Brad Pitt blasts son Pax’s ‘depressing’ Instagram post as pals reveal exactly what he thinks of his kids
HE has been branded a “world-class a**hole” by his son but Brad Pitt is fighting back.
In another twist amid the bitter demise of his marriage to Angelina Jolie, it emerged this week that Brad had been described as a “terrible and despicable person” by Pax, 19.
In the youngster’s Instagram message rant in 2020, Pax, then 16, went on to claim the A-lister made his kids “tremble in fear”.
But last night the 59-year-old star slammed the allegations as a “depressing” smear.
A member of the Oscar-winning actor’s inner circle told the The Sun: “Brad has great respect for all of his children and it’s depressing to see this dragged up.
“It’s frustrating to see Brad being painted as some kind of ‘bad person’ when it’s far from the truth.
“He chooses to keep a dignified silence and that speaks volumes.”
But other sources claim half his children don’t see him at all.
Brad and ex-wife Angelina, 48, have six kids — they adopted Pax, plus Maddox, now 22, and Zahara, 18, and also have their biological children Shiloh, 17, and 15-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.
Since an ill-fated flight brought their high-profile showbiz marriage to an end, Brad has struggled to repair the terrible damage that was done.
Brad had got into an explosive row with Angelina in front of their kids on a private jet in September 2016.
It has long been rumoured that during it, Brad physically assaulted Maddox while drunk.
Just days later, Angelina filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences — and got custody of their kids.
And as the bitter divorce rumbled on, daughters Zahara and Shiloh dropped the Pitt from their once double-barrelled Jolie-Pitt surnames.
While Maleficent star Angelina, 48, is often seen out with her children, Brad has not been spotted in public with them.
There doesn’t even seem enough room for them all to stay at his new Los Angeles pad.
In April, he downsized from a masive family compound, with its own skateboard track, to a three-bedroom house.
It could be argued that custody restrictions imposed on Pitt by a court would limit the amount of time he could hang out with his offspring.
But his three adopted children are now old enough to do as they please — and they choose to be with Mum rather than Dad.
‘So proud’
The insider told The Sun: “As far as Maddox, Pax and Zahara go, the word is that they are totally in support of their mother and Brad doesn’t hear from them these days at all — certainly not the boys, and it’s been that way for a very long time.”
This is all very different from the public image Brad tries to portray of him and his children.
When Zahara started college last autumn he spoke about being “so proud” of her.
The source close to the warring pair, though, suggests Brad still has contact with his biological kids, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne.
“He still sees Shiloh and the twins whenever he can, though not as often as he would like.”
The multi-millionaire has fought a long, bitter and expensive battle to try to gain equal custody rights with Angelina.
And in May 2021, a judge ruled he could jointly share access.
But just a few months later that was overturned following an appeal by Jolie, on the grounds that the judge had financial connections to Brad’s legal team.
None of that stops Brad from seeing the children under supervision, which he has to book in advance.
Yet, despite being followed by paparazzi almost daily, the actor has not been snapped in their company.
None of the string of beautiful women the heartthrob has dated since his marriage ended is believed to have met his kids either.
Insiders reported that model Ines de Ramon, 30, who he has been in a relationship with for a year, has still not been introduced to them.
He certainly wasn’t shy about being seen out with his brood when he was still with Angelina.
The proud dad was often snapped beaming with his kids on red carpets, at football matches or at airports.
All that changed as Brad and Angelina’s marriage disintegrated around 2015.
The couple are said to have tried to keep their blistering rows from the children, but that became impossible in the confines of a private jet
In a report filed by the FBI about the 2016 incident, Angelina claimed Brad yelled at her before pulling her into the toilet where he pushed his then wife against the wall and punched the ceiling repeatedly.
When one of their brood tried to protect their mum, Brad is alleged to have “choked one of the children and struck another in the face”.
The report said he then poured beer on his family as they tried to sleep.
Brad’s representatives have always denied this version of events and an investigation by the US authorities concluded that no charges should be brought.
But following the break-up, Brad joined Alcoholics Anonymous and he has spoken about drinking too heavily for much of his life.
Pax’s private Instagram post in 2020 on Father’s Day suggests their kids experienced problems before and beyond the plane incident.
He wrote: “You time and time and again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person.
“You have no consideration or empathy toward your four youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence.
“You will never understand the damage you have done to my family because you’re incapable of doing so.”
The children’s closeness to their mum hints at where their allegiances lie.
While Brad is never seen by their sides, Angelina often is.
Vivienne is currently working with her mum in New York on a stage musical version of The Outsiders film.
The youngster is an assistant on the show, which Angelina is producing.
Mother and daughter have been seen laughing at New York’s JFK airport and out shopping for groceries.
Knox appears to be less interested in following his parents into showbiz, having only provided a voice for Kung Fu Panda 3.
Shiloh was once very close to her father, but there were signs that had changed when, in 2021, she reportedly took the Pitt part of her name off her private Instagram account.
She has travelled the world with her mum on various humanitarian projects and took up a dance course in the sun Los Angeles last year.
After a video of some of her moves was posted online last year, Brad commented: “I love when they find their own way, find things they are interested in and flourish.”
Brad’s relationship with his adopted children is said to be far frostier.
When Cambodian orphan Maddox — who Angelina adopted before she began dating Brad — started at university in the South Korean capital Seoul in 2019 a reporter asked the youngster if his relationship with Brad was over for good.
Maddox replied: “Whatever happens, happens.”
‘She’ll never forgive’
Brad is believed to have not visited his son in Korea and was reportedly absent from his 21st birthday celebrations last year.
When Ethiopian-born Zahara, who was adopted by both Brad and Angelina in 2005, was at an event at Spelman College in Atlanta last week, she omitted Pitt from her name.
In a video, Zahara said: “My name is Zahara Marley Jolie.”
Maddox, Pax and Angelina had all flown to Atlanta to mark the moment Zahara joined a social organisation, known as a sorority, at the university.
Brad, who wasn’t there, had said when she started as a freshman at the university last year: “She’s so smart.
“It’s an exciting and beautiful time to find her own way and pursue her interests.
“I’m so proud.”
Since the marriage breakdown, Brad and Angelina’s careers have taken very different paths.
He won a best supporting actor Oscar in 2020 for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and has been in a big production every year, including Babylon and Ad Astra.
Angelina on the other hand hasn’t acted in a movie since the Marvel’ movie Eternals in 2021 as she has dedicated more of her time to her family.
Even if Brad does manage to repair things with his children, there seems no chance of him being on talking terms with Angelina ever again.
Our source concludes: “She will never forgive his behaviour during the marriage and believes he’s lucky that people don’t know the full truth in terms of the hell the family went through back then.
“Brad’s failure to take full responsibility for this is something he’s got to live with the rest of his life.”
Couple's brood
Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt
Born August 5, 2001 (age 22) in Cambodia; adopted March 10, 2002 by Jolie; adopted early 2006 by Pitt
Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt
Born November 29, 2003 (age 19) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; adopted March 15, 2007 by Jolie; adopted February 21, 2008 by Pitt
Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt
Born January 8, 2005 (age 18) in Awassa, Ethiopia; adopted July 6, 2005 by Jolie; adopted early 2006 by Pitt
Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt
Born May 27, 2006 (age 17) in Swakopmund, Namibia
Knox Léon Jolie-Pitt and Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt (twins)
Born July 12, 2008 (age 15) in Nice, France