Angelina Jolie And Brad Pitt’s Journey As Parents Of Shiloh

It’s hard to say what Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are most famous for…their charity work or a large family? Probably, charity work! Well, some may say adoption counts as charity in a way. Over the course of their relationship and marriage, they worked hard to raise their kids. However, the public soon became fixated on Shiloh.

Brangelina

Back in 2002, when Angelina Jolie was recovering from her divorce from Billy Bob Thornton, she made the decision to adopt her first child, Maddox, who was a six-months-old orphan born in Cambodia. After that, Angelina adopted an orphaned baby from Ethiopia, Zahara, in 2005. However, nothing could compare to the exciting news that Brangelina were expecting.

Building The Family

Back in 2002, Jolie adopted Maddox from Cambodia when he was only six months old. She began to raise him as a single mom after breaking up with Billy Bob Thornton. Then when Brad and Angelina adopted Zahara from Ethiopia, the world could not get enough. However, they also anxiously awaited the couple’s first Jolie-Pitt born child.

Escaping the Media

Of course, the media would not leave Brad and Angelina alone once they got together. Despite efforts to lead a private life, there were always paparazzi watching. Every step they took was monitored by just about anyone who could get their hands on a camera.

To Africa

In fact, it became so crazy that the couple decided to go to Namibia to give birth to their child. Everyone desperately wanted a glimpse of this baby, but traveling to the south of Africa made it difficult for people to follow them there.

Expanding

While some may have predicted five was the final count for this family, the couple chose to expand to six. After Shiloh was born in 2006, they adopted a fourth kid, Pax. Pax was a three-year-old orphan from Vietnam.

Adoption Difficulties

Despite being an international and diverse family, Angelina makes sure to show the same love and affection to all her children. Actually, the difficulties that went along with the adoptions made Brad and Angelina want the kids that much more.

Adopting In Ethiopia

Although they were megastars, the couple still faced trouble during adoption. Back to 2005, when they tried to adopt Zahara, the six-month-old orphan in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, it wasn’t so simple. Also, Brad announced shortly taking custody of Zahara, he wanted to adopt Jolie’s children, Maddox and Zahara.

From Jolie To Jolie-Pitt

It was at this point that Jolie changed the two children’s last names to Jolie-Pitt that year. When everyone clicked with the affectionate name of Jolie-Pitt, it reminded everyone of the moment the couple had become Brangelina.

Exciting News

Back to Jolie’s first pregnancy, the media was already crazy over the news of Brad adopting her kids, but then hearing about the pregnancy made them go wild. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie attempted to keep their relationship very private. Clearly, they were constantly bombarded due to being two of the most celebrated in their industry. However, the kids did not choose a life in the spotlight.

Where It All Began

If you take it back to the beginning, things get a bit awkward. The couple actually met on the set of their movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but at that time Pitt was married to Jennifer Aniston.

Affair Rumors

Once he fell for Angelina, Brad Pitt divorced his wife. Thus, the media went wild. Despite rumors of an affair, Jolie vehemently denied them, saying, “To be intimate with a married man, when my own father cheated on my mother, is not something I could forgive.”

Much Anticipated Birth

Anyway, after this somewhat controversial beginning, things changed gears when the world heard soon after that Angelina was expecting. Now, the relationship seemed solidified. They headed to Namibia for a more private birth and alas, on May 27 of 2006, they welcomed a baby girl.

Photos For Charity

Of course, the photos of their newborn babies were going to sell like hotcakes. The couple ended up selling some photos of the baby with the proceeds all going to charity. Now, isn’t that a wonderful way to welcome their baby into the world?

Tight Security

Actually, the media had made plenty of failed attempts to catch pictures on their own of the baby. Luckily, with the help of the local authorities, the couple kept paparazzi away. Not even reporters were allowed to enter the area of the hospital. Only people with written permission from the couple could gain access.

An Incident

At one stage there was quite a commotion but nobody knew what was going on past the security screens. Then it was revealed that a rogue photographer attempted to sneak his way into the hospital. He was caught and arrested.

Big Reveal

Brad and Angelina stayed with baby Shiloh in the country of Namibia for a bit, all the while media outlets in America continued to anxiously await. This had them all speculating if the couple had signed a specific deal for the first photos of the baby or not. At last, as we mentioned, the couple indeed sold the baby’s photos through Getty Images. Therefore, the pictures made it to Hello! and People magazines for an unbelievable sum. Don’t worry, as we said, all the money was given to charity.

