Zahara files to drop Brad Pitt’s surname, becoming third Jolie-Pitt child to make legal move

The ongoing rift between Brad Pitt and several of his children has taken another significant turn, as Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt has reportedly filed a legal petition to remove her father's surname.

The ongoing rift between Brad Pitt and several of his children has taken another significant turn, as Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt has reportedly filed a legal petition to remove her father’s surname. The move makes her the third Jolie-Pitt child to formally distance herself from the Oscar-winning actor’s last name, further highlighting the family’s long-publicised tensions in the years following Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s separation.

According to PEOPLE, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter Zahara officially filed a petition for a name change in California’s Superior Court on June 9. The 21-year-old Spelman College graduate is seeking to go by Zahara Jolie, choosing to carry only her mother’s surname. 
The filing comes shortly after similar reports involving her brother Maddox, who also moved to remove “Pitt” from his name. Zahara now joins Maddox and Shiloh as the third child from the former Hollywood power couple to legally drop or seek the removal of their father’s surname following the couple’s split in 2016.
Shiloh was granted a legal name change in 2024 and now goes by Shiloh Jolie, while Maddox previously omitted “Pitt” from the credits of one of Angelina Jolie’s film projects. Although each decision has been made independently, the pattern has drawn widespread attention and fuelled ongoing discussion about the family’s strained relationships.
A source close to Pitt reportedly reacted to the latest development by expressing sadness over what they described as the continued alienation of the actor from his children. The source suggested it was painful to witness the growing distance between Pitt and members of his family.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt share six children — Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne. Three of the children, Maddox, Pax, and Zahara, were adopted. The former couple’s relationship began after they met on the set of the film Mr. & Mrs. Smith, with the pair marrying in 2014 before Jolie filed for divorce two years later.
Since their separation, the family has remained at the centre of public attention due to lengthy legal disputes and custody battles. As the children have grown older, several have made personal decisions that appear to reflect where they stand amid the family divide.
For Zahara, the name change represents more than a legal adjustment. It is a personal choice about identity and the name she wishes to carry forward. With three Jolie-Pitt children now having taken similar steps, the family’s evolving dynamics continue to unfold in the public eye.