Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's Daughter Shylo's Publicized Name Change Was 'Inevitable,' Legal Expert Claims

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's daughter Shylo's sweeping decision to change her last name made headlines around the world, but it was unavoidable, a legal expert claims.

“The reality is, it would have been unavoidable,” David Glass, a California-based family law attorney, told People in a recent interview. She would have to file a formal petition with the court to change her name."

”She would have to file a formal petition with the court to change her name. And, in addition to notifying both parents in writing four weeks before the hearing is scheduled, she must also advertise."

In other words, she must ”notify both parents in writing of the hearing.

In other words, these necessary legal steps cannot be sidestepped by whoever your parents are, no matter how famous you are.

“Unless you have a criminal record and are trying to escape punishment or responsibility, these name change applications are usually very smooth and granted,” Glass added. 'I have never seen them opposed in the courts.'

According to Glass, Pitt “can come to court” and claim that her daughter was successfully or somehow “alienated against her” by her mother, but “she is no longer a minor and can basically call herself whatever she wants.”

On May 17, when she turned 18, Jolie-Pitt filed a petition to legally change her name from Shylo Jolie-Pitt to Shylo Jolie. According to sources who previously spoke to People, Jolie-Pitt hired her own lawyer to drop her estranged father's last name and paid for it herself.

Pitt and Jolie are still in the middle of a highly contentious divorce, stemming from an incident that allegedly occurred between Pitt, Jolie, and their children in 2016.

In court papers filed in 2022, Jolie alleged that Pitt abused her and the children on a private plane traveling from France to California, The New York Times reported at the time.

According to the papers, “Pitt choked one of the children and punched another in the face” and “grabbed Jolie's head and shook it.” On one occasion, Jolie alleged that Pitt “poured beer on Jolie and on another occasion poured beer and red wine on the children.” According to the New York Times, the incident was investigated, but federal authorities declined to pursue criminal charges against Pitt. Days after the plane trip and the alleged incident, Jolie filed for divorce.

Brad Pitt was reportedly “aware” and “upset” by his daughter's decision to change her last name, People reported at the time.

“He has never felt more joy than when she was born,” a source close to the actor told the magazine. 'He always wanted a daughter. Jolie-Pitt was born on May 27, 2006, after Jolie and Pitt adopted their daughter Zahara.

“It is not easy for Brad, of course, to be reminded that he has lost his children,” the source continued. He loves and misses them. It's very sad.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing some form of relationship abuse, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline for free, confidential support 24/7. Text “START” to 88788, call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or chat online at TheHotline.org.