Zahara​‍​‌‍​‍‌ and Maddox Stop Using Brad Pitt’s Surname After Jolie’s Marriage ​‍​‌‍​‍‌Break

Zahara and Maddox Move to Drop Brad Pitt’s Surname

Two of Brad Pitt’s children have decided to cut ties with their father, Brad Pitt, and change their names. The star’s daughter Zahara and son Maddox have both released ads in the Los Angeles Daily Journal confirming their intentions to remove the ‘Pitt’ from their maiden name, court documents show.
Both ads appeared in the LA newspaper in June and July, respectively, reports the Daily Mail. The Mail has contacted the representatives for Jolie and Pitt for a response.

“Petitioner Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt has filed a name change decree petitioning the court to change her name from ‘Zahara Marley Jalie-Pitt” to “Zahara Marley Jolie,” as quoted from the paper.

“Petitioner Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt filed a petition with his court for a decree changing names: Maddox Chival Jolie-Pitt to Maddox Chival Jolie, according to the other paper. “

Brad Pitt’s Kids Move to Become ‘Jolie’

Both notices call for a dissenting party to show cause why the action should not take place at a specified hearing. Zahara’s hearing is set for September 28 and Maddox’s for September 14.

In California, any person wanting to change their name must notify the court by publishing an official order in a newspaper for four consecutive weeks immediately prior to the hearing. The order was published a month after Zahara petitioned to change her name legally from Zahara Marley to Zahara Marley Jolie.

Maddox also took the step of getting a change of name order to erase his father’s surname in late May. Zahara stopped using her first name three years ago when she became a sorority sister at Spelman College. “My name is Zahara Marley Jolie. And [I] landed all the way from the Golden State in the city full of angels: Los Angeles, California,” she wrote while presenting herself to her sorority sisters for People.

More of Brad Pitt’s Children Distance Themselves From Him

She was also known as Zahara Marley Jolie during her graduation ceremony, which her father apparently missed, according to TMZ.
“Nothing kept him away from the day. It was a celebration of everything she achieved, not that he would show up,’ the source said. ‘It’s about all she accomplished. Not about whether he showed up,’ the person close to Jolie told the tabloid.
However, several people have exclusively told the Daily Mail that Pitt is not an absentee dad, as he has been made out to be, and that he would like to be more involved in the lives of his six kids.
Maddox was also stated to have gone by his birth name of Maddox Jolie-Pitt while working as a production assistant on his mother’s new biopic, Maria.
Meanwhile, Jolie and Pitt’s two other kids, Shiloh and Vivienne, have also dropped their father’s surname. It remains to be seen if Pax has followed suit.

