Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s daughter Zahara Jolie-Pitt has filed a petition to drop her dad’s last name from her own.
Legal documents filed by Zahara, 21, with the Superior Court of California in April were processed on Friday, June 5. The filing, obtained by Us Weekly, shows that Zahara proposes to change her name to Zahara Jolie, and a legal hearing to discuss the matter will commence in Los Angeles on Monday, September 28.
Us Weekly has reached out to Jolie and Pitt for comment.
“It’s unfortunate when a parent deliberately alienates their children from the other,” a source exclusively tells Us regarding the filing.
Angelina, 51, filed for divorce from Pitt, 62, on September 20, 2016, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for her filing. Their eight-year divorce and custody battle over the pair’s six children — Maddox, 24, Pax, 22, Zahara, Shiloh, 20, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 17 — was finalized on December 30, 2024, as confirmed by Us at the time.
“The children are now adults and make their own decisions,” a second insider says of the petition. “It’s really horrible that he [Pitt] has tried to paint himself as a victim. When will people start asking real questions about what happened to the kids?”
Brad Pitt Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images
Under the former couple’s custody agreement, Pitt holds visitation rights with Vivienne and Knox, who are still minors, as opposed to legally independent adults.
At the time of the pair’s divorce settlement, Angelina’s lawyer James Simon told Us in a statement, “More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt. She and the children left all of the properties they had shared with Mr. Pitt, and since that time she has focused on finding peace and healing for their family. This is just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago. Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over.”
Julien M. Hekimian/Getty Images Brad Pitt remains hopeful about reconnecting with his kids. “After years of legal battles, Brad still isn’t ready to give up on his children,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “But knowing his children are dropping his last name is upsetting.” The update comes on the heels of several of Pitt, […]
A rep for Pitt declined to comment at the time.
In May, Zahara publicly dropped Pitt’s last name from her own during her college graduation. Social media footage captured at the Spelman College graduation ceremony showed Zahara announced as “Zahara Marley Jolie” as she walked across a stage to receive her diploma.
Three years prior, social media footage also showed Zahara introducing herself without her father’s last name when she joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. “My name is Zahara Marley Jolie,” she said in a 2023 clip. “Coming all the way from the Golden State in the city that is full of angels, Los Angeles, California … I am this line’s number seven.”
Us confirmed in August 2024 that Shiloh had dropped her father’s last name after petitioning through the legal system. While there was no hearing, the petition was granted and Shiloh went from Jolie-Pitt to Jolie three months after filing her petition on May 27 that year.
Us subsequently confirmed that Shiloh had hired and paid for her own lawyer to complete the proceedings.
Maddox also legally requested to drop Pitt from his name in May.
