Inside Brad Pitt’s relationship with children after son Pax calls him 'awful human being'

Brad Pitt shares six children, Maddox, Zahara, Pax, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne, with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie, but there have been several reports that the Mr and Mrs Smith actor is estranged from his family. Here’s what we know about Brad’s relationship with his children here… 

Who are Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s children? 

Brad adopted Angelina’s children Maddox and Zahara, with their names being changed to Jolie-Pitt in 2006. The couple welcomed their first biological child, Shiloh, in November 2006. In 2007, Angelina adopted Pax, three, from Vietnam, with Brad adopting him in February 2008. In May 2008, the couple welcomed twins, Knox and Vivienne. 

In 2016, the FBI and the. Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services investigated the actor for child abuse following an incident on a plane which also reportedly caused Brad and Angelina’s split. It was ultimately ruled that Brad did not physically harm his children. Brad was briefly granted joint custody of the children in 2021, but ultimately the agreement reverted back to Angelina having full custody of them, while Brad has 'custodial time' with the younger children. 

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In October 2022, court documents revealed that Angelina claimed that the children was traumatised by Brad’s behaviour, and alleged that Brad had "grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her," and poured beer and red wine on the children. He has not been photographed with his children since the incident.

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What have Brad Pitt’s children said about him? 

In a recently resurfaced Instagram Story post which was originally shared in 2020, Brad’s son Pax, who was 16 at the time, wrote: "Happy Father's Day to this world-class [expletive]! You time and time and again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person. You have no consideration or empathy toward your 4 youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence. You will never understand the damage you have done to my family because you are incapable of doing so." 

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He continued: "You have made the lives of those closest to me a constant hell. You may tell yourself and the world whatever you want, but the truth will come to light someday. So, Happy Father's Day, you [expletive] awful human being!" He shared the comment alongside Brad accepting the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood. 

Meanwhile, it was recently revealed that Zahara now goes by 'Zahara Jolie' and has dropped the 'Pitt' from her name during her sorority induction at Spelman College. 

What has Brad Pitt said about his children? 

Brad has always spoken very positively about fatherhood, and told Psychologies Magazine back in 2014: "I care about [my children] more than I care about myself, which I think is the real definition of love. You see past yourself and become more generous and giving, and wanting only the best for your family." 

Since 2016, he opened up about the situation in 2017, Brad told GQ: "We're both doing our best. I heard one lawyer say, 'No one wins in court—it's just a matter of who gets hurt worse.' And it seems to be true, you spend a year just focused on building a case to prove your point and why you're right and why they're wrong, and it's just an investment in vitriolic hatred.

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"I just refuse. And fortunately my partner in this agrees. It’s just very, very jarring for the kids, to suddenly have their family ripped apart…. If anyone can make sense of it, we have to with great care and delicacy, building everything around that."