Zahara Jolie Officially Drops 'Pitt' – Court Signs Name Change In Los Angeles

Zahara Officially Drops 'Pitt' – Court Signs Name Change

Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt has formally removed Pitt from her legal name after filing a petition with the Los Angeles Superior Court earlier this year. TMZ first reported the filing, and a brief hearing on Monday resulted in the judge granting her request in a minute order dated Sept. 28.

The court's paperwork reflects the change from Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt to Zahara Marley Jolie. The move is largely procedural at this point – Zahara has already been presenting herself without her father’s surname in public events this year.

Name Change Was Already Public – Spelman Graduation Moment

Zahara actually signaled the shift months ago when she was announced as Zahara Marley Jolie during her graduation from Spelman College earlier this year. That public moment made the court action feel more like paperwork catching up with reality than a sudden break.

“The court step was procedural and planned months ago – Zahara has already been living under her chosen name,” said a source close to Jolie, noting the legal step simply formalized what had been happening in public.

The timing of the filing has drawn attention in Hollywood circles – it came after Brad Pitt’s new film Heart of the Beast opened this past weekend and ahead of his next project, The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth. Observers have pointed to that calendar placement, though those close to Zahara say her intention was signaled earlier in the summer.

2016 Plane Incident and the Family Rift

Pitt has been relatively estranged from some of his adopted children since his split from Angelina Jolie. The estrangement is widely tied to a 2016 airplane incident in which an anonymous tip prompted an investigation by the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services.

That probe followed allegations of physical and verbal mistreatment toward one of the children during a flight. No criminal charges were filed, but Jolie filed for divorce that same year – a turning point that led to lasting changes in the family dynamic.

Reactions From Both Sides – Page Six Accounts

Pitt camp response

Sources close to Pitt told Page Six that the name change feels like another example of what they call alienation, arguing that the move serves to deflect attention from his own career and attempts to portray one side of a long-running family dispute.

Jolie camp response

Representatives or confidants of Jolie countered that the court date was scheduled months ago by the L.A. courts and argue it is unfair to frame Zahara’s decision as a publicity play. They also criticized those who publicly second-guess the child’s choice, noting Zahara has not discussed any private family matters in public.

Who Else Has Dropped 'Pitt' – A Growing Pattern

Zahara is the fourth of Pitt and Jolie’s children to move away from the Pitt name, following siblings Shiloh, Maddox, and Vivienne. Each decision has unfolded in private before becoming a public story due to the family’s celebrity.

As someone who’s observed similar family splits from a distance, it’s easy to empathize with a young adult making a personal decision about identity. For the Jolie-Pitt kids, what would otherwise be a private choice is played out under the spotlight of Hollywood and SoCal media culture.