Brad Pitt cut ties with son after explosive Father’s Day post

Nearly 10 years after his split from Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt reportedly fears his fractured bond with his adopted sons – one of whom branded him a “world-class a**hole” on Father’s Day – is broken for good.

When Brad Pitt, 61, and Angelina Jolie first locked eyes on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, they set the entertainment world on fire. Fast-forward almost two decades, and what was once a picture-perfect family has unraveled into one of the most bitter and heartbreaking celebrity custody battles of all time.

At the center of it all is a harrowing 2016 private jet flight that may have shattered Pitt’s relationship with his children forever.

Jolie, 50, claimed that her ex-husband was physically and emotionally abusive while intoxicated in front of their children; Maddox (23), Pax (21), Zahara (20), Shiloh (19), and 16-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox.

Flight fight

On September 19, 2016, Jolie filed for divorce just days after an alleged in-flight altercation involving Pitt, her, and their children. According to court documents and leaked filings published online in late 2024, the fight started before takeoff from their French estate, Château Miraval, and escalated midair.

The disturbing filing highlights key parts of the accusations against the Fight Club star and the scuffle with his ex-wife and the kids, an argument that started before the family boarded the private plane, traveling from Château Miraval to Los Angeles.

Once the plane took off, Pitt reportedly accused the mother of being “too deferential” to their kids, and then he launched his “attack.”

Alleged abuse

The document suggests that the Meet Joe Black star “grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her and then grabbed her shoulders and shook her again before pushing her into the bathroom wall.”

“Pitt then punched the ceiling of the plane numerous times, prompting Jolie to leave the bathroom.”

“When one of the children verbally defended Jolie, Pitt lunged at his own child and Jolie grabbed him from behind to stop him. To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the airplane’s seats, injuring Jolie’s back and elbow.

“The children rushed in and all bravely tried to protect each other. Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face. Some of the children pleaded with Pitt to stop. They were all frightened. Many were crying.”

The report also explains that Pitt continued with his hostilities, even forcing the family to stay on the plane for 20 minutes after it landed.

Pitt has consistently denied the allegations and was cleared by authorities following investigations at the time.

Still, Jolie filed for divorce only five days after the incident.

Fallout and fractures

Jolie has consistently claimed her decision to file for divorce was to protect her children.

“It was the right decision,” Jolie told Vogue, explaining that she left her husband for the “wellbeing” of her family. “I continue to focus on their healing.”

Pitt, on the other hand, has denied all allegations of abuse, maintaining that he’s taken accountability for past alcohol use and worked to rebuild himself and his relationships. But time, it seems, has not healed all wounds – especially not with Maddox and Pax, the latter who in 2020, reportedly branded him a “world-class a**hole” in a vicious Father’s Day post on Instagram.

‘World-class a**hole’

According to Page Six, Pax, 16 at the time, allegedly published the scathing review of his adoptive father on his private Instagram story, claiming the star made his four youngest children “tremble in fear.”

“Happy Father’s Day to this world-class a**hole! You time and time and again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person. You have no consideration or empathy toward your 4 youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence. You will never understand the damage you have done to my family because you are incapable of doing so.”

The message, reportedly written over an image of Pitt accepting an Oscar, continued: “You have made the lives of those closest to me a constant hell. You may tell yourself and the world whatever you want, but the truth will come to light someday.”

Jolie’s fault

In early June, Page Six reported that Pax, 21, “partie[d] hard” and “stumbled out of Chateau Marmont and into the strip club” in Los Angeles. “Pax appeared to be barely able to stand as he put his arms around his pals.”

In January, he was hospitalized after he crashed his electric bike, only six months after he injured himself in another accident.

Suggesting Pax’s behavior is influenced by Jolie – who has primary custody over the children – a source close to Pitt told the outlet “that whatever his kids are going through right now is a direct result of how they have been raised.”

“They are now old enough to make their own choices, and if their choices include drama, that is all on them. Brad would be there to give advice, but he cannot be when he is unable to have a relationship with them at this time.”

‘Unfixable’

Now the actor is convinced the damage with his two adopted sons is permanent, the tipster said, explaining that Pitt has “zero concern with what Pax does or doesn’t do.”

“Pax and Maddox have made it abundantly clear how they feel, and Brad has nothing to say about either of them,” the source, revealed, adding that Pitt no longer has communication with them.

Sharing that the star has “zero concern with what Pax does or doesn’t do,” the insider said that “[Pax’s] actions reflect who he is. Brad honestly considers his relationship with Pax unfixable.”

Distance ‘pains him’

Despite the heartbreak, Pitt hasn’t entirely given up on reconnecting.

According to People, he has visitation rights with his four younger kids and “holds out hope” to mend ties with them – even as three of them have started to redefine their identities without his name.

“He’s aware and upset that Shiloh dropped his last name,” the source told the publication, adding the distance from his children “pains him.” “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.”

Do you think time will heal this high-profile family feud, or are the wounds simply too deep? Please let us know your thoughts and then share this story so we can hear from others!