Two of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's children move to drop the surname Pitt

Zahara and Maddox, two children of Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, are taking further official steps to distance themselves from their father by removing the surname "Pitt."

According to reports from U.S. media outlets like Page Six and People, both Zahara, 21, and Maddox, 24, have published legal notices in California newspapers. This is a mandatory requirement under state law before a judge can approve a name change, also allowing any interested party to raise objections.

Judicial documents reviewed by these outlets indicate that Zahara published her petition in the Los Angeles Daily Journal for four consecutive weeks in June. Her hearing is scheduled for September 28, when a judge will decide on the name modification. Maddox has also fulfilled the same requirement, publishing his request in the same newspaper.

While now seeking official recognition, both had already symbolically dropped the "Pitt" surname. Last month, Zahara requested to legally change her name from Zahara Jolie-Pitt to Zahara Jolie. During her graduation from Spelman College, she was introduced as Zahara Marley Jolie.

Maddox also sought to change his name from Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt to Maddox Chivan Jolie, citing "personal reasons." Furthermore, since February, he has omitted his father's surname in the credits for "Couture," Angelina Jolie's most recent film, where he worked as an assistant director.

The decision to shed the "Pitt" surname is not isolated within the family. Vivienne, the youngest daughter of the former couple, was credited solely as Vivienne Jolie in the program for the Broadway adaptation of "The Outsiders" in 2022. Of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's six children, Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne, Shiloh was the first to make the change official upon turning 18. Entertainment Tonight reported in June 2024 that she hired her own lawyer and funded the process herself.

Recently, Page Six also revealed that Pax is the only sibling who maintains a close relationship with Brad Pitt's family, though he does not maintain closeness with the actor himself. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt ended their relationship in 2016 when the actress filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences." The separation followed an alleged incident aboard a private jet, where Jolie accused the actor of assaulting her and two of their children. After a lengthy legal battle over custody and other family matters, both parties reached a final agreement at the end of 2022.