Media Frenzy

Naturally, the world thought the excitement would eventually die down. However, they could not be more wrong. There was something shocking in the works that even the couple themselves didn’t know about.

A Wax Figure

In fact, Madame Tussauds even made a wax figure of the baby! In defense of this decision, manager Janine DiGioacchino said, “Even though she’s just a few months old, Shiloh is already an iconic figure in the world of popular culture.” It seemed to some as a bit absurd to say a newborn was an icon. Then, this child continued to be the fascination of the public for other reasons.

Not Quite Done

Much to everyone’s shock, the couple made another big decision once they returned home from Namibia. Apparently, something did not feel quite right. Thus, they decided to adopt yet another child.

Adopting Pax

It had been less than one year since the birth of Shiloh and Angelina adopted Pax, a three-year-old orphan from Vietnam. If you’re wondering, Angelina needed to adopt as a single parent because Vietnam has a law that doesn’t allow couples who are not married to adopt.

The Jolie-Pitt Family

Once they returned to America, Pitt could legally adopt Pax. So in 2008, Brad Pitt became a father to another son. Now, as a family of six, the Jolie-Pitt family became an iconic image of a diverse and loving unit. In a telling statement, Jolie commented on the appearances of her blended family, “Shiloh looks like Brad,” jokingly she added, “it’s funny because she’s almost going to be the outcast in the family because she’s blonde and blue-eyed.”

Growing And Changing

As expected, the paparazzi could not get enough of the parents out and about with young Shiloh. As a toddler, many speculated she would obviously inherit the good looking genes of her parents. However, fans wanted to guess which parent Shiloh would resemble more.

Mom Or Dad?

Though Angelina claimed Shiloh looked like Brad, with more photos, fans began comparing Shiloh to a younger Angelina Jolie. Despite this, the child still could transform in many ways in the years to come.

An Announcement

Everyone’s attention was on Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, until Brad and Angelina had more big news in May of 2008. During the Cannes Film Festival, a glowing Angelina Jolie told the world she was expecting twins. Now, the world prepared itself for more babies resembling Shiloh.

Next Came The Twins

Then July 12, 2008, the twins, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline were born. This time, Brad and Angelina made a deal with the media and ended up selling the photos for $14 million! Again, the proceeds went to their charity, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation.

A Young Brad

Since the twins were sheltered from the public, the spotlight remained on young Shiloh. When seen in the public next, this young girl radiated with blue eyes and blonde hair, resembling her father, Brad Pitt. Everyone remarked on how much the child looked like a younger Brad Pitt. People began seeing Shiloh as a daddy’s girl, but especially because Shiloh preferred to even dress like her father.

Non-Traditional Style

Whenever young Shiloh appeared on the red carpet for her parents’ films, she wore a suit. While Angelina and her sisters wore girly dresses, Shiloh often appeared more sophisticated in a masculine looking outfit.

Her Hair Too

It wasn’t just her clothing that was different, Shiloh’s blonde hair was cut into a style modeled after Brad’s look. Sadly, the media was not kind in their commentary on Shiloh’s choice of masculine style even though she was just a child.

The Tabloids

Soon enough, tabloids began publishing cover stories that questioned the parenting styles of Brad and Angelina. The magazine Life & Style published a cover in March 2010 that dared to ask, “Why Is Angelina Turning Shiloh Into A Boy?”

Media Crosses Boundary

Then, the article even had family representatives claiming a lack of ‘gender distinction’ could harm young kids. Of course, many responded by questioning how appropriate it is to cover a young child in this light and asked for Shiloh to be left out of tabloids.

Defending Choices

In particular, the organization, The National Center for Transgender Equality fired back against this article. They released a statement saying, “Our society needs healthy, well-rounded children whose interests and tastes are as diverse as the children themselves and are not limited by outdated stereotypes of gender.”

Her Mother Speaks

Then, the mother herself, Angelina Jolie gave an in-depth interview to Vanity Fair where she clarified on the choices of her daughter. It was what everyone was waiting for – a statement by her actual mother, and not someone else.

Telling Interview

In 2010, Jolie told Vanity Fair, “[Shiloh] likes to dress like a boy. She wants to be a boy. So we had to cut her hair. She likes to wear boys’ everything. She thinks she’s one of the brothers.”

