In recent months, two of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie‘s kids have reportedly dropped the Bullet Train actor’s last name, seemingly aligning themselves with their mom.

According to an insider who just spilled more tea to InTouch Weekly, Pitt, 60, isn’t taking this lightly and is gearing up to fiercely defend his reputation in the “Hollywood popularity contest.”

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Brad Pitt Reportedly Eager To Win A Hollywood ‘Popularity Contest’ Against Angelina Jolie, According To An Insider

The feud between these two Oscar-winning megastars (who split in 2016 after a decade together and two years married) has everyone in Tinseltown choosing sides like never before, the source noted. “Brad has so much power in Hollywood, which is one thing that’s tough for Angelina to compete with him over,” they told the outlet.

The Moneyball star allegedly thinks he holds a significant amount of sway and “power” in Hollywood, making it “tough” for the Eternals actress, 49, to keep up, the person in the know revealed. “She does have a few friends and allies, like Salma Hayek and Ellen Pompeo, along with a handful of studio bosses, but for the most part, she’s not winning any popularity contests in Hollywood, whereas Brad’s the golden boy,” they continued.

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“Brad’s always going to have more sway socially and he’s gleeful about wielding that power against Angelina,” the insider went on. “When Oscar season rolls around, she’s going to have to hit all the events because the buzz is she’ll be nominated for her new biopic [Maria], and you can count on Brad being there too, if only to rub it in her face how well-loved he is.”

According to the source, Pitt is reportedly planning to go “out of his way” to ruffle Jolie’s feathers by showing up at awards season events with his new flame, Ines de Ramon, by his side. “He’s spoiling for a showdown because he knows even if he can’t beat her in court, he can 100 percent beat her when it comes to a popularity contest among their peers,” the tipster added.

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Ever since Brangelina went their separate ways eight years ago, tensions have been running high. The former power couple isn’t just clashing over the custody of their two youngest 15-year-old children Vivienne and Knox; they’re also locked in a heated dispute over the Château Miraval, the vineyard they once bought together in France. To make matters even more dramatic, it looks like their adult kids are rallying behind Jolie in this ongoing saga.

In November 2023, an apparent social media post from 2020, attributed to Pax Jolie-Pitt, emerged on the internet. The now-20-year-old supposedly condemned his father, labeling him a “terrible and despicable person” in the purported Instagram message.

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In a recently emerged video from last month, Zahara Jolie-Pitt appeared to reveal that she has shed her father’s surname. Captured during her sorority initiation in November 2023, the footage shows the 19-year-old proudly introducing herself as “Zahara Marley Jolie.” Concurrently, her sister Shiloh, who celebrated her 18th birthday this May, has taken formal steps to legally remove “Pitt” from her last name.

According to a recent report from Entertainment Tonight, “Shiloh hired her own lawyer and paid for it herself, so Angie doesn’t know and can’t speak for it.” An insider later revealed to In Touch that Pitt was “blindsided” and taken aback by his teenage daughter’s choice at first, but not totally “surprised.”

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“He feels that Angie has slowly but surely turned their kids against him. She absolutely influenced their decisions to distance themselves from their dad,” they added. Vivienne Jolie-Pitt also appears to be mirroring her older siblings by shedding her father’s surname.

Recently, she made headlines by serving as an assistant for the Broadway production of The Outsiders, where her name was notably absent of “Pitt” in the Playbill credits. Her mother holds a producer’s role for the show.