Several of the Jolie-Pitt children have been in the news over the past few months after dropping their father Brad Pitt’s name. Previous reports revealed that Shiloh Jolie-Pitt was seeking expert help to legally end her relationship with the F1 star. She first applied for a name change on May 27, her 18th birthday.
Months later, the issue came to the fore again when the 18-year-old dancer published a petition in the Los Angeles Times to remove the “Pitt” from her last name. Recent developments prove just how serious Shiloh is about the issue, especially since her recent move follows the legal rules that lead to the official name-change process.
Her public announcement in the newspaper also wasn’t just a window dressing, but actually something that “couldn’t have been avoided,” a legal expert has now confirmed to PEOPLE.
Why did Shiloh Jolie-Pitt stay (at least for now) announced in the newspaper?
“She will have to file a formal petition with the court to change her name. And she will have to advertise for 4 consecutive weeks before a hearing is scheduled, in addition to giving written notice to both of her parents,” confirms California-based family law attorney David Glass.
Read this also | America’s new favourite reality show, Love Island USA: The season 6 finale is almost here, beating the UK original show
The legal expert also said such name-change petitions “usually go smoothly and are granted” unless the person filing them has a criminal history or is trying to escape punishment.
Can Shiloh’s father Brad Pitt oppose the petition? Glass says he could come to court and make a case against his daughter that “her mother has alienated her”, but the star kid can “call herself whatever she wants” because she is no longer a minor.
Glass’s explanation is in line with California law, which states: “You must have the forms published in the newspaper for up to one month before the judge makes a decision. This means that the request appears in the legal notices section of the newspaper.” However, this rule does not apply to individuals who are applying for a name change to match their gender identity or if they are seeking a gender change recognition order.
Brad Pitt’s deteriorating relationship with his children
The Mr. & Mrs. Smith co-stars have six children: Maddox (22), Zahara (19), Shiloh (18), Pax (20), and twins Knox and Vivienne (16).
Read this also | Ben Affleck fears Jennifer Lopez will ‘destroy him in divorce battle’ if he…
An insider previously told PEOPLE that Pitt was aware of the change and was “upset” by the development. “It’s not easy for Brad to be reminded of losing his children. He loves his kids and misses them. It’s very sad.” Meanwhile, another source claimed that Pitt still gets along with his younger kids but has “almost no contact” with his adult children.
He and Angelina Jolie split in 2016, and Angelina has since been accused of assaulting the Salt actress and their children in a well-publicized airplane crash that same year.
Shiloh isn’t the only girl to take this drastic step. According to the program for the Broadway play The Outsiders, her younger sister Vivienne has done the same. Other reports also suggest that Zahara, Maddox, Pax, and Knox are also not using their father’s name.
