Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter Zahara has officially dropped her father’s last name amid reports of a turbulent estrangement.
A Los Angeles judge signed off on Zahara’s request to legally change her name from “Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt to Zahara Marley Jolie” on Monday, September 28, per court documents obtained by Us.
Judge Virginia Keeny noted in response to Zahara’s petition, “There being no objections, the petition for change of name is granted. The Decree is signed and filed. The Petitioner’s name is changed from Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt to Zahara Marley Jolie.” (Page Six first reported the news.)
Zahara, 21, was represented virtually by her lawyer Peter Kenneth Levine at Monday’s hearing, which was held at Los Angeles Superior Court’s Stanley Mosk Courthouse.
Us reached out to reps for Pitt and Jolie for comment.
A source close to Pitt tells Us of the decision, “It’s sad to see how this effective campaign has fractured a family, it’s a continuation of a pattern we’ve seen unfold for years.”
Zahara publicly distanced herself from using Pitt’s last name while attending Spelman College. She introduced herself as “Zahara Marley Jolie” when she pledged to the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority in 2023 and was later identified the same way when she graduated from Spelman in May.
Us previously reported that Zahara took further steps to legally drop Pitt’s surname when she officially petitioned the Superior Court of California to make the change. Her court filing was processed in June, paving the way for Monday’s ruling.
At the time, a source pushed back on the perception that Pitt, 62, was wounded by Zahara seemingly solidifying their estrangement.
“The children are now adults and make their own decisions,” the insider told Us. “It’s really horrible that [Pitt] has tried to paint himself as a victim. When will people start asking real questions about what happened to the kids?”
Zahara’s siblings Maddox, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne have all stopped using their father’s last name in recent years as well.
Us confirmed in 2024 that Shiloh’s request to drop “Pitt” from her name was approved by a judge, while Maddox, 25, received similar approval from a court in May. (Jolie, 51, adopted Maddox before meeting Pitt, though the actor later adopted him too in 2006.)
The public learned that Vivienne, 18, had taken a similar step when she was credited as “Vivienne Jolie” while working as a production assistant on the Broadway musical The Outsiders, which Angelina produced.
A second source told Us in May that there seemed to be no sign of Pitt and his children mending fences anytime soon.
“[Brad] feels most hurt out of everything that happened with Angie that his children don’t want a public association with his last name,” this second source said. “It’s been very difficult.”
Pitt and Jolie were together for around 12 years, though only married for five before separating in 2019. The F1 actor has been in a relationship with jewelry designer Ines de Ramon since 2022.
