Brad Pittis devastated by his children's decision to distance themselves from him.
According to insiders, the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actor, 60, has been shocked and saddened by his kids Vivienne, 15, Shiloh, 18, and Zahara, 19, ditching his last name as he continues to battle things out with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie.
"Given the cold climate between him and Shiloh’s mother, he suspects Angelina had a hand in this," the source claimed about the teen's recent legal filing to officially cut "Pitt" from her surname. "The days after Shiloh’s birth in Namibia were some of the happiest days in Brad’s life."
While it's unclear if Shiloh's sisters have nixed the surname for good, Vivienne and Zahara have cut back on their association with their father. "He’s deeply hurt and is also troubled that Vivienne and Zahara stopped using his name. It’s clear Angelina is twisting the knife," the insider added.
According to sources, Zahara introduced herself as Zahara Marley Jolie at a sorority event at Spelman College this past fall. As for Vivienne, her name has been listed as Vivienne Jolie in the playbill for Broadway's The Outsiders, in which she worked as an assistant with her mom, 49, who served as producer.
"It’s heartbreaking. The implication is that they want nothing to do with Brad," a separate source revealed while adding that the move "basically confirmed Brad’s biggest fear: that Angelina sabotaged his kids’ relationship with him."
The friction between the Fight Club actor and his kids seemed to stem from an alleged 2016 altercation on a private plane where Brad reportedly got violent with members of his family. Tensions only worsened as he and his former spouse, with whom he also shares Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, and Knox, 15, continued to battle it out in court over their winery following their split.
"Brad has made a tremendous effort to grow and learn from all of his experiences," an insider explained of the rift between the relatives. "He would love to find a way to continue to do this, repair things with his kids and for everyone to get to a better place."
Never miss a story — sign up for the OK! newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what OK! has to offer. It’s gossip too good to wait for!
"The reminders that he’s lost his children is, of course, not easy for Brad," another source explained of the difficult time in Brad's life. "He loves his children and misses them. It’s very sad."
Star spoke with sources close to Brad.
