10 Rumors About Brad Pitt And Angelina Jolie's Kids We Couldn't Ignore

From meeting on the set of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" in 2003, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt became one of Hollywood's more iconic "it" couples for over a decade. Whether it be due to their glaring good looks or individual success as actors, the general public couldn't keep their eyes away from the budding couple during their joint outings. It didn't take long for the two to venture into parenthood. After adopting Maddox Jolie-Pitt in 2002, Jolie continued to seek out orphanages, leading her to adopt Zahara Jolie-Pitt in 2005 and Pax Jolie-Pitt in 2007. Jolie and Pitt also naturally had children of their own, with them introducing Shiloh Jolie-Pitt in 2006, and later Vivienne and Knox Jolie-Pitt in 2008.

Their relationship, however, was riddled with numerous rumors from the start, such as Pitt allegedly cheating on ex Jennifer Aniston with Angelina. This eventually trickled down to their tribe of mixed children, which, given their parents' status, was hard to avoid. Despite Pitt and Jolie's children leading lavish lives in private, the general public couldn't help but pry into aspects of their lives away from the cameras. From their privileges as children of celebrities to their estrangement from their father, some of these rumors were difficult to look away from. To learn more about these alleged details of their lives, here are 10 rumors about Pitt and Jolie's kids we couldn't ignore!

Angelina Jolie's parenting methods have generally been considered unconventional by outsiders. While Brad Pitt seemingly insisted on more structure, Jolie oftentimes granted them independence from a young age. Through following Jolie's way of life at home, it seemed like this caused Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh, Pax, Vivienne, and Knox Jolie-Pitt to exemplify what it's truly like to have unconventional parents.

In 2011, a former nanny suggested to In Touch that her children had no home training. According to the publication, it was common for their home to be littered with "fighting, four-letter words, and sibling squabbles and injuries" (via Hollywood Life). Another nanny came forward in 2015, sharing a similar opinion with Star magazine (via Yahoo!). "It's like they're living in a hippie commune most of the time, because Angie doesn't believe in rules," they said. "She thinks it's important for the children to have freedom of expression, but that doesn't always work well." 

While there wasn't any substantial truth to these allegations, Jolie did imply to People in 2021 that she wasn't always a perfect parent, and that it was a learning process for her to raise six children. "Every day I feel like I'm more aware of everything I don't do right," she admitted. "And I'm pretty tough on myself because I feel often, 'Am I doing the right thing? Did I say the right thing?'"

With Angelina Jolie's unconventional parenting methods under scrutiny, it seemed the public's perception of Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh, Pax, Vivienne, and Knox Jolie-Pitt only continued to persist. In 2011, the focus on their way of life seemingly transitioned from their chaotic home life to their relationship with education. As with most children of celebrities, all six of the kids were homeschooled. While it's easy to assume that their celebrity status was a root cause for this decision, Jolie told The Independent that she's not fond of the education system. Instead, she opts to have her children learn from credible tutors who, on occasion, travel with them. Alternatively, Jolie suggested that education isn't necessarily a priority in her household. "I'd rather them go to a museum and learn to play guitar, and read and pick a book they love," she explained. "I feel that there's got to be a new way to tailor things more directly to our children."

Prioritizing real-life experiences may imply that she wouldn't allow her children to conform to more traditional forms of education. This, however, couldn't be further from the truth, as both Maddox and Zahara decided to attend college. In 2019, it was announced that Maddox was attending Yonsei University, a prestigious institute in Korea that specializes in science and biotechnology research. As for Zahara, it was announced in 2022 that she was attending Spelman College, a historically black college in Atlanta, Georgia.

Angelina Jolie's decision to adopt wasn't a choice that was widely accepted. While there's nothing inherently wrong with adoption, it was the cultural divide between her and her children that made the public question her motives. This came to a head when the public learned about the complicated truth of Zahara Jolie-Pitt's adoption story. In 2017, her biological mother, Mentewab Dawit Lebiso, forced herself into the public eye years after an adoption agency declared that she died of AIDS. 

