Walking the red carpet together to raucous fanfare, Angelina Jolie and her youngest son, Knox, made a rare public appearance at the 2024 Governors Awards in Los Angeles last week. Jolie wore a bohemian gown from The Knit Vintage, while Knox suited up in a classic tuxedo to accompany his mum on her informal promotional tour for her new film Maria, which is enjoying Oscar buzz.
Knox, now 16, had not been seen on a red carpet for the past three years. He follows sister Shiloh, 18, who similarly joined her mother on the red carpet back in April while attending the Broadway premiere of The Outsiders.
What’s behind the steady introduction of Brangelina’s brood to public life? Well, the kids are all grown up. Teen twins Knox and Vivienne are the youngest of Jolie and Brad Pitt’s children, with Shiloh, now 18, and Zahara, 19, said to be thriving in college. Pax, 20, and Maddox, 23, meanwhile, are both embarking on their own careers.
While Jolie recently insisted that none of the children want to be movie stars (‘They’re especially shy, very private people,’ she told E! News), they all already have acting and producing credits on their CVs – with bit parts in Maleficent and voice acting roles in Kung Fu Panda.
In fact, Jolie brings at least one or two of her children into every one of her projects, often behind the camera, with Maddox and Pax in assistant director roles on Maria while Shiloh supported production for The Outsiders. 'They’ve done that quite a few times, and I think that’s good for them,’ Jolie told The Hollywood Reporter. ‘Pax tends to do stills and he gets brought in, and [Maria director] Pablo [Larrain] was wonderful and recognised that he was good at it.’
For Zahara, now in her second year at Spelman College, Atlanta, life is filled with college parties and sorority events. She joined Alpha Kappa Alpha, the historic first Black sorority, in November 2023 and was captured on camera recently performing choreography with her fellow students. It went viral on TikTok, of course. In the future, Zahara seems keen on following in her mother’s philanthropic footsteps – she launched a jewellery line in 2018 with proceeds going to a women’s shelter in LA.
The twins are still in school and remain the last of the children to keep their father’s surname (the four eldest kids have legally dropped Pitt). Behind closed doors the children are said to be deeply unhappy with the now eight-year-long divorce that has seen distressing family issues aired in public when Jolie accused Pitt of physically and verbally abusing her and the children in court documents – allegations he has always denied. The divorce proceedings stalled when Pitt disputed Jolie’s sale of her shares in a vineyard they co-own – a case that’s now set for trial next year.
The stress of the court case is taking its toll on Jolie, with friends now fearing for her health and the children increasingly frustrated. ‘The kids are very protective towards their mom,’ an insider told Grazia. ‘It pains them to see how much suffering Angelina has been through. She’s been very careful not to burden them with specifics and adhered to all court mandates, giving them every opportunity to see Brad whenever they wished to.’
The most recent ruling will see Hollywood’s longest divorce extend far into 2025, a decision that can’t be making things at home any easier. A night on the red carpet with his mum seems like a deserved treat.