Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s split linked to abuse allegations; Children including Vivienne, Shiloh and Maddox reportedly distancing themselves from Pitt’

Brad Pitt’s relationship with several of his children became strained following the alleged domestic abuse incident during an international flight from Paris to Los Angeles in 2016.

Despite the Angelina Jolie's domestic abuse allegations Brad Pitt holds out hope for mending ties with his children, including his eldest, Maddox. (AP)

Angelina Jolie, who shares six children with Pitt—Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 15—alleged in legal documents that their father, Pitt had been physically abusive during the flight.

Jolie and Pitt’s marriage ended in 2016, shortly after the alleged incident on the flight.

She claimed that the Bullet Train star grabbed and shook her while accusing her of “f****ng up this family.” Not only this, the documents detailed more disturbing allegations, including that Pitt “choked” one of their children and “hit” another in the face.

However, a source close to Pitt denied any allegations of abuse, stating, “There was a parent-child argument which was not handled in the right way and escalated more than it should have. He is emphatic that it did not reach the level of physical abuse, that no one was physically harmed. He did not hit his child in the face in any way. He did not do that; he is emphatic about that.”

Jolie and Pitt’s children struggle after the 2016 incident

Now, a source close to the family told Us Weekly, “Maddox was very affected by that incident, and he’s taken it upon himself to be Angelina’s protector,” and added that Maddox’s negative perception of Pitt has “rubbed off on” the younger children.

And that’s why Shiloh’s recent decision to drop Pitt from her surname appears to be “connected” to the rumours surrounding her father’s alleged “abuse history,” according to an insider. “She [used to be] very close with Brad and his family, but that relationship [changed] in recent years,” the insider explained.

Vivienne and Knox, the youngest of the Jolie-Pitt children, have also started distancing themselves from their father. Vivienne chose not to use her dad’s last name on the playbill for “The Outsiders.”

“They used to have Facetime calls when they were apart and he was much more involved in their lives,” told the outlet. “The dynamic has shifted.”

Following the backlash, Pitt “acknowledged his drinking was a problem, and he’s truly sorry for his part in the split,” a source told Us Weekly last year.

“He loves Maddox dearly, and even though they’re still estranged, Brad will always hold out hope for reconciliation.”