Shiloh Jolie, the daughter of Hollywood icons Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, has legally dropped her father’s surname—marking yet another development in the long and public fall-out from her parents’ divorce.
The 18-year-old, who was previously known as Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, filed the paperwork to change her name to Shiloh Jolie shortly after her 18th birthday in May of 2024. She was granted permission to change her name in August of last year after the official court process for this was completed – which in California requires one to have the name-change legal forms published in a newspaper ad for one month, and once published, the request will show up in the legal notice section of the paper, after which a judge can then approve the petition.
Recently, Shiloh was publicly listed as “Shi Jolie” at a fashion event, which she had contributed to as a choreographer. However, a typo was present in the original press release for this which initially referred to her as “Shi Joli.” A representative later clarified that she instead prefers to be called “Shi” or “Shi Jolie.”
Shiloh is not the only child of the former couple to have distanced herself from Pitt’s surname. Her younger sister Vivienne was recently credited as “Vivienne Jolie” in the Playbill for the Broadway musical The Outsiders, which she helped produce alongside her mother. She and Shiloh’s older sister, Zahara, also introduced herself without the Pitt surname during her sorority induction at Spelman College, referring to herself as “Zahara Marley Jolie.”
These developments come only a matter of months after the official conclusion of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s long-running divorce proceedings. Regarded by many as Hollywood royalty, the pair first separated in 2016 after having been together for about a decade before finally tying the knot in 2014. While the legal dissolution of their marriage was granted in 2019, their full divorce settlement was not fully finalized until December 2024—a long eight years after Jolie first filed.
This delay was due to several complicated legal battles between Jolie and Pitt, including a fierce child custody dispute and severe disagreements over the management of the once co-owned French winery, Château Miraval, where the pair were married. A major point of contention in the custody case also stemmed from a 2016 altercation aboard a private plane, during which Jolie accused Pitt of physical and verbal abuse. Though Pitt was never charged, the incident had a lasting impact on the family with Jolie later claiming in court filings that Pitt’s abusive behaviour had begun “well before” this incident.
In a statement to CNN following the divorce settlement, Jolie’s lawyer described her as “exhausted” but “relieved” that at least one part of the long ordeal had finally been brought to a close. Meanwhile, Pitt, in a rare interview with GQ this year, said the conclusion of their divorce felt like something simply ‘coming to fruition’ in a legal and not necessarily emotional way.
Jolie and Pitt’s divorce is well-documented example of how heavily a separation can impact a family on multiple levels. At Grayfords, our family law solicitors are highly skilled at dealing with the practical and legal implications of divorce, as well as all other areas of family law including child arrangements and financial settlements. With a compassionate and determined approach, our team enables clients to fight for and protect their rights throughout the process, and to build anew afterwards in securing a brighter and stable future. If you need help with a divorce or any other family law matter, don’t hesitate to call us today on 020 7100 6100 and book your free consultation to find out more about how we can help.