Pitt claims Jolie allegedly "encouraged" the former couple's children "to avoid spending time" with their father during visits.
In response, Jolie's attorney Paul Murphy issued a statement, claiming that "all Angelina has ever wanted was separation and health, with positive relationships between all members of their family, including Mr. Pitt."
In court paperwork filed in 2022, Jolie also detailed an alleged incident in which she claims Pitt abused her and her kids in 2016 while on a private plane traveling from France to California, The New York Times reported at the time.
According to the filing, "Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face” and “grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her." At one point, Jolie alleges Pitt “poured beer on Jolie; at another, he poured beer and red wine on the children.” According to The New York Times, the incident was investigated but federal authorities declined to press criminal charges against Pitt. Days after the plane trip and alleged incident, Jolie filed for divorce.
In response, Anne Kiley, an attorney for Pitt, said the actor "had accepted responsibility for some things in his past, but he would not accept responsibility for the things he did not do."
