Before their 2019 divorce, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie raised six children together. But since their split, it's become clear that things in their family were very different behind closed doors than they appeared from the outside looking in. And according to what a source close to the former couple is sharing now, it sounds like trouble may have been brewing for a long time, especially when it came to the way each of them wanted to parent.
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According to what an insider told People, their disagreements about parenting stemmed from the different approaches they each wanted to take while raising their children.
"During their marriage, they had very different parenting styles," the source said. "Brad grew up with structure and wanted more rules for the kids," the source explains. "Angie had a different upbringing and wanted the kids to be more independent and responsible for their own schedules from a young age."
Eventually, the disagreements became too big to overcome.
"Brad and Angie clashed over this," the source said.
Despite their differing viewpoints, the former couple did have the same end goal for their kids.
"However, they did always have the same vision for their kids' future," the source continued. "They wanted the kids to thrive by experiencing the world first-hand and not only learn from traditional schooling."
The insider went on to say that they both "really care" about the kids, including Brad, who now reportedly has "virtually no contact" with his adult children.
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In fact, over the last year, more than one of his adult children seems to have made it clear where they stand when it comes to their dad.
So far, two of Angelina and Brad's children have changed their last names to their mom's only — both Zahara and Shiloh are going by "Jolie" now, rather than "Jolie-Pitt." Shiloh made the change legally official in May 2024, when she turned 18.
A source previously told People that Brad wasn't happy about Shiloh's name change.
"He’s aware and upset that Shiloh dropped his last name," the insider said. "The reminders that he’s lost his children, is of course not easy for Brad. He loves his children and misses them. It’s very sad."
