Zahara Jolie Drops Pitt Surname After Court Approval

A Los Angeles court on Monday, September 28, 2026, approved the name change of Zahara, the daughter of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. As of that day she is legally Zahara Marley Jolie, without the “Pitt” from the double surname Jolie-Pitt. The petition went through at the hearing because no one filed an objection, TMZ reports, citing court documents it obtained.

Zahara is 21. The petition does not say why she wanted to drop her father’s surname.

What does the court ruling say?

The text of the ruling was published by E! News. The Los Angeles court states in it:

There being no objections, the petition for change of name is granted. The Petitioner’s name is changed from Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt to Zahara Marley Jolie.

E! News adds that the document was filed on September 28 and that representatives for Pitt and Jolie were asked for comment but did not respond.

How did the process unfold?

Zahara filed the petition in June 2026, less than a month after she graduated with a degree in psychology from Spelman College in Atlanta. In July, a notice of her intention was published in the Los Angeles Daily Journal. California law requires this so that anyone who wants to oppose a name change can file a written objection before the final hearing.

She has been using the surname Jolie for years. When she joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority in 2023, she introduced herself as Zahara Marley Jolie in the induction video. The same name was read out at this year’s commencement, when she walked onto the stage to receive her diploma.

What is known about her relationship with her father?

TMZ writes that Zahara has been estranged from Brad Pitt for some time. According to the outlet’s sources, the actor did not attend her graduation and did not contact her about it. The same outlet also relays the other side: sources close to Pitt blame Angelina Jolie for the estrangement.

Neither Pitt nor Jolie has officially confirmed either claim.

Who else has dropped Pitt’s surname?

Zahara is not the first. Shiloh, 20, filed her petition on her 18th birthday in 2024 and was approved a few months later, so she now goes by Shiloh Nouvel Jolie.

Sources differ on where Zahara ranks. TMZ says she joins Shiloh, Maddox and Vivienne, who have also stopped using their father’s surname. E! News specifies that she is the second of the six children to have the change officially approved, after Shiloh. The petitions of Maddox, 25, and Vivienne, 18, are still awaiting a decision. Vivienne filed hers this year, and her hearing is set for November 2.