The First Adoptions
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt started their family in an untraditional way, with Pitt adopting the two children, Maddox and Zahara, who Jolie had previously adopted as a single mother. The family started when Jolie ended her marriage to Billy Bob Thornton in 2002 in an unusual way: She adopted a six-month-old baby boy from Cambodia. He became her first child, Maddox.
Three years later, the single mother expanded her family again, this time when she adopted her daughter Zahara from Ethiopia. And although that news was exciting for all fans of the Jolie-Pitt partnership (lovingly called Brangelina), nothing was more exciting than the couple’s announcement that they were pregnant with their first child together.
Escaping the Press
Fans and the press went crazy when Brad and Angelina officially became a couple, and that excitement never seemed to fade even after they had been out as a couple for a while. The public’s unquenchable thirst for Brangelina photos prompted the couple to go to Namibia for Jolie to give birth.
It was one way of escaping the public’s obsession with the couple’s baby. Before the child was even born, people in the public were already guessing which parent she would most resemble. Keeping the baby out of the public eye was a priority for the new parents.
Growing the Family
Shiloh’s birth made the Jolie-Pitts a family of five, which is the size when many families decide to stop having children. But Jolie and Pitt decided to continue to expand their family, this time through another international adoption.
Only a year after Shiloh’s birth, the stars brought a three-year-old from Vietnam home. With the adoption of Pax, the family grew to a family of six, with four kids and two parents. Biological or not, Brangelina loved all of their four children the same.
No Longer a Single Mom
Like other adoptive families who adopt children from abroad, Jolie and Pitt had to journey to Ethiopia before they could become Zahara’s legal guardians. Jolie adopted her oldest two children as a single mother.
As her relationship with Brad Pitt grew and continued, he soon stepped in became the children’s guardian. In 2006, he took it a step further by adopting them and making him his kids.
The First Pregnancy
Brangelina and their two kids already captivated the public, but their stardom rose, even more, when Pitt and Jolie announced they were expecting their first child together. The public went crazy, although that was somewhat to be expected.
Part of being famous is knowing that the public is interested in your life, but balancing that with children can be hard. After all, a child shouldn’t grow up in front of the paparazzi just because the parents are stars. Privacy and publicity with a child can be a difficult scale to balance.
How It Began
But how did the Jolie-Pitt family get started? It began when the couple got to know each other on the movie set of Mr. & Mrs Smith, which they co-starred in together. Pitt was still married to Jennifer Aniston at the time, and his subsequent divorce from Aniston after meeting Jolie outraged fans.
Jolie has said that nothing happened between her and Pitt before his divorce from Aniston was finalized. Jolie’s father cheated on her mother, and Jolie said she could never be in a relationship with someone who was still married.
A Public Commitment
Having a child together is a sign of a serious commitment, so fans naturally went wild when they found out that Jolie was pregnant with the couple’s child. After all, having a child with someone isn’t something that is dissolved if you end up divorcing or breaking up.
The couple kept things private in Namibia and only confirmed that Jolie gave birth to a daughter on May 27, 2006. The well-hidden child caused prices for a photo of the child to shoot up, with many magazines willing to pay a small fortune to be the first to publish a picture of the much-anticipated Baby Jolie-Pitt.
Setting Up Security
The couple was serious about keeping the birth private, and they even hired employees from the Namibian government to enforce security. The portion of the hospital where Jolie and the baby were located was closed to everyone. Only people who had written permission from Jolie and Pitt were able to enter the wing.
Security was set up to surround the entire area where the family stayed. But that didn’t stop people from trying to get a glimpse. One photographer was arrested after he tried to enter the hotel without any type of security clearance.
A Reveal for Charity
Although the couple decided to stay longer in Namibia in an effort to prolong their privacy, they couldn’t avoid the American press forever. Some fans expressed concern that baby Shiloh would be hidden forever, but others suspected the couple was going to make a deal with a media outlet when they were ready to reveal photos.
That turned out to be true, with the family reaching an agreement with Getty Images. In exchange for a large sum of money, Getty photographers were granted access to the family and the new baby. The pair donated the money to a charity rather than keep it for themselves.
Increasing Fame
It was a mistake to think that the public would lose interest in baby Shiloh after pictures were released. The baby became so famous, in fact, that a wax likeness was made of her for the famous wax museum Madame Tussauds.
