Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s children spent valuable time together before their nasty divorce led to a decade-long lack of communication.
Brad, 60, has been alienated from his daughter Shiloh, 18, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 16, as well as his three adoptive children Maddox, 23, Pax, 20, and Zahara, 19, after an intense argument on their private aircraft in 2016. Angelina, 49, filed for divorce.
The estrangement has been devastating for both the actor and his parents, William and Jane Pitt. Despite sending birthday and Christmas cards, they have been unable to continue their relationship.
Insiders have also revealed how Brad’s extended family, including his nieces and nephews, have felt the lack of touch, as they lament the tight link they formerly shared with their cousins.
‘When it came to Brad, his family was extremely focused on his seeking therapy for his alcoholism,’ an insider told DailyMail.com.
‘The Pitts attempted to maintain contact with the children, but some members of his family were unable to contain their fury with the aftermath, and Angelina cut them off.
Brad Pitt’s family, including his parents, siblings and nieces and nephews are mourning the close bond they once shared with his children (pictured with his parents and Angelina Jolie)
Photos of twins Knox and Vivienne, now 16, with Brad’s niece Sydney (above), show how close the cousins were before the couple’s traumatic divorce tore them apart.
‘Because the children were so small, all communication had to go through their mother. And now, over nine years later, they have no relationship.
After their breakup, Brad admitted to having a drinking problem and went to Alcoholics Anonymous for a year and a half.
In 2020, he openly expressed gratitude to his friend Bradley Cooper for assisting him in overcoming his addiction.
William, often known as Bill, 83, and Jane, 84, have struggled to maintain contact with their grandchildren.
‘His parents continue to send cards at Christmas and on birthdays even though they receive no response,’ the insider added.
Bill and Jane, who adored Brad’s previous wife Jennifer Aniston, have two children, Doug Pitt and Julie Neal, with whom they are very close.
Doug and Lisa have three children: Sydney, Landon, and Regan. Julie is the mother of Caleb, twin daughters Josie and Rylie, and adoptive sons Caden and Cruz with her husband Scott Neal.
The close-knit family frequently shares photographs with their relatives and grandparents on Instagram, with Brad’s children appearing frequently in previous posts – something that has since halted following his split from Angelina.
Sydney, Brad’s niece, appeared to express her regret at the lack of contact with her cousins in February 2017, when she uploaded a photo of Knox and Vivienne in Santa Barbara and commented, ‘Missing my babies & this area a little more than usual today.’
A source said: ‘It was so important to Brad for the kids to know their cousins especially when Angelina is estranged from her dad and brother’ (Vivienne pictured with her cousin Sydney)
Sydney uploaded a picture of the twins in February 2017, five months after the incident on the plane, saying she was missing them (shown).
The source revealed how close the family had formerly been, saying: ‘They would go to Missouri for family reunions many times a year and spend weeks together at Brad’s California home in the summer.
‘It was very essential to Brad that the kids knew their cousins, especially because Angelina is estranged from her father and brother.’
Throughout the years, photographs show the children visiting Brad’s $20 million beachside mansion with their relatives during family vacations.
Zahara dropped ‘Pitt’ from her last name in November 2023, and Vivienne did the same in June this year, causing additional heartache. Shiloh hired her own lawyer in August to officially leave ‘Pitt.’
‘The Pitt family are close-knit, and they wear their last name like a badge of honor,’ the source explained. “The idea that some of Brad’s children have opted to discontinue this is mind-boggling. The family doesn’t grasp it.
They continued, ‘Granted, Shi was demonstrating solidarity with her mom, but it was made plain where she stands.’
But despite this, the family ‘will continue to keep their doors open’ and are hopeful that ‘some of the kids will be able to see the importance of family as they get older and will reach out.’
Brad shares daughter Shiloh, 18, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 16, as well as three adopted children Maddox, 23, Pax, 20 and Zahara, 19, with the actress
The close knit family regularly share images with their cousins and grandparents on Instagram – but have not posted pictures with Brad’s children since 2016
The Pitt family is shown with Angelina and their children at a celebration some years before they split.
According to a source close to Angelina, she has not prohibited any kind of communication. The children send Christmas and birthday gifts to their grandparents, who have seen them and communicated.
Bill and Jane were last seen in public with their grandchildren at the 2014 premiere of Angelina’s film Unbroken.
Brad took the children and his parents to the Hollywood premiere in lieu of the actress, who had contracted chickenpox.
Jane was full of admiration for Angelina at the time, telling reporters, ‘We’re extremely proud of Angie. This means a lot to our family, especially the youngsters. We love her very much.
Angelina had previously praised Brad’s parents for accepting her adoptive children.
‘When I first met them, I came in with two adopted children from foreign countries, and I had no idea how they would be,’ she explained. ‘But they are equally loving towards them.’
In 2016, the Maleficent actress filed for divorce after barely two years of marriage, indicating a breakdown in family relations.
Brad and Angelina were officially proclaimed separate three years later, in 2019.However, the stars are still battling over their Chateau Miraval home.
The source added: ‘They would go to Missouri for family gatherings several times a year and spend weeks together at Brad’s California home in the summer’
The pair’s youngest children, twins Knox and Vivienne, have recently stepped out with their mother at industry events, with the latter deleting ‘Pitt’ from her surname.
Brad’s connection with his three eldest children has deteriorated to the point where he has “virtually no contact” with them.
The actress has been accused of intentionally causing a rift between Brad and their six children over time.
After walking arm in arm with Knox at the Governors Awards on Monday, a source told DailyMail.com that Brad believes she has turned their children against him.
‘Of course, it upsets him that Angelina has turned them against him,’ they explained. ‘She did this while they were all little, and they didn’t even have a chance to form their opinions about him.
‘He feels that his children will eventually return to his life.’
Tony Webb, a former British SAS soldier who worked for the family for almost 20 years beginning in 2000, claimed in May that a colleague told him he overheard Angelina ‘encouraging the children to avoid spending time with Pitt during custody visits.’
Court filings lodged at LA Superior Court detailing the explosive claims were made public as part of the ongoing ‘War of the Roses’, with the A-List couple stuck in a battle over her rights to sell their French vineyard.
The former power couple – who wed at the Provence, Southern France estate in 2014 – are set to face off in court next year.