The ongoing rift between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt has resurfaced publicly following the graduation of their eldest daughter, Zahara Jolie, from Spelman College in May 2025. According to multiple sources who spoke to the Daily Mail, Pitt did not call Zahara to congratulate her on the milestone, reigniting tensions and propmting a new wave of accusations from both camps. The family's private conflict, which has simmered since the couple's separation in 2016 , shows no signs of resolution.

The Graduation Phone Call That Never Came

A source close to Jolie told the Daily Mail that nothing prevented Pitt from attending the ceremony or visiting his daughter. The source emphasized that the day was about Zahara's accomplishment, not about Pitt's presence. In response, a Pitt insider told the same outlet that the ongoing public criticism of the actor's relationship with his children has become increasingly frustrating, insisting he is not the absent father he has been portrayed as and that he wants a relationship with all six of his kids .

Alienation Allegations Re-Enter the Spotlight

The Daily Mail also reported allegations from sources that Jolie has repeatedly attempted to alienate her children from their father. This claim is not new; it echoes years of court filings and public statements during the couple's protracted divorce proceedings. Pitt's camp has previously acknowledged that he took responsibility for his behavior following a volatile 2016 flight incident, but maintains he has been blocked from meaningful contact. Jolie's sources have hit back, with one saying that Pitt's fractured relationship with his children is a direct result of how he has treated them.

The Grandmother's Estrangement: A Nine-Year Silence

The family divide was further underscored when Pitt's mother, Jane Etta Pitt, died in 2024 at age 84. According to a soucre cited by the Daily Mail, Jane had been cut off from her grandchildren for about nine years and did not speak to them before her death. The source questioned Jolie's motives, asking whether she would remain bitter for the rest of her life and keep the children from their grandparents. Jolie's camp has not publicly addressed that specific claim.

Pitt's Defense: Present and Available

One of Pitt's insiders told the Daily Mail that the actor has come to understand there is little more he can do beyond continuing to be present and available if his children ever decide they want him back in their lives. Meanwhile, a third source suggested that Jolie shares an exceptionally close bond with the children — they are her best friends — and that she has convinced them Pitt is not a good person.. As the source put it: 'They are now old enough to make their own decisions, but when you've been taught one thing for so long, it's hard to suddenly unlearn things.'

What Remains Unanswered

Two specific questions hang over the reporting, which is based almost entirely on anonymous sources speaking to a single news outlet. First, has any impartial third party — a therapist, a court-appointed evaluator, or family mediator — corroborated either side's version of the alienation claim? Second, does the children's own public behavior (for example,Maddox and Pax reportedly having little contact with Pitt) reflect independent judgment or the long-term influence of their mother? The Daily Mail report does not include on-the-record statements from any of the six children themselves.