Zahara Jolie Formally Drops 'Pitt' From Her Surname Following Spelman College Legacy and Ongoing Family Rift

Zahara Jolie has officially finalized her legal name change, removing her father Brad Pitt's surname from her legal documents, according to reporting by Atlanta Black Star. A California judge approved the official name change on Sept. 28, establishing her legal identity as Zahara Marley Jolie rather than Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt.

The 21-year-old Spelman College student filed her petition to drop Pitt's surname in April, a few months after turning 21 in January. The formal legal update comes nearly three years after she first introduced herself publicly as Zahara Marley Jolie during her November 2023 initiation into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. at Spelman College in Atlanta. Angelina Jolie attended the campus ceremony to support her daughter, while Pitt was absent from the event.

Zahara is now the third child in the Jolie-Pitt family to officially drop the actor's surname in court, as detailed by Atlanta Black Star. Maddox legally altered his name last month, following Shiloh, who completed her legal name change in 2024. Another sibling, Vivienne, filed court documents in June to change her surname and has a court hearing scheduled for November.

Other siblings have also indicated a distance from their father, even without finalized legal name changes. Knox listed his name solely as Knox Jolie on his Fusion Academy high school diploma during his graduation in June. Meanwhile, Pax allegedly no longer speaks with Pitt, though he maintains relationships with his siblings and Pitt's extended family.

The family fractures stem from an alleged 2016 incident aboard a private aircraft, according to court documents filed during the former couple's legal disputes. Jolie alleged in a court filing that an intoxicated Pitt grabbed her head, shook her, and shoved her into a bathroom wall during an argument over their children.

According to the legal filing, when one of their children tried to intervene, Pitt lunged at the child. Jolie claimed she attempted to restrain him from behind, prompting Pitt to throw himself backward into an airplane seat, which caused injuries to Jolie's back and elbow. The filing further detailed that the children attempted to protect one another, alleging Pitt choked one child and struck another in the face. Following investigations by federal authorities, all parties involved agreed not to press charges.

The ongoing fallout from the flight incident remains tied to a bitter court battle over Château Miraval, the French winery the former couple once owned together. Jolie sold her 50 percent stake to a Russian billionaire in 2021 after talks to sell her share to Pitt broke down over a requested non-disclosure agreement regarding the 2016 incident. Pitt subsequently filed a lawsuit against Jolie, leading to her countersuit. A court mediator is set to meet with both parties next month to seek a resolution ahead of a potential Feb. 1, 2027 trial date.