The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Los Angeles child-welfare authorities investigated the flight. No criminal charges followed. That decision did not resolve the sharply different accounts of what happened.
Pitt subsequently acknowledged that alcohol had become a problem and sought treatment. The former couple were declared legally single in 2019, but the divorce itself was not settled until December 2024, more than eight years after Jolie filed. A settlement ended the marriage on paper. Other disputes, naturally, proved less cooperative.
Jolie’s divorce attorney, James Simon, said at the time that she had focused on “finding peace and healing for their family.”
All six children are now adults
Pitt and Jolie share six children: Maddox, 25, Pax, 22, Zahara, 21, Shiloh, 20, and twins Vivienne and Knox, who turned 18 on July 12, 2026. With the twins reaching adulthood, child-custody jurisdiction has ended.
That legal milestone has not produced a visible reconciliation. Us Weekly reported in 2025 that Pitt remained estranged from most of the children despite making several attempts to reconnect. The outlet also quoted a source saying he was “most hurt” that some of them no longer wanted a public association with his surname.
Reports about exactly how many children have stopped using “Pitt” differ. Us Weekly counted four: Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh and Vivienne. Shiloh formally changed her surname, with attorney Peter Levine calling it an “independent and significant decision following painful events.” Knox was listed as “Knox Jolie” at a graduation ceremony, according to Hola, while equivalent legal changes by Pax and Knox have not been publicly confirmed.
El País reported that all six had abandoned the name, but the available public record is less tidy. Celebrity family reporting occasionally discovers that a surname can generate almost as much confusion as a divorce filing.
Pitt also disclosed a return to alcohol
In the same Esquire interview, Pitt said he had ended seven years of sobriety and now drinks “in a more restrained manner.” He acknowledged that consuming larger amounts remains “not good for me.”
The disclosure carries additional weight because alcohol featured prominently in accounts of the 2016 breakup. Pitt previously attended Alcoholics Anonymous and spoke publicly about quitting drinking after Jolie filed for divorce.
His return to alcohol and his description of suicidal thoughts offer a more complicated picture than the familiar celebrity recovery narrative, which generally prefers a neat conclusion. Pitt did not connect the two disclosures directly, and he did not identify which family events contributed to his mental-health crisis.
There is also no verified public evidence establishing why his relationships with the children deteriorated. Reports have alternately blamed Pitt’s conduct or alleged parental alienation, but those claims largely rely on anonymous sources and competing legal arguments. The adult children’s decisions are consequential, though their private reasoning remains mostly their own.
The Château Miraval fight remains active
Although the divorce is settled and custody proceedings have ended, Pitt and Jolie remain locked in separate litigation over Château Miraval, the French winery they once owned together.
CinemaBlend reported that Pitt’s lawyers recently sought records relating to Jolie’s income after their separation as part of that dispute. The winery case has extended the former couple’s legal conflict beyond both their marriage and their children’s minority.
Pitt’s interview did not indicate whether the ongoing business litigation formed part of the “family stuff” he referenced. He chose not to elaborate, leaving the most serious disclosure clear while keeping its precise circumstances private.
If you or someone you care about needs support related to mental health or substance use in the United States, contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
