Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter, Shiloh, has always stood out within her family — and that’s saying something coming from a star-studded group. From insisting to everyone that she was a boy named John to going viral for her dance moves, the 18-year-old has gone through some stunning transformations worth dissecting.
It was first revealed in 2008 that Shiloh requested to be called by her tomboy name at the age of two.
Brad explained to Oprah Winfrey, “She only wants to be called John. John or Peter. So it’s a Peter Pan thing. So we’ve got to call her John. ‘Shi, do you want…’ ‘John. I’m John.’ And then I’ll say, ‘John, would you like some orange juice?’ And then she goes, ‘No!’”
He continued, “So, you know, it’s just that kind of stuff that’s cute to parents, and it’s probably really obnoxious to other people.”
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter, Shiloh, has had quite the transformation — from being “a boy named John” to having her dance moves go viral
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Angelina also reassured everyone that her “tomboy phase” wasn’t anything out of the ordinary or something the world should interpret as having a deeper meaning. It just meant Shiloh wanted to cut her hair short, dress like a boy, and be called John.
“Some kids wear capes and want to be Superman, and she wants to be like her brothers,” she said. “It’s who she is. It’s been a surprise to us, and it’s really interesting, but she’s so much more than that — she’s funny and sweet and pretty. But she does love a tie…”
Three years later in 2011, it seemed that their daughter was still loving the whole tomboy style and being “one of the brothers.”
“Shiloh, we feel, has Montenegro style,” said the Maleficent actress. “She dresses like a little dude. It’s how people dress there. She likes tracksuits, she likes [regular] suits.”
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At the age of eight, she was offered a role in her mother’s Disney movie as Princess Aurora but quickly let her family know it wasn’t her cup of tea, with the role going to her younger sister, Vivienne, instead.
Angelina shared with Elle at the time, “I asked Shiloh about being Aurora, and she laughed in my face. She said she’d be a horned creature.”
Now, it seems the 18-year-old has changed styles or rather made it something her own. There is still a distinct flare to what she wears, but she’s morphed her “John” persona into something unique and special to her.
At an early age, Shiloh was often regarded as “one of the brothers” in the family
Shiloh turns to her mother for inspiration, seeing as the 49-year-old is always in the Hollywood spotlight. During the 2021 premiere of the Marvel film Eternals in London, the teenager wore a gorgeous revamped version of Angelina’s Dior dress.
Just last month, she donned a “cool” safety pin earring, which fans quickly connected back to her mom’s 90s punk rock style.
But, as impressive as her sense of fashion remains, the 18-year-old has set her sights on the path of dance, having taken classes at Millennium Dance Complex in Los Angeles for years now. After all, Angelina has always made an effort to nurture her kids’ interests — from dance classes to computer programming, they’ve dabbled in it all.
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One of Shiloh’s performance videos even went viral and her skills have been recognized since 2021, when a video of her dancing to Vegas by Rihanna was shared on YouTube by LA-based choreographer Hamilton Evans.
“Shiloh started out with private lessons before she joined a small studio near their house, and then all through the pandemic, she was doing Zoom classes,” an insider told Hollywood Life. “She’s very committed to it.
She has now been taking dance classes at Millennium Dance Complex in LA for several years
“Shi does not rely on her famous name to achieve her goals. Honestly, I didn’t even know who she was at first, and I don’t think this matters, especially in a dance studio. I understand that it can be difficult to see the person beyond her celebrity status, but I urge you to make an effort for her. Believe me, it is worth it.”
Keelan also praised how Shiloh could not be further from the stereotypical Hollywood “nepo baby.”
That compliment seemed to be backed pretty heavily by how the teenager decided to celebrate her 18th birthday. Instead of throwing a lavish party to ring in the year, she hired and paid for her own lawyer to legally drop her father’s name — going from Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt to Shiloh Nouvel Jolie amid her parents’ bitter divorce battle.
Many comments emphasized how important the journey of “finding themselves” was at such a young age
“Angelina’s amazed by how talented Shiloh is, but more than that, she loves to see how happy Shiloh is when she’s dancing.”
According to her longtime choreographer, Keelan Carter, the 18-year-old not only has the drive it takes to make it big, but her humility makes her such a likable person.
He told the Daily Mail, “Shiloh is an exceptionally talented dancer, demonstrating dedication and hard work. She is a sincere and straightforward person who never uses her celebrity status to her advantage.”