Ongoing rift won’t end Brad Pitt’s hope to reunite with his estranged kids

According to InTouch, Brad Pitt is still largely on the outside of his children’s lives — the outlet reports he mostly has photos of them and relies on other people for updates. The estrangement has played out publicly as several of his and Angelina Jolie’s kids move away from using their father’s last name.

Even so, the Oscar winner is reportedly holding onto optimism that distance won’t be permanent. An unnamed source told the magazine that Pitt believes time — and his kids getting older — could open the door to a reset.

“Brad has not given up hope that one day this nightmare will be over and he’ll have his kids back in his life,” the source said. “He loves them dearly and being shut out like this torments him, but he has to believe that eventually time will heal things.”

Names in flux

The outlet reports that five of the former couple’s six children have either formally dropped “Pitt,” filed to remove it, or stopped using it in everyday life. The exception, for now, is Pax, 22, who has not sought a legal name change.

• Shiloh — the first of the siblings (and the pair’s biological child) to legally remove “Pitt.”
• Maddox — also no longer using “Pitt,” per the report.
• Zahara — has legally dropped “Pitt,” according to InTouch.
• Vivienne — most recently filed a request to remove “Pitt” from her name.
• Knox — has not filed legally but reportedly used “Jolie” on his high school diploma.
• Pax — has kept “Pitt” and has not filed for a legal change.

“The fact that Pax has kept his surname is another little bright spot for him,” the source told InTouch. “They aren’t speaking, but Brad still takes some comfort in that.”

Holiday gesture

InTouch also reports that Pitt continues to send presents to his kids every year and plans to do the same this holiday season. He and girlfriend Ines de Ramon are already shopping for Christmas gifts, per the outlet.