Zahara Jolie has filed a legal petition to remove “Pitt” from her last name, according to People magazine, which broke the story. The filing comes just days after her older brother Maddox submitted a nearly identical petition — making two of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s six children now formally seeking to shed the Pitt surname.
What makes the timing notable: Zahara is already well known by “Zahara Jolie” on her own terms. She publicly introduced herself by that name at her Spelman College sorority induction back in 2023 — years before any legal paperwork was filed. The court filing now makes that identity official.
Zahara Jolie Name Change: What the Filing Says
The petition was filed in California, where the family has long been based. Legal name-change filings in the state are routine civil matters, but they become public record once submitted. Neither Zahara nor representatives for Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt have issued public statements about the filing as of this writing.
Zahara, born in Ethiopia in 2005, was adopted by Jolie and Pitt in 2005 when she was just six months old. She is currently a student at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia — a historically Black college that she has spoken about with pride in past interviews.
Maddox Filed Just Days Earlier
Maddox Chivan, the eldest of the Jolie-Pitt children at 24, submitted his own name-change petition only days before Zahara’s filing surfaced. Maddox, born in Cambodia, has had a publicly distant relationship with his father for years. He was reportedly at the center of a reported altercation on a private jet in 2016 — the incident that triggered child welfare investigations and, ultimately, the collapse of Jolie and Pitt’s marriage.
The back-to-back filings suggest at least some coordination or shared decision-making among the older Jolie-Pitt children, though that has not been confirmed by any party.
A Divorce That Has Played Out Very Publicly
Jolie and Pitt married in August 2014 and separated in September 2016. Their divorce has since become one of the most drawn-out and legally complex celebrity splits in recent memory, centering largely on the custody of their minor children and the disputed ownership of Château Miraval, a French winery the couple purchased together.
The couple share six children: Maddox (24), Zahara (21), Pax (22), Shiloh (19), and twins Knox and Vivienne (16). Shiloh, their eldest biological child, also previously filed to drop the Pitt name — a detail that drew significant media attention in 2024. The latest filings from Maddox and Zahara now suggest the trend is continuing among their adult and near-adult children.
Brad Pitt has not commented publicly on either of the most recent name-change filings.
What a Name Change Actually Means Legally
In California, adults can petition to change their name through a straightforward civil court process. There is no requirement to notify or receive consent from other family members, including parents. Once a judge approves the petition — a process that typically takes a few weeks to a few months — the new name appears on all future official documents.
For Zahara and Maddox, who are both adults, the process is entirely their own to initiate. The name change does not affect inheritance rights or any legal relationship with either parent unless specifically altered through separate legal action.
A Family Defining Its Own Identity
The Zahara Jolie name change, following so closely behind Maddox’s filing, signals a broader shift happening within one of Hollywood’s most scrutinized families. Each of the Jolie-Pitt children is now either approaching or past legal adulthood, and several appear to be making deliberate, public choices about which parent’s name they want to carry.
Celebrity divorces often reshape public narratives over time — for a look at how legal and financial battles play out long after separation, see how economic pressures affect family decision-making across the broader cultural landscape. For those following the wider world of celebrity and culture, Alexis Bledel’s rare public appearance at the Tribeca Film Festival is another story capturing attention this week.
With at least two name-change petitions now in the California court system, the story is likely far from over. Watch for a judge’s ruling in the coming weeks — and for any public response from Brad Pitt’s camp, which has stayed silent so far.