Lebiso's alleged death turned out to be false as she spoke with the Daily Mail, pleading for a chance to connect with Zahara, stating, "I just want her to know that I am alive and here, and long to be able to speak with her." Lebiso was actually a victim of rape and as a result, Zahara was born. Given her rough living conditions and her estrangement from her family in Ethiopia, Lebiso gave her daughter up for adoption, but had no contact with Zahara since then. Though it was clear that Jolie was misled about her whereabouts, Lebiso seemingly believes that a life in America with the actor is better for Zahara than one with her in Ethiopia. "She has a life that I could never give her, but I would still like to have some contact," she told the publication. "I would like to see her face. She has grown into a beautiful woman, and I am so proud of her. My heart bursts because I am so proud."

Angelina Jolie wouldn't steer clear of the harsh opinions of the general public, as in 2021, information about the adoption of her son, Maddox Jolie-Pitt, began to turn heads. As a humanitarian, Jolie has been very vocal about visiting underprivileged areas in foreign countries. Deeply moved after her first visit to Cambodia in 2000, she returned in 2002 and found herself connecting with Maddox through an orphanage. Sarath Mounh, a former aid worker who allegedly helped her adopt Maddox, later unveiled specific details about his adoption to Daily Mail before the release of a documentary titled "The Stolen Children."

The project sought to expose the true nature of adoption in Cambodia, suggesting several organizations are labeling certain babies as orphans when they weren't. Similar to Zahara, Jolie stated that she was told Maddox's parents weren't alive. Through exploring the shocking truths of adoption centers in foreign countries, Mounh suggested to Daily Mail that Jolie's claims were, yet again, false. "I'm not 100% sure that Maddox was an orphan even though he came from an orphanage," he stated. "At least one of the parents was possibly alive at the time of his adoption. But I never asked these difficult questions, nobody did." Kek Galibru, the head of the human rights agency Licadho, shared the same notion as Mounh, stating, "I'm sure that this child was not a real orphan and was not abandoned."

Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt in September 2016. What followed was a plethora of reports regarding who would have custody of the children, ownership over their winery, Château Miraval, and more. Interestingly enough, the general public never had insight as to what caused their split aside from the two simply growing apart. That was until 2022, when FBI reports detailed an incident that occurred after Pitt made a remark toward Maddox Jolie-Pitt.

According to the Los Angeles Times, FBI agents interviewed Jolie in October 2016, who, at the time, was following legal proceedings in divorcing Pitt after an allegedly harrowing private plane ride home from Europe. Before the flight, a disagreement caused Pitt and Maddox to carry some built-up tension with them onto the flight. Once the family was on the plane, it was alleged that Pitt, in a drunken stupor of rage, told Jolie that Maddox "looks like a f***ing Columbine kid." 

This eventually ended in turmoil, as Pitt and Jolie argued constantly during the flight. When things got physical between the two, some of her children tried to resolve the issue. With Jolie sustaining minor injuries during the incident, there's no question as to whether she got into an altercation. As for Maddox, however, a source close to Pitt told Page Six that he and Maddox never got physical, stating, "Brad may have been drinking, and admits that he yelled at his son, but he insists he did not hit him or attempt to harm him."

With Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's messy divorce making the rounds, it appeared that the couple's children were all closer to their mother than they were to their father. As the outcome custody battle hung in the balance, it was unclear just how strained the kids' relationship was with Pitt after the divorce. What was alleged, however, was that Jolie played a part in their estrangement from their father. This became public knowledge after their former bodyguard, Tony Webb — who was fired after his security personnel aligned with Pitt — told Daily Mail that his colleague overheard Jolie prompting each of her children to "avoid spending time with Pitt during custody visits."

These claims may not have any substantial truth, but it's apparent that there is some tension between the kids and their father as of this publication. So much so that in 2024, RadarOnline reported that Pitt desperately wants to rebuild his relationship with all six of his children (via Economic Times). Of course, this didn't come from Pitt himself, but rather a close source. Nonetheless, the insider noted that Pitt was open to following whatever necessary protocols if it meant that he could see his children again. "Brad has not given up on his kids, and it's been incredibly tough for him to be so alienated from them," they said. "The longer it goes, the more painful it gets."

