Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's Daughter Zahara Moves to Drop Father's Last Name

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s daughter Zahara is officially moving forward with plans to drop her father's last name.

According to legal documents filed in April and processed by the Superior Court of California on Friday, June 5, the 21-year-old is seeking to legally change her name to Zahara Jolie.

The filing states that a hearing regarding the request is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on Monday, September 28.

The latest development marks another chapter in the ongoing family divide that has played out in public since Brad and Angelina's split nearly a decade ago.

News of Zahara’s filing quickly sparked discussion about the fractured relationships within the famous family.

“It’s unfortunate when a parent deliberately alienates their children from the other,” a source told an outlet.

“The children are now adults and make their own decisions,” a second insider said of the petition. “It’s really horrible that he [Pitt] has tried to paint himself as a victim. When will people start asking real questions about what happened to the kids?”

Though the legal paperwork is recent, Zahara has already been using a different version of her name publicly.

In 2023, while attending a sorority event at Spelman College, she introduced herself as Zahara Marley Jolie.

The name-change request comes after years of estrangement between Brad and several of his children.

The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actor has reportedly had limited relationships with his children since Angelina filed for divorce in 2016 following an alleged incident aboard a private plane. Authorities later investigated the matter and cleared Brad of wrongdoing.

The actress filed for divorce on September 20, 2016, citing “irreconcilable differences.” The former couple's lengthy legal battle over custody and other matters concerning their six children — Maddox, 24; Pax, 22; Zahara; Shiloh, 20; and twins Knox and Vivienne, 17 — was officially finalized on December 30, 2024.

Zahara is not the first of the former couple’s children to distance themselves from the Pitt surname.

Shiloh legally became Shiloh Jolie in August 2024 after petitioning to remove “Pitt” from her name shortly after turning 18.

The process was briefly delayed due to administrative issues.

"Unfortunately, the court was unable to complete the background check ahead of today's hearing, so the hearing was rescheduled for August 19," Shiloh's lawyer Peter Levine said in a statement obtained by the news publication. "Everyone undergoing a name-change request needs to have a background check conducted by the court clerk, and because of clerical error, Shiloh's hearing has been continued to a new date."

Despite the setback, Shiloh successfully completed the remaining requirements, including publishing a notice in the Los Angeles Times announcing her intention to legally become Shiloh Jolie.

The shift away from the Pitt surname has also extended to some of Zahara’s siblings.

Maddox, the former couple’s oldest child, has reportedly stopped using Pitt in professional settings. While he was credited as Maddox Jolie-Pitt for his work on Maria in 2024, a later report indicated he used the name Maddox Jolie while working on Angelina’s upcoming film Couture.

One source blamed the Maleficent star for the growing divide.

"It’s sad — this is a textbook example of what a successful campaign to separate a family looks like," the insider told a news outlet.

Meanwhile, daughter Vivienne was listed as Vivienne Jolie in the Playbill for the Broadway production of The Outsiders.

Despite the ongoing distance, Brad has not given up hope of reconnecting with his children.

According to a source, the F1 star remains especially focused on repairing his relationship with his two youngest children.

While Brad "knows the chance...is remote to say the least," he's "desperate" for "one final shot to get together" with the teens," a source expressed.

Us Weekly obtained Zahara’s legal filing.