Tragic Details About Brad Pitt And Angelina Jolie's Son Pax
Former Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie share six children together: three biologically and three adopted. Their fourth child, who is actually their second-oldest, is Pax Jolie-Pitt. He was born in 2003 and joined the family about four years later. He's had a stunning transformation over the years, going from a cute and fun-loving little boy to a handsome e-bike-riding young adult.
Though he and his siblings have enjoyed lavish lives, the brood has spent most of their time out of the spotlight. But just because a family has money doesn't mean it's a happy one, which the public came to learn after an alleged abuse case emerged in 2016 that involved the entire Jolie-Pitt clan. Pax may be a nepo baby, but he isn't without his fair share of struggles, beginning from the moment he was born in Southeast Asia to suffering from a car accident as an adult on a busy street in Los Angeles.
He had zero freedom for the first three years of his life
In 2007, Angelina Jolie adopted Pax Jolie-Pitt from Vietnam, joining siblings Maddox, Zahara, and Shiloh Jolie. Though his adoption story has a happy ending, his life didn't start out that way. He initially grew up in an orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In an interview with MSN, Angelina shared how rough Pax had it. "He spent 3 1/2 years of his life in one place, in one room, in this one little iron bed with 20 other kids, and having no choice for himself to do things, having no freedom," she said (via People).
After Pax joined the Jolie-Pitt family, his demeanor completely changed for the better; he was clearly happy and carefree. Angelina noted how much of "a tough, remarkable little person," her son was. Uprooted from everything and everyone he ever knew, Pax had to learn English and navigate his new life — which aren't easy tasks for a toddler to handle.
He was caught up in a child abuse case against his father
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt went through quite a messy divorce and custody battle in 2016, which affected all six of their children, including Pax Jolie-Pitt. Pax and Brad's relationship took a serious nosedive during a family vacation. While on a private jet, Brad reportedly became belligerent towards Angelina, and Maddox Jolie-Pitt, Pax's older brother, stepped in to defend the "Maleficent" star (via Inside Edition).
According to a court filing by Angelina (via NPR), Brad allegedly choked one of his kids and hit another one in the face. He was also accused of pouring alcohol on his children, who were said to have protected each other the best they could during the encounter. The spousal and child abuse allegations were investigated by the FBI, but law enforcement ended up not pressing charges (via BBC).
In 2020, four years after the plane incident, Pax reportedly bashed Brad on Instagram with a Father's Day post. "Happy Father's Day to this world-class a**hole!! You time and time again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person," he reportedly wrote (via Daily Mail).
His father allegedly didn't want to adopt him
Angelina Jolie may have adopted Pax Jolie-Pitt in 2007, but Brad Pitt didn't officially adopt his son until 2008. According to People, only Angelina initially adopted him because she and Brad were unmarried at the time, and the law in Vietnam makes it tricky for unmarried couples to adopt children.
In 2018, two years after the alleged family blowout on the airplane, Angelina reportedly told Pax some disheartening news, per an Us Weekly source. Supposedly, Brad "never wanted to adopt him," since the couple had given birth to Shiloh Jolie-Pitt only a year before and Pax didn't speak English (via NZ Herald). The insider also revealed how Brad was allegedly irate with Angelina for moving forward with the adoption anyway, claiming Angelina told Brad, "Pax needs [her] more than Shiloh." The Hollywood couple apparently almost split up over Pax's adoption, which definitely wouldn't make a then-15-year-old Pax feel great about the whole situation.
He was in a terrifying e-bike accident
In July 2024, a 20-year-old Pax Jolie-Pitt was involved in a serious motor accident in Los Angeles. He reportedly crashed his electric bike into a car during rush hour (via TMZ). The accident happened when he plowed into a car that was stopped at an intersection on a busy street. Unfortunately, Pax wasn't wearing a helmet, which caused him to suffer a head injury. He was rushed to the hospital and ended up in the ICU.
He soon became stable and was allowed out of the ICU. A source told People, "He suffered complex trauma, and now begins the long road of recovery and physical therapy." Pax's mother, Angelina Jolie, as well as his siblings, sat by his side during his recovery in the hospital. However, Pax reportedly didn't want Brad Pitt there with him. An insider told DailyMail, "Don't expect Pax's accident to bring the family dynamic back in any way as Pax is 100% on Angie's side and doesn't want any well wishes or remorse from Brad." This disconnect is supposedly breaking the "Fight Club" actor's heart that he can't be there for his son.
A little over a month after the accident, Pax attended the premiere of his mom's movie, "Without Blood," walking the red carpet with her at the Toronto International Film Festival. People noticed some scars on his forehead, but Pax didn't let them ruin the big night. Later that month, he attended a screening of "Maria," with facial scars proudly on display.