Brad Pitt reportedly hoped the upcoming holiday season could bring him closer to his six estranged children. The actor planned to continue reaching out with Christmas gifts, despite the painful distance following his divorce from Angelina Jolie.
Pitt’s girlfriend, Ines de Ramon, has supported his efforts as he holds onto the possibility of reconciliation. Although the children have largely distanced themselves from their father, the insider suggested he remained convinced their relationship might eventually improve.
Brad Pitt believes ‘time will heal’ his relationship with his kids, per source
In Touch reported that Pitt had “not given up hope” of rebuilding his relationship with his children. The source said he loved them dearly but struggled with being excluded from their lives. “He loves them dearly and being shut out like this torments him, but he has to believe that eventually time will heal things,” the insider explained.
The family rift has also surfaced through the children’s surnames. Maddox, 25, Zahara, 21, Shiloh, 20, and Vivienne, 18, have legally filed to remove Pitt from their last names, according to the publication. Knox, 18, has not requested a legal name change but reportedly used “Jolie” on his high school diploma.
Pax, 22, remained the only child still using his father’s surname. However, the source acknowledged that he and Pitt were not speaking, despite the small comfort the name offered the actor.
“The fact that Pax has kept his surname is another little bright spot for him,” the insider said.
Pitt found the estrangement difficult to reconcile with the family’s earlier closeness. He continued sending Christmas presents each year, and this holiday season would be no different. The source said Pitt and de Ramon, 33, had already started shopping for the children.
“He wants them to know he’s thinking of them, even if they aren’t ready to talk to him,” the insider explained. They added that Pitt found it heartbreaking to depend on photos and updates from other people to learn how his children were doing.
Still, he hoped greater independence would eventually encourage them to reconsider their relationship.