All The Speculation

After hearing this, people began to speculate whether Shiloh was showing signs of a transgender kid. While some agreed these were tell-tale signs, others said the child could be going through an experimental period or tomboy phase since she was at an impressionable age.

Outpouring Support

Once the news about Shiloh’s identity rapidly spread, LGBT advocates and fellow celebrities began voicing support for Shiloh in whatever choice she made. There was someone who specifically came forward to show their support.

Someone Speaks Out

In 2011 Chaz Bono, Cher’s transgender son, spoke out. Chaz said, “I would love to talk to them at some point, [And] at least let them know we have this resource for them if they ever need it. For a child who had grown up in the spotlight, under the watchful eye of the media, it can be too much to handle.”

Speaking Out Of Context

Thus, the rumor mill spiraled out of control about Shiloh’s gender identity. None other than the model Amber Rose decided to weigh in. Once pictures of an 8-year-old Shiloh on the red carpet emerged, Rose posted a photo of Shiloh on her Instagram with the caption, “How gorgeous is John Jolie Pitt?! Born into the perfect family for him. #TransKids #LoveurKidsNoMatterWhat#Support.” People were angry that Amber Rose had the audacity to comment on the issue without having personal involvement or knowledge.

Concern Over Child’s Needs

As Angelina Jolie continued to make telling statements about her devotion to her kids and the family dynamics, people started to make connections between them and Shiloh’s behavior. Angelina Jolie made a statement that had people thinking.

Born With “Privilege”

Angelina said, “I felt so much more for Madd, Zahara and Pax because they were survivors. Shiloh seemed so privileged from the moment she was born. But I’m conscious that I have to make sure I don’t ignore her needs, just because I think the others are more vulnerable.”

Plight For Attention

This led some to claim Shiloh was not in a gender identity crisis, but rather, acting out for attention and love in contention with her adopted siblings. However, that speculation took a backseat when huge news came out in 2016.

Strain for the Family

Shiloh and her five other siblings were under intense strain because their parents announced they were divorcing. It was all very public and also bitter. That wasn’t even the whole of it.

Father/Son Altercation

Shortly after the news of the divorce, some sad news came to light. On a private plane owned by the family, it was reported that Brad had a fight with his son Maddox, 15 years old at the time. Maddox tried to defend Angelina Jolie during a verbal fight between the now separated couple. Once the story came out, others claimed Brad Pitt did not actually fight with Maddox.

Public Searches For Reason

No matter how hard the family attempted to keep things private, the world could not stop talking about the divorce. More rumors began circulating that Brad Pitt was an alcoholic and was suffering from a substance abuse problem. They claimed this is what drove him to act in such an inappropriate manner.

A Suspected Affair

Meanwhile, other rumors came out about Pitt engaging in an extra-marital affair with Marion Cotillard, his castmate on Allied. The reports of an affair were denied, but still, the world felt there was something more to this dramatic separation.

Investigation Of Brad

Next, photos of moving trucks at the Pitt-Jolie residence surfaced and paparazzi and news outlets found out the FBI along with the LA Department of Child and Family Services was investigating Brad Pitt for child abuse. Everyone was shocked that a man so involved with charity work could even consider such atrocious behavior. People began to wonder if he was so involved with charity and humanitarian causes to maintain a public image different from his private one. Luckily, after the investigation, it came out there was no evidence of child abuse.

Hard Times

Of course, watching parents go through a divorce is hard on any child, but the publicity of the whole disruptive change really affected the Pitt-Jolie children. Some sources reported that Shiloh was having the most trouble coping with the divorce. One source told Radar Online that, “Shiloh’s not the same bubbly kid she was before Brad and Angie split, she doesn’t understand why Brad can’t be there on their family trips to Disneyland.”

Separation

While Angelina Jolie filed for sole custody, the minors had no choice but to stay alongside their mom. Many saw how this was especially difficult for Shiloh. They noted she was having trouble with Brad no longer being part of their everyday lives.

Kids First

In an emotional interview from 2017, Angelina Jolie said, “I think it’s very important to cry in the shower and not in front of the children. They need to know that everything’s going to be all right even when you’re not sure it is.” Although these quotes were responded to her overall life journey and reaching the point she’s at now, many saw this statement as very revealing about the tough times. Clearly, Angelina was a loving and protective mother and always puts her children first.

