Angelina Jolie's kids Zahara, Maddox publish legal notices to drop Brad Pitt's last name

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s two eldest children, Zahara and Maddox, have moved closer to officially removing “Pitt” from their legal names.

According to court records, both siblings have completed a required step in California’s legal name-change process by publishing notices of their intended name changes in the Los Angeles Daily Journal. The publication serves as proof of public notice before a court can consider approving the requests.

If approved, Zahara, 21, will legally become Zahara Marley Jolie, while Maddox, 24, is seeking to change his name to Maddox Chivan Jolie.

The siblings are now awaiting separate court hearings. Maddox’s hearing is scheduled for September 14, while Zahara’s is set for September 28.

Earlier this year, Zahara publicly used the name “Zahara Marley Jolie” during her graduation ceremony from Spelman College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.

Maddox also previously distanced himself from the Pitt surname by using “Maddox Jolie” in the credits of his mother Angelina Jolie’s film Couture, where he worked as an assistant director.

They are not the only members of the family to drop the surname. In 2024, daughter Shiloh legally changed her name from Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt to Shiloh Jolie after filing a petition on her 18th birthday.

Meanwhile, daughter Vivienne was credited as Vivienne Jolie in the Playbill for the Broadway production The Outsiders, which she helped produce alongside her mother.

The series of name changes comes after years of reports describing a strained relationship between Brad Pitt and several of his children following his separation from Angelina Jolie in 2016. The former couple finalized their divorce in December 2024 after a lengthy legal battle.

Jolie and Pitt share six children together: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne.