Knox was the last of the kids to manifest his preference. As the 3rd source below indicated, this was not about the incident on the plane but about Brad's actions in its aftermath. The kids could understand and forgive his drunken rampage. It was human frailty, a loss of control driven by his alcohol abuse. They know of his immediate efforts to change: quit drinking, join AA and undergo therapy. What they could not understand was his refusal to publicly accept responsibilty and the lies he resorted to to do so. His conscious, deliberate actions are what matter.
Brad has only made very vague references to his actions on the plane and after. The closest he came to a confession was in the voice-overs by his character in Ad Astra and in his promotional interviews for the film. All of which were easily undermined by his reps' dissembling to sow confusion and shift the blame to Angelina. Those actions continue up to now.
As the source stated, it is Brad's lack of honesty that eroded the kids' trust. He has not displayed the integrity, courage and selflessness the kids could look up to and be proud of. As he said to GQ:
"In the end, you find: I am those things I don't like. That is a part of me. I can't deny that. I have to accept that. And in fact, I have to embrace that. I need to face that and take care of that. Because by denying it, I deny myself. I am those mistakes."It's been 10 years, and he still hasn't taken care of it.
If all the waiting in the family has been because he assured them he will make things right, that may be like Waiting for Godot. He may not publicly confess and apologize for so long as he has movies to promote -- and he has movies stretching to the horizon.
When the choice comes down to his career or his family, he has consistently chosen his movie career. If, in the end, it is only his movies that carry his name but not any of his kids, that was the deliberate choice he made. As the saying goes: You made your bed and now lie in it.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s son Knox drops dad’s last name from diploma weeks ahead of 18th birthday https://t.co/PFD30VL8RT pic.twitter.com/jY6VA2ypTa
— Page Six (@PageSix) June 13, 2026
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s son Knox dropped “Pitt” from his last name on his high school diploma.
The teenager, who turns 18 on July 12, used the name “Knox Jolie” on his certificate after graduating from Fusion Academy in Los Angeles earlier this month, a source exclusively told Page Six.
A second source exclusively told Page Six that Angelina “seems quite pleased with herself about the total success of her long-standing, intense, deliberate effort to alienate her children from their father.”
“It’s so sad for the entire family that she would use the same weapon of the name change over and over for any other purpose other than to hurt their father,” the insider continued. “This was her goal and she succeeded.”
A third source exclusively told Page Six, “Angelina participated in years of family therapy with Brad and the children for everyone to try to heal after the events that led her to file for divorce.”
“If he isn’t close to the kids, it’s because of the harm that was done,” the insider added. “He wasn’t honest about his actions, and it affected the trust between them. It’s been very hard for the kids. No one knows, except them, how bad it has been.”
The source continued: “The children are now adults and make their own decisions, which deserve respect. If they choose to distance themselves from him, it comes from that pain and harm. It’s really horrible that he has tried to paint himself as a victim. When will people start asking real questions about what happened to the kids?”