Undying Bond

Despite the very public split, Brad Pitt would still play a large role in his children’s lives. So, there would be no doubt that Shiloh would not only see her father regularly but have the same relationship as before. With the love and support from both Angelina and Brad, Shiloh would enjoy the freedom to choose how she wanted to grow up. Many saw Shiloh morphing more into a mini Brad Pitt, and they trusted their bond would never be broken.

Supporting Her Kids

Then, Jolie and her kids made an appearance at the LA premiere of The Breadwinner, an animated movie about a girl in Afghanistan that Jolie produced. The film was released in November 2017. Jolie explained how the transition was going, “Everything will be around the children. I haven’t worked for over a year now because they needed me home. Everything was just stopped. I’m really sitting and talking with them because everything affects them. Every location, every type of project, I’m going to have to adjust it to however much they can handle.”

Allowing Her Child Freedom

Of course, everyone knows how loving and dedicated Angelina Jolie is to her children and their choices. However, many appreciated when Brad Pitt appeared on Oprah’s show in 2008. It was there that he announced his daughter Shiloh preferred to be called John. Many applauded him for also allowing his child to be free to make gender choices.

Family Resemblance

While most people want to talk about how much Shiloh resembles her father, Brad Pitt, others noticed something completely different. When Shiloh was photographed out with siblings, many fans began to see how much the kids looked alike. Knox has grown quite a lot and some joked that he could be Shiloh’s twin. Both kids have Brad Pitt’s blue eyes.

Photography Hobby

Gender identity aside, many remark on how curious and artistic young Shiloh is already! Angelina took Shiloh to a camera shop in LA for a bonding trip. Shiloh has shown a lot of interest in photography and the two carefully selected a camera on that trip.

More Talent

If her photography hobby wasn’t enough to impress you, then you should know that Shiloh has taken a keen interest in music as well. She was given a ukulele from her mother as a gift. She seems to carry the same talent traits as her parents.

Moving Forward

In 2019, it’s hard to believe how much all the kids have grown already! With Maddox the oldest at 18 years old, then Pax at 16 years old, then Zahara is 14, Shiloh 13 and the youngest twins, Vivienne and Knox are 11 years old already. Their mother Angelina is 44 years old and lives in LA.

The House

In early in 2017, Jolie purchased a $24 million mansion that former filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille once owned in order to be closer to Brad, 56 years old. So, as the family moves forward, they are making sure to remain close and work on what’s best for the children.

Painful Injury

Everyone knows that kids will be kids no matter what. They love adventure, are somewhat clumsy, and are constantly wanting to try new things. Well, Shiloh and her family were enjoying a holiday vacation at a ski resort when she was injured in a snowboarding accident. Fortunately, a team of doctors and nurses were on hand at the resort to help out. She reportedly broke her collarbone and as a result, had to wear a sling.

Giving Back

We all know how much Angelina loves giving back. She’s constantly helping all kinds of charities and organizations while traveling to different countries to volunteer. Not to mention, she adopted several children who needed a good home. It turns out she isn’t the only one with a heart of gold. Her eldest born also loves traveling abroad with her to help make the world a better place.

Not Camera Shy

Growing up the child of two famous parents means plenty of events, premiers, and lots of paparazzi. There are some celebrities who love bringing their children to all kinds of public outings, but there are some that prefer not to involve their children in these events, especially at a young age. It turns out that Shiloh has attended galas, premiers, award shows, and red-carpet events with her parents.

Special Meaning

It turns out that both Shiloh’s first and middle names have special meanings to them. Her first name, Shiloh, is a historical name. It comes from Jerusalem and means “to whom it belongs”. In addition, Shiloh is also a reference to prophets in the Holy Bible. Her middle name, Nouvel, isn’t historical but is a special person. Brad loves a certain architect named Jean Nouvel. The French architect designed a plethora of buildings. To honor him, Shiloh was given his surname.

Younger

While Shiloh is the oldest of Brad and Angelina’s biological children, she isn’t the oldest of the adopted children. In fact, she’s actually younger than all her adopted siblings. In any case, it seems that doesn’t matter to her or her siblings since they all seem to be very close.

Homeschool

Among celebrities and their children, homeschooling is pretty normal. Doing so has many advantages compared to regular schools they can send their kids to. Being the child of celebrity parents, the media and fans will always be interested in their lives. As a result, celebrity parents opt for a safer way to educate their kids rather than allowing them to be hassled by paparazzi at school.

