Zahara Jolie has officially dropped Brad Pitt's surname, becoming the third of the former couple's six children to legally remove 'Pitt' from her name as their family rift continues to draw attention.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleBrad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's daughter Zahara has officially removed her father's surname, marking yet another development in the long-running strain between the actor and several of his children. On September 28, 2026, a California judge approved the 21-year-old's petition to change her legal name from Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt to Zahara Marley Jolie, according to court records.
The decision came after Zahara had already begun using the name Zahara Marley Jolie publicly. She introduced herself by that name during her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority induction at Spelman College in 2023 and was also introduced as Zahara Marley Jolie at her college graduation in May 2026.
Her legal name change is the latest development in a complicated family story that dates back to the collapse of Jolie and Pitt's marriage in 2016.
The turning point in the former couple's relationship came in September 2016, when an incident involving Pitt and the children occurred aboard a private flight from France to Los Angeles. Angelina alleged that Pitt became physically abusive toward her and one of their children during the flight. The World War Z star allegedly choked one kid and struck another who tried to intervene.
When the FBI and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services investigated the incident, Pitt denied any wrongdoing and was never charged, nor was any criminal action taken. However, it did create lasting tensions within the family.
After ten years of marriage, Brad and Angelina separated in 2016, just days after the alleged private plane incident. What followed was one of the longest-running legal battles in Hollywood, with disputes over the kids' custody and division of assets, including the couple's shared Chateau Miraval vineyard.
Brad and Angelina's divorce was finalized in 2024, but the emotional and legal fallout has continued to make headlines to this day. Speaking about the children's strained relationship with Pitt, some insiders suggested that after spending much of their teenage years watching their parents fall out, they felt dropping their father's surname was an important way for them to create personal boundaries.
Zahara is not the first of Jolie and Pitt's children to move away from the family surname. Shiloh became the first of the siblings to legally remove 'Pitt' from her name after filing a petition when she turned 18 in 2024. Maddox, the eldest of the six children, officially changed his name from Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt to Maddox Chivan Jolie earlier this month.
Vivienne has also filed a petition to remove 'Pitt' from her legal name, with a hearing scheduled for November 2026. The couple's son, Knox, has reportedly used 'Jolie' without 'Pitt' on his high school diploma, although he has not legally changed his name.
Pax, meanwhile, has publicly expressed criticism of his father in the past, even publicly calling him a "world-class a**hole" in a Father's Day post and accusing him of making his younger siblings "tremble in fear." Regardless, reports have indicated that he remains connected to other members of Pitt's side of the family.
Zahara's own decision had been visible before the court formally approved it. At her Spelman graduation, she was publicly identified as 'Zahara Marley Jolie', and she has used the name in other settings.
Zahara's graduation in May 2026 provided another glimpse into the strained dynamic. TMZ reported at the time that Pitt did not contact Zahara or seek a ticket to attend the Spelman ceremony. A source close to Jolie said the family members who had supported Zahara throughout college were present for the milestone.
On the other hand, the 21-year-old's relationship with her mother has appeared notably close over the years. Angelina Jolie attended events with Zahara, including a screening in New York earlier this month, where the mother and daughter were photographed together. Neither Zahara nor Brad has publicly provided a detailed explanation for the decision.
Reports suggest that Brad has had a hard time seeing his children drop his last name. An insider told Us Weekly in May 2026 that Pitt has not given up hope of rebuilding relationships with his children. The insider said:
"He feels most hurt out of everything that happened with Angie that his children don't want a public association with his last name. It's been very difficult. (Brad) still does hope and keeps the door open to eventual reconciliation, hopefully with all of them, but it is their decision. He has no power, and he can't force them."
Given the highly publicized fallouts, with his children dropping Pitt's surname one by one, do you think they will ever reconcile?
Read Next: Angelina Jolie's Thoughts On Her Kids Dropping 'Pitt' From Their Name, 'If People Knew The Truth...'