Shiloh's decision to drop Brad Pitt's surname linked to alleged violation of her 'victim's rights' during court battle, claims insider

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s biological daughter Shiloh’s decision to drop her father’s surname stemmed from a fateful flight from France to California in 2016.

Recently, a source shared with Daily Mail that Shiloh waited for four years after there was a disagreement during a custody battle when she was 14.

On May 30, just three days after celebrating her 18th birthday, Shiloh filed a petition to drop her father’s surname. It has been reported that she not only hired her own lawyer but also arranged to pay the legal fees by her own money. 

Shiloh chose to drop surname after alleged violation of victim’s rights

The source, who is allegedly close to the family, shared with the outlet that Shiloh’s move to drop the ‘Pitt’ surname was “connected to the (alleged) abuse history” by the ‘Troy’ actor and also to “the violation of Shiloh's victim's rights.”

The insider shared that Shiloh’s anger developed from her father's legal moves that prevented her from testifying about her wishes regarding custody. They further shared that Shiloh even wished to speak about the incidents of the infamous 2016 flight, but was not let to.

“The name change goes back to the custody battle, and Shiloh's belief that her rights as a victim were violated,” shared the source.

They continued, “Shiloh believed she had the right, as a victim of crime, to testify — and was prevented from doing so.”

Per the outlet, under the Crime Victims' Rights Act, a federal crime victim has the “right not to be excluded from any such public court proceeding, unless the court, after receiving clear and convincing evidence, determines that testimony by the victim would be materially altered if the victim heard other testimony at that proceeding.”

Five days after the fateful flight, Jolie filed for divorce from the ‘Babylon’ actor, which subsequently led to a contentious legal battle.

Though judge John Oudekirk initially ruled for a 50-50 custody arrangement in mid-2021, it was ruled out later that year after Jolie appealed the judgment saying Pitt’s lawyer has commercial links with the judge.

Though she petitioned for the children to testify, they were not allowed to speak in the court.

Since then, Jolie and Pitt’s six children, Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and Knox and Vivienne, 15, have formed a close relationship with their mother and stayed with her. 

Other Jolie-Pitt children too have dropped their Pitt surname

Shiloh is, however, not the first in the brood to drop her father’s surname. The eldest of the brood, Maddox and Pax have long ceased to use their father’s name.

Zahara, who is a student at Spelman College in Atlanta, sensationally dropped the surname last year.

Since their parents' split, the children have openly shown their support for their mother and even walked the red carpet with her.

The source explained, “This is the result of textbook parental alienation, and it is a great sadness in his life.”

“There have been years and years of (Angelina) telling and retelling the same lies (about Brad), and the reality is that she has alienated the kids, and the reality is that it is upsetting to Brad. He cares about all of them. It is devastating,” shared the insider.