Two more of Brad Pitt’s kids want to ditch his surname

Brad Pitt’s Eldest Children Pursue Legal Name Changes

Two more of Brad Pitt s kids – Two of Brad Pitt’s offspring have formally petitioned courts to eliminate his surname from their legal identities. According to recently filed documents in California, the actor’s daughter Zahara, currently 21 years old, and his eldest son Maddox, age 24, are both requesting to remove “Pitt” from their official names. The siblings have cited personal motivations for seeking this alteration to their legal identities.

This development represents the most recent chapter in the prolonged separation between Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the former Hollywood power couple whose relationship has been under public scrutiny for over a decade. While the pair officially concluded their divorce proceedings in late 2024, they remain entangled in ongoing legal matters concerning Château Miraval, the prestigious French vineyard they previously held in common ownership.

The Legal Process Unfolds

Last month, Zahara submitted electronic paperwork to the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles, requesting to change her name from “Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt” to simply “Zahara Marley Jolie.” Her brother Maddox had previously filed a similar petition at the end of May, seeking to remove Pitt from his double-barreled family designation.

In accordance with California law, both siblings were required to publish advertisements in the Los Angeles Daily Journal. These notices appeared once weekly throughout June and July, spanning four consecutive weeks. The publication serves to notify any potential objectors of the proposed name changes, providing them an opportunity to formally register their concerns.

Should no objections materialize, judicial decisions are anticipated. Maddox’s name change is expected to receive a ruling in mid-September, while Zahara’s case will likely be resolved toward the month’s conclusion. CNN has attempted to contact representatives for Pitt, though representatives for both Zahara and Maddox could not be located at the time of publication.

A History of Family Disputes

Pitt and Jolie exchanged vows in 2014 and subsequently filed for divorce in 2016. Together, they share six children: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and the twins Knox and Vivienne. The family’s journey has been marked by numerous public incidents, including a notable private jet flight from France to the United States in September 2016.

Details regarding this flight emerged in August 2022 when an FBI report, provided to CNN by a source, revealed that Jolie had accused Pitt of both physical assault and verbal abuse directed at their children during the journey. Pitt became the focus of an investigation related to these allegations but was never formally arrested or charged, according to an FBI statement issued at that time.

Jolie initiated divorce proceedings shortly following the 2016 incident. In an October 2022 countersuit connected to their winery dispute, Jolie alleged that Pitt “choked one of the children and struck another in the face” during the flight. Pitt’s representative responded to these claims with a statement to CNN: “Brad has accepted responsibility for what he did but will not for things he didn’t do.”

Continued Name Changes Across the Family

Jolie, who had previously maintained the double-barreled surname, officially removed Pitt from her name in 2019 after a court formally dissolved their marriage. The trend of children following suit has continued, with Vivienne reportedly using “Vivienne Jolie” in the playbill for “The Outsiders,” the Tony-winning musical she co-produced with her mother in 2024. That same year, Shiloh filed a petition to legally drop Pitt from her surname, joining her older siblings in this personal decision.

These name changes reflect not only individual choices but also the broader evolution of the family’s identity following their separation. Each child’s decision to remove Pitt’s surname represents a step toward establishing their own distinct legal and personal identity, separate from the high-profile marriage that once defined them.