In light of Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh, Pax, Vivienne, and Knox Jolie-Pitt's alleged estrangement from Brad Pitt, reports about the future of their relationship came to the forefront. The alleged rumors started to hold more weight as some of his children slowly dropped his surname. The only one to do this legally was Shiloh. After turning 18 in 2024, Shiloh filed for her new name, Shiloh Jolie (via Hola! magazine). Aside from the numerous theories about how this news came to light, her lawyer, Peter Levine, suggested that she made this firm decision after her parents' public fallout. 

Earlier, Zahara appeared to have dropped her father's surname as well. In an Instagram video posted by Essence in 2023, a 19-year-old Zahara proclaimed that her name was "Zahara Jolie" at her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority ceremony at Spelman College. Vivienne also made headlines in 2024 as her role as assistant and co-producer in the Broadway show "The Outsiders: A New Musical" saw her receive credits as Vivienne Jolie (via People). 

Not only did these instances give credibility to the kids' clear alignment with their mother, but it also suggested that they may not want anything to do with Pitt moving forward. Despite this, as of this publication, there hasn't been any firm confirmation from any of her kids — or Angelina Jolie herself — that their strained relationship is the reason they dropped their father's surname.

To give Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh, Pax, Vivienne, and Knox Jolie-Pitt a life dedicated to self-expression, Angelina Jolie allowed her children to exist within their household without any strict rules. Pax, however, crossed over that line by getting involved in several vehicle-related accidents throughout 2024. From totaling his Tesla to crashing an e-bike, Pax's dangerous nature as a driver has seen him end up in the ICU more times than his family would like. 

In light of these accidents, an insider told In Touch in March 2025 that Jolie has since shifted from the passive parent to a stricter one. Despite this, her want for Pax to be safe is something she knows won't entirely happen. "She'd love it if Pax would take these accidents as a warning and give up on this need for speed, but that's very unlikely," they told the publication. Instead, Jolie had allegedly chosen to compromise with Pax, forcing him to practice safer driving habits rather than dropping his speed demon passion altogether. "She does at least want him to take some defensive driving lessons before he gets back out there, he's agreed to that as part of the consequences of the crash. And she's made him sign a contract promising he'll always wear his helmet," the insider said. 

As the children of critically acclaimed actors such as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, it's fair to assume that Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh, Pax, Vivienne, and Knox Jolie-Pitt all benefit from some form of nepotism. With Zahara having her own jewelry line at 14 and Vivienne and Knox following in their parents' footsteps, those claims wouldn't be entirely wrong. While those ventures were generally well-received, Shiloh's foray into dancing prompted the general public to insist that she was yet another example of benefiting from nepotism.

After Shiloh went viral for dancing under the Millennium Dance Complex in 2022, onlookers had their reservations about this creative venture. Dancing, however, isn't just a pastime for her, as Shiloh proved she doesn't need nepotism to be successful. In addition to her former dancing instructor, Hamilton Evans — who expressed that she's a hard worker — another dancing instructor of hers, Keelan Carter, tackled rumors of her benefiting from nepotism during a 2024 interview with Daily Mail. In light of her growth as a dancer, she told the publication that her celebrity status rarely plays a part in her work. "Shiloh is an exceptionally talented dancer, demonstrating dedication and hard work," Carter said. "She is a sincere and straightforward person who never uses her celebrity status to her advantage."

Being raised in the public eye certainly isn't easy. With this knowledge, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt made an effort to keep Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh, Pax, Vivienne, and Knox Jolie-Pitt away from the spotlight whenever they could. As a result, their public outings were relatively rare, only making appearances in support of their mother's acting career. Even with their notable credits in certain film projects and Broadway shows, they still found a way to keep their personal lives private. According to Jolie's interview with E! News in 2024, this is partly due to their disinterest in Hollywood. "None of my children want to be in front of the camera at this time," she said. "They're quite private."

This revelation, in turn, caused an influx of fans to question the legitimacy of Jolie's statements. When E! News shared this interview with its followers on Facebook, the comments appeared to dismiss her statement, since each of her kids has been photographed at red carpet events numerous times, suggesting that they don't actually have a disdain for the limelight. "Yet she keeps showing up with them in the spotlight!" one user wrote. Another user also claimed that she was frequently "parading at least one of them in front of the cameras every chance she gets." As of 2025, it seems Jolie has not shown any attention to the backlash.