C-Section

Back in January 2016, Angelina spoke about giving birth to Shiloh in Namibia and how it inspired her humanitarian activities around the world. She said she went to a hospital there and found out she was in breech and would need a c-section. When she saw there were no ultrasound machines in the hospital,  she couldn’t believe it. However, she saw there were plenty of qualified people working in the hospital.

Famous Friends

Apparently, Shiloh and her siblings have pretty famous friends. Here we can see Millie Bobby Brown hanging out with her and her sister Zahara. It’s rather rare to see the Jolie-Pitt kids without their parents, but this time, it looks like the kids are on their own. We can only assume they have at least one bodyguard nearby.

A Movie Credit

While she’s still young, Shiloh is already showing some interest in the entertainment industry. She had a small role in the animated film Kung Fu Panda 3 back in 2016. Alongside her siblings, she recorded some animal noises that were used in the movie.

13th Birthday Present

It’s been said that Shiloh has wanted to go to Hollywood’s trendy escape room The Basement. It simulates a scenario where participants are kidnapped by a scary ‘serial killer’ played by live actors.  The game is so serious that kids under the age of 13 aren’t allowed to play. So, for her 13th birthday, Angelina took her along with her older siblings to the escape room. It turns out that Shiloh loved it.

Home

Most people have one place which they call home, but the Jolie-Pitt family is somewhat different. The kids weren’t just born all over the world, but they still call several places home. The family has multiple homes all over the world. With two houses in California, two in Louisiana, and an apartment in New York City, they also have properties in the South of France and in Spain.

Multi-Lingual

The Jolie-Pitt kids are very encouraged to have a well-rounded worldly education which includes learning new languages. Angelina has said that the kids were learning different languages, saying, “I asked them what languages they wanted to learn and Shi is learning Khmai, which is the Cambodian language, Pax is focusing on Vietnamese, Mad has taken to German and Russian, Z is speaking French, Vivienne really wanted to learn Arabic, and Knox is learning sign language.”

No Drinking

One strict rule that Angelina has set for the kids was no drinking. It has been reported that Angelina had gone so far as not bringing any alcohol into the house and the kids weren’t allowed to sleep over by people she fears might end up having the opportunity to drink.

Nicknames

In Angelina’s parenting, she very much encourages the kids to do their own thing for the most part, aside from a couple of rules she lives by. The kids all have rather uncommon names, but even so, they don’t respond to them. It’s been said that all the kids have nicknames which they use. For instance, Maddox is “Mad,” Zahara is “Z,” Vivienne is “Vivi,” the list goes on…

Single Daily Call

Now that the divorce is going at full swing, things have gotten rather complicated in the kids’ lives. When they’re with Brad, there’s a set time when they can have one phone call a day with their mom, Angelina. Essentially, Angelina is only allowed to call them once a day, at a time agreed on by both parents.

Freedom

Just about everything the kids can do you’d never think they would be allowed. It all boils down to Angelina and Brad’s parenting philosophy. Angelina doesn’t believe in rules. She thinks it’s important for the kids to have freedom of expression.

No Tests

Angelina refuses to impose any structure on the kids’ studies. Now that’s a childhood fantasy come true! It turns out that she lets the kids learn what they want and ignore the stuff they don’t. We bet kids today would absolutely love that in schools. Not to mention, Angelina’s kids don’t take tests or do homework.

Raised By A Nanny

Brad and Angelina hired a nanny for each of their kids, totaling in six nannies. Reportedly, Angelina’s brother was entrusted with making sure all the nannies were doing what they needed to do. He basically just kept them all in line. Despite having a nanny, Shiloh formed close bonds with both her parents and loved being involved in their fame. She spent a lot of time in the spotlight herself.

Starred Alongside Her Dad In A Movie

In 2008, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button came out. Brad Pitt was the lead in the movie, but do you know who starred in the movie as well? Shiloh! She was about two years old at the time the movie was being filmed, and she appeared in a few scenes. She played the child of Benjamin and his wife Daisy.

Maddox Has A Budding Career

The oldest Jolie-Pitt child, Maddox, was the first to be adopted by Angelina before she and Brad were even an item. He was born in Cambodia but grew up with his famous parents in the States. He began his movie career pretty early, making a cameo in World War Z. In 2015, Angelina directed and starred in the movie, By the Sea, and Maddox had a role behind the camera as a production assistant. Then, in 2017, he had an important behind the scenes job in First They Killed My Father as an Executive Producer.