Angelina Jolie’s eldest son, Maddox Chivan Jolie, celebrated his 25th birthday on August 5, 2026. From being introduced to Hollywood in 2002 after the actress adopted him when he was 7 months old to becoming an elder brother to his five siblings, Maddox’s life journey has been endearingly captured by the cameras. Recently, he made headlines for joining the list of his siblings who filed to remove ‘Pitt’ from his legal name.Here’s a closer look at Maddox Chivan Jolie’s life down memory lane.
Angelina Jolie adopted Maddox when she was 27
While filming ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’ in Cambodia, Angelina Jolie had a soul-bonding connection with Maddox in 2001. After returning home, she decided to adopt the baby and visited his orphanage later that year. During that time, the ‘Eternals’ actress was in a relationship with Bob Thornton and decided to file for adoption on her own. Splitting up with Billy in 2002, she remained a single parent for years.In the 2020 Vogue India interview, Jolie opened up about her decision to adopt in 2001. “In 2001, I was in a school programme in Samlout playing blocks on the floor with a little kid and as clear as day I thought: ‘My son is here.’ A few months later I met baby [Maddox] at an orphanage. I can’t explain it and am not one to believe in messages or superstition. But it was just real and clear,” she recalled.
Maddox Chivan Jolie’s educational qualification and career debut
Despite being closely connected to the film industry, Maddox Chivan Jolie took a deep dive into education. He studied biochemistry at Yonsei University in South Korea. Stepping into Hollywood, he followed his mother’s footsteps and worked as an assistant director in Jolie’s September 2025 film, ‘Couture.’ It revolved around an American filmmaker finding out about her breast cancer after arriving in Paris for editorial content for the fashion show.
Maddox Chivan Jolie filed to remove ‘Pitt’ from his name
Maddox became the fourth sibling who decided to remove Brad Pitt’s surname from his legal name. He published a legal notice in the Los Angeles Daily Journal, as mentioned in California law. While he unofficially removed the name during his credits in the ‘Couture’ film, he published the notice once a week for four consecutive weeks in June-July, per Page Six. He was joined by his sister, Zahara.Maddox Chivan Jolie shares a close bond with his five siblings: Zahara, Shiloh, Pax, Knox, and Vivienne.