Suri Cruise has dropped her megastar dad’s surname and it’s starting to look less like celebrity gossip and more like a new wave of family estrangement.

We unpack why the adult children of Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise are making their distance official, the PR strategy that helped both men quietly sidestep the conversation, and why mothers are still so often blamed when children cut contact with their fathers.

Plus, a genuinely chilling warning about school photos, AI deepfakes and the new risks of sharing children’s images online. Is this the moment schools and childcare centres start going analogue?

Also, a 13-year-old Australian piano prodigy, Meghan Markle’s dessert rule and Monz solves dinner with four life-changing words: Chook. In. A. Bag.

Reccos:

Monz recommends Chicken In A Bag for dinner 

Amelia recommends Just Crazy by Andy Griffiths, and DEAR: Drop Everything And Read.

Stacey Natasha Sholl’s beautiful Mamamia essay, A Letter To The Siblings Of Kids With Additional Needs.

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The Out Loud hosts have handpicked their all-time favourite reads and one subscriber is winning the entire 12-book stack. Subscribe to Mamamia to be automatically entered to win. Current subscriber? You're already in the draw. T&Cs apply.

What To Listen To Next: 

• Don't miss an episode of Parenting Out Loud
• The Text You Need To Stop Sending
• The Hit Show Making A Case For 'Best Friend' Parenting
• Where Has All The Swearing Gone & The Bush Wee Rule
• A Celebrity’s Secret Children & The Dark Side Of An 'It' Toy
• The Birthday Post That Sparked A Sharenting Debate
• Connect your subscription to Apple Podcasts 

What to read: 

• 'I quit teaching after 15 years. What I witnessed should worry every Australian parent.'
• 'I've been a teacher for 15 years. This is why every good one is leaving.'
• We need to talk about the siblings of kids with additional needs.
• This week, two daughters have dropped their famous fathers' last names. The response is predictable.
• Another of Brad Pitt's children has filed to drop the Pitt name. Angelina Jolie's response says it all.

GET IN TOUCH:

Share your feedback! Send us a voice message or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au 

Join our Facebook group Mamamia Family to talk about the show.

Follow us on Instagram @mamamia_family

CREDITS:

Hosts: Monique Bowley, Amelia Lester & Stacey Hicks

Video Editor: Julian Rosario

Associate Producer: Tessa Kotowicz

Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land on which we have recorded this podcast.