Pax Thien, an orphan boy from Vietnam, had a life-changing experience when he was adopted by Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in 2007. Prior to his adoption, Pax, who went by the name Pham Quang Sang, grew up under the care of the Tam Binh orphanage fostering center in HCMC. During a trip to Vietnam in 2006, Angelina spotted Pax and decided to adopt him. She changed his name to Pax Thien Jolie, which means “peaceful sky.” The first photo of the newly adopted Pax in the US was exclusively sold to People for $2.7 million. Pax had to learn English quickly to communicate with his new family, but he remained a recluse who disliked the attention of reporters. Despite this, he emotionally loves and protects children, and as a child, he was praised for always walking behind and quietly paying attention to family members whenever they went out.
Angelina Jolie dedicated a considerable amount of time to caring for and settling Pax Thien into their new life in the United States. In an interview with Vogue, she revealed that she didn’t plan on adopting him initially because he was from Cambodia, but she is grateful to have him as her son now after many years. Pax Thien’s life used to be restricted by paparazzi, but he has changed immensely and is now the backbone of their family, offering unwavering support to his mother and younger sisters. Despite his introverted and reserved nature, he has transformed significantly since the divorce of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, growing even closer to his mother. He did not attend his brother Maddox’s graduation in 2021 as he preferred to avoid attention.
Ever since Angelina Jolie’s divorce from Brad Pitt, Pax Thien has been an integral part of the Jolie-Pitt household. With Brad away from home and their son Maddox attending a far-off school, Pax Thien has been the only male member in the family. However, despite his young age, he has shown remarkable maturity and strength. According to People Magazine, Pax Thien harbours a keen interest in photography and film-making. He even accompanied his mother to Cambodia while she was shooting for “First They Killed My Father.” The Jolie-Pitt family also visited Rome last June to support Angelina during the filming of “Without Blood.”
