Another of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s children has quietly distanced himself from his father’s famous surname, underscoring the deep personal rift that has shadowed the family for years.

Maddox, the former couple’s eldest child, is now credited simply as Maddox Jolie in the new drama “Couture,” in which his mother stars. The 24-year-old worked behind the camera as an assistant director on the film, which follows Maxine Walker, a woman facing a breast cancer diagnosis whose life collides with two other women during Paris Fashion Week.

Industry observers noted that in earlier projects, including the film “Maria,” where Angelina Jolie portrayed opera legend Maria Callas, Maddox was listed as Maddox Jolie-Pitt in the credits. His latest choice to appear without Pitt’s surname is being read as a deliberate and public statement about where his loyalties lie.

Angelina Jolie shares six children with her ex-husband: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Vivienne and Knox. Several of them have already taken steps to distance themselves from their father’s name in different public arenas.

Zahara signaled her own shift during her induction into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated at Spelman College in Atlanta. Introducing herself to her sorority sisters, she used the name Zahara Marley Jolie, omitting Pitt entirely.

On the professional front, the pattern continued with the couple’s daughter involved in the Broadway production of “The Outsiders.” Listed in the Playbill as Vivienne Jolie, she worked alongside her mother in bringing the stage adaptation to life, again without her father’s surname attached.

These choices have reportedly been painful for Brad Pitt. A source close to the actor told People that he was aware and upset when his first biological child, Shiloh, dropped his last name, describing the move as a stark reminder of the emotional distance between him and his children.

According to the source, Pitt has struggled with the sense of loss as his children grow up and publicly redefine their identities. The decisions by Maddox and his siblings to step away from the Jolie-Pitt hyphen now appear less like isolated acts and more like a broader family realignment, unfolding in full view of Hollywood and the wider public.