The rift between Brad Pitt and his children seems to be deepening. After his daughter Shiloh, Zahara and Maddox have also started legal proceedings to remove the Pitt surname from their names.
According to documents filed in California Supreme Court, Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt, 21, has requested that her name be officially changed to Zahara Marley Jolie, while Maddox, 24, has filed a similar petition to drop his father's last name. Both have said the decision was made for personal reasons.
Under California legal procedures, Zahara and Maddox will publish a notice in the Los Angeles Daily Journal once a week for four weeks, giving anyone with objections the opportunity to appear in court. If there are no objections, the judge is expected to rule on Maddox's request in mid-September, and on Zahara's at the end of the month.
This is the latest development in the strained relationship between Brad Pitt and his ex-wife Angelina Jolie, who split in 2016 after two years of marriage. Although the divorce was finalized in late 2024, they continue to face off in court over issues related to their shared property, the French winery Château Miraval.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have six children: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne. In 2024, Shiloh also officially asked to drop the Pitt surname, while Vivienne was introduced as Vivienne Jolie in the materials for the musical " The Outsiders . "
The clash between the former couple is also related to an incident that occurred in 2016 during a private flight from France to the US. According to FBI documents, released years later, Angelina Jolie accused Brad Pitt of physical violence against her and abusive behavior towards children during the trip. Pitt was investigated for the case, but was not arrested and no criminal charges were filed against him.
In 2022, Jolie claimed in a counter-suit that Pitt grabbed one of the children by the throat and punched another in the face during the incident. At the time, the actor's representatives said he takes responsibility for his mistakes, but not for allegations that they say are untrue.