The manager of the wax museum, Janine DiGioacchino, said that at even a few months old, Shiloh was already becoming a pop icon. The American public was clearly obsessed with Brangelina’s latest child.
Child Number Four
The Jolie-Pitt family didn’t stay a family of five for long. They noticed a change in their family when they returned to America after Shiloh’s birth. As a result, the couple decided to adopt another child. That child was Pax, whom they adopted from Vietnam.
Because Pitt and Jolie were not married, Jolie had to adopt Pax by herself. Vietnam refused to allow Pitt to co-sign. Despite this, Pax is Pitt’s son, too.
A Family of Six
Brad became Pax’s legal guardian once they returned with him to the United States. By then, they had a family of six, with three adopted children, one biological daughter, and the two famous parents.
Despite a large number of children, only two family members seemed to resemble each other: Brad and daughter Shiloh. Jolie once joked that Shiloh would be the outcast of the family with her blue eyes and blonde hair.
Attractive Parents
The media’s fascination with Shiloh only grew after her family released the first photos of her. Paparazzi were constantly trying to take pictures of her, and the public spent a lot of time debating whether she inherited her mother’s or her father’s good looks.
Both Jolie and Pitt are well-known for their attractiveness, so it was assumed that Shiloh would be equally attractive. Jolie openly talked about how much Shiloh looked like Pitt, but a child’s appearance is always changing at that age, and Shiloh was clearly Jolie’s daughter.
Another Pregnancy
The Jolie-Pitt clan didn’t stop at six. Jolie made news again when she announced that she and Pitt were expecting another child together. Fans went even crazier when she revealed they were actually expecting twins.
On July 12, 2008, daughter Vivienne Marcheline and son Knox Léon were born. Like their sister’s birth, Knox and Vivienne’s birth also caught the attention of the press. The first photos of the newborns cost $14 million.
Like Father, Like Daughter
Jolie and Pitt kept their newborn twins away from the camera just as they did with Shiloh. As a result, the media continued to focus on the now-toddler. She appeared to resemble Pitt in nearly every way.
Her blonde hair and blue eyes were his, and they even had a similar face shape. Photos of a young Brad Pitt are often hard to distinguish from photos of a young Shiloh. Shiloh even went so far as dressing similarly to her dad.
Dressing Like Dad
The Jolie-Pitt children weren’t often in the public eye, but when they were, they caught the camera’s eye. On the red carpet, Shiloh often wore a mini suit just like her father, while her sisters preferred to dress similarly to their mother in fancy dresses.
Shiloh even wore her hair in a similar style to her father’s, so it wasn’t a surprise when speculation began circling about the little girl’s masculine looks, even though she was just a toddler.
Androgynous Looks
It’s no secret that the press will do what it has to do to make money, and the magazines quickly found out that running articles about Shiloh’s appearance and connecting it to Jolie’s skills as a parent brought in a lot of money. In 2010, Life & Style magazine released a particularly brutal headline that read: “Why Is Angelina Turning Shiloh Into A Boy?”
The reporter included an interview with a conservative Christian group Focus on the Family, who said that allowing children to act androgynously would have repercussions for the child in the future. The public didn’t seem to appreciate the constant scrutiny of the child, and it rejected the idea that Shiloh should be forced to dress in more feminine clothing.
Sparking Controversy
One specific group, the National Center for Transgender Equality, spoke out against the statements made by Focus on the Family. They released a statement challenging the idea that it was in a child’s best interest to push it into gender stereotypes at a young age.
They also said that the world will benefit from children who have a wide range of interests that extend beyond what is expected of each gender. In a Vanity Fair interview, Jolie defended her daughter’s androgynous style.
Transgender Speculation
In the Vanity Fair interview in 2010, Jolie’s comments sparked speculation that Shiloh might be transgender. In the interview, Jolie said Shiloh preferred to dress as a boy and act like a boy. She even said Shiloh thought of herself as “one of the brothers.”
It’s important to note, however, that Shiloh was still a young toddler at the time. She may have been enjoying a tomboy phase instead of feeling like her gender didn’t fully represent her.
A Wave of Support
Like most things in the media, the release of that interview caused a buzz in Hollywood. Many prominent LGBTQ celebrities spoke out and offered support to the Jolie-Pitt family and Shiloh herself.
Cher’s son, Chaz Bono, said he would like to speak to them to let them know what resources exist for transgender children and their families. Bono is transgender and said that growing up in the limelight was difficult with all the attention the media lavished on him.
Growing Publicity
Talk surrounding Shiloh’s gender identity never let up, and other celebrities began to involve themselves in the discussion. Model Amber Rose posted a photo taken of Shiloh on the red carpet and wrote the following caption: “How gorgeous is John Jolie Pitt?! Born into the perfect family for him.”
Her post was accompanied by the following hashtags: #TransKids, #LoveUrKidsNoMatterWhat, and #Support. The implication was that Shiloh was openly transgender. Rose received backlash for that, especially because she was involving herself in a situation that did not concern her.
Seeking Attention
Speculation began to spread that Shiloh was making her fashion choices based on a desire for more attention. Jolie herself fanned this speculation when she admitted that she has to make an effort not to ignore Shiloh’s needs.
She said that the older three children (Maddox, Zahara, and Pax) came from difficult circumstances, while Shiloh was born into privilege. That does not mean, however, that Jolie neglected her daughter.
Separation
To some, Shiloh appeared to have gender dysphoria, where she identified with the gender she was not born into. Others argued that her androgynous appearance was a cry for attention from her famous parents.
In 2016, Pitt and Jolie announced that they were separating after over a decade together. Divorce and separation create additional hardships for children, and it could not have made Shiloh’s situation any easier.
A Physical Attack
Fans were naturally curious about why the couple, who married in 2014, decided to separate two years later. Accounts emerged that there had been a physical altercation between Pitt and their oldest son, Maddox, who was 15 at the time.
According to the reports, Pitt physically attacked Maddox, who was attempting to try to protect Jolie during an argument between the couple. Pitt has denied those allegations, and those who know the star personally support his account that there was no physical attack.
Unflattering Rumors
Brangelina’s separation and eventual divorce were covered heavily by the media, just like every other part of their life together. Rumours abounded, including one that Pitt had taken to drugs and alcohol and had been behaving unacceptably.
Other rumours spread that Pitt had an affair with his French co-star in Allied, Marion Cotillard. Nothing has been confirmed, and fans are naturally still hungry for information about why the celebrity couple decided to split.
An Unexpected Inquest
Things only continued to get worse for Pitt, especially after photos of him moving out of the family home surfaced in numerous publications. Even worse, a report surfaced that Pitt was being investigated by the FBI and Los Angeles Department of Child and Family Services for how he treated his children.
This was a shock to fans who seemed unable to reconcile Pitt’s public persona with what seemed to happen behind closed doors. Ultimately, however, Pitt was cleared of all charges after the investigation concluded.
Affecting the Family
No children are immune to their parents’ divorce or separation, but for the Jolie-Pitt children, Shiloh seemed to be taking it the hardest. A family friend was quoted in Radar Online as saying that Shiloh had changed since the separation.
The friend went on to say that the 11-year-old didn’t grasp why Pitt wasn’t able to go on the family trips to places like Disneyland. It didn’t make things easy for a child already hounded by the press.
Filing for Custody
Jolie took the couple’s separation to the next level when she filed to be given sole custody of all six of their children. Since the children were so young, they had no say in what happened with the custody dispute.
Shiloh was particularly close to Pitt, so Jolie’s decision no doubt was hard on the child. Since she was underage, her opinion didn’t matter much when it came to who she lived with, so she had to live with Jolie as her sole caregiver for the time being.
Being Honest
Jolie has been honest about her separation from Pitt. She was quoted in an interview from 2017 as saying that she thought it was important not to cry in front of the children, particularly because they needed to know things would be okay even if she wasn’t always sure.
Jolie seems to understand that her split from Pitt is difficult for all the children, and she has worked to make it as easy of a transition as possible, even if that means putting her kids’ feelings ahead of her own.
Co-parenting
Jolie’s motion to file for sole custody of the pair’s children didn’t mean that Pitt was uninvolved in his children’s lives. In fact, both parents have still been actively involved in their children’s lives despite their new living arrangements.
Shiloh can still be close to her dad as long as Pitt continues to make an effort to see her. Jolie and Pitt seem to both support Shiloh taking after her father, and she continues to look more like him every day.
A Tense Situation
It soon became clear that Jolie and Pitt would not have an easy separation. Separating your life from someone else’s is always difficult, but it becomes particularly hard when there are children involved and you need to negotiate a custody agreement.
It soon became clear that Jolie was willing to go to great lengths to secure full custody of her six children. At first, the battle for custody was private, but Jolie eventually decided to take it out into the open.
The Fight Gets Dirty
In 2018, two years after announcing their separation, Pitt and Jolie were still at war over the custody of their children. Jolie took her case to the public and accused Pitt of not being a good father and being uninterested in his children’s lives.
Pitt challenged the allegations, citing all the money he had been spending on his children and claiming that he only wanted to have his children in his life. The tense situation was not easy for Shiloh.
Fleeing the States
The situation took a turn for the worse when Jolie started filming her movie Maleficent 2 in London. At the same time, Pitt was working on his own movie back in LA. This led to Jolie made the decision to take all six of the couple’s children with her to London without obtaining Pitt’s permission.
Understandably, It was a big blow to Pitt and prompted him to start fighting to get his kids back. We agree with Pitt here. No matter what their personal opinions, Jolie should have sought their father’s consent before, taking them out of the country.
The Courts Step In
Very rarely does anyone benefit when one parent seeks to keep a child away from the other parent. After Jolie took her kids to London, a judge stepped in and ordered that she allow Pitt to regularly see the children.
The judge acknowledged that although Jolie may have thought she was acting in the best interest of the children, she was, in fact, making things worse by preventing them from seeing their father. Pitt was finally allowed to communicate with them regularly and without being monitored. But the effects of the brutal separation had already begun.
The Hardest Impact
Numerous sources close to the custody dispute have leaked to the press that Shiloh has been the most negatively impacted by Jolie’s custody pursuit. One tabloid, Star, said Shiloh even told Jolie that she wants to live with Pitt instead.
It must be a relief for Pitt to hear that his daughter is still loyal to him. In an odd turn of events, it looks like Jolie’s hostile behaviour may be working against her. One judge hinted at the idea that her behaviour could be cause for her to lose custody completely.
Continuing with Life
The tension between her parents hasn’t halted Shiloh’s life completely, though. Recent travels include trips to Disneyland and Utah, as well as Namibia, where she was born. The only trip she seemed to react negatively to was the one, which forced her to move to London with Jolie.
With the intervention of the court, the trip was cancelled. We bet the pain of being separated from her dad has most likely been unbearable, probably even worse than a recently broken collarbone from an accident while snowboarding.
A Family Divided
Shiloh is just one of six children impacted by the tension between the famous couple and their infamous separation. Many have asked, How have the others been impacted by Jolie’s custody crusade?
Some reports hint that the Jolie-Pitt boys are not on the best terms with their father, which isn’t surprising since the initial separation is reported to have come after a fight between Pitt and Maddox. The Jolie-Pitt daughters, however, still seem to be loyal to their father.
A Future Interview?
Sources have reported that Shiloh is tired of the fight between her parents. One specific source even hinted that Shiloh might be willing to go public with the situation. The young girl reportedly wants to let everyone know that she and her siblings still love their father and want him in their lives.
It seems that Shiloh has been wanting to open up about this situation for a while, especially after Jolie’s most recent attempt to portray Pitt negatively. We hope this entire situation gets handled, away from the public away and as quickly as possible.
Nearing the End
The custody battle seems to have been going on forever, but an end may be in site. Things seem to be slightly cooling down and the divorce and custody dispute may end more amicably than had previously seemed.
After all, Jolie has tried quite a lot of tricks to separate her kids from Pitt, and so far, they don’t seem to be working. Shiloh is still loyal to Pitt, and Pitt is still trying to be an active part of his children’s lives.
Gaining Influence
Shiloh is no longer the little baby who had to be hidden from the paparazzi in 2006. As she becomes a teenager, her opinions will undoubtedly hold more weight than they did when Jolie and Pitt first announced their separation.
Pitt seems to have made progress recently, but Jolie recently hired a new legal team, so it remains to be seen how things will end. It’s in the best interest of Shiloh and her five siblings, however, to let them have the relationship they want with their father, even if that means Jolie has to allow them to see Pitt.