Zahara Jolie-Pitt legally drops Pitt surname after judge's approval

A California judge has approved a name-change petition filed by Zahara, the daughter of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, allowing her to formally drop "Pitt" from her surname. The 21-year-old will now be known as Zahara Marley Jolie. The petition was granted without objection.

Zahara submitted her request on June 9, with the filing dated April 28. Her elder brother Maddox had lodged a similar petition days earlier. His name change, from "Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt" to "Maddox Chivan Jolie", was made official on September 14, according to public court records.

Zahara is the third of the former couple's children to legally remove Pitt from their name. Shiloh filed to drop the surname after turning 18 in 2024. Vivienne submitted a petition on her 18th birthday in July to change her name from "Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt" to "Vivienne Marcheline Jolie"; her hearing is scheduled for November 2.

Jolie and Pitt share six children: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Vivienne and Knox. The couple separated in 2016 after 12 years together and finalised their divorce in December 2024.

The name changes come amid reports of strained relations between Pitt and some of his children following the highly publicised separation. In 2016, Pitt was investigated over allegations of child abuse after an incident on a private plane involving his family. The FBI later cleared him, while the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services concluded its investigation without findings of abuse.

A source close to Pitt said in July 2024 that the actor had "virtually no contact" with his adult children but continued visitation with his younger children at the time. Earlier this month, another source described the situation as "a tragedy", saying there was "very little communication right now" between Pitt and his children.

"This is the result of a prolonged campaign of alienation of children against their parent," the source said. "It's an incredibly sad reality, but it's not surprising after years of one parent weaponising the children against the other one with no regard for the consequence."

Zahara had already been using the name "Zahara Marley Jolie" publicly. Her name was announced without "Pitt" at her graduation from Spelman College in Atlanta in May, and she had introduced herself by the same name while joining the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in November 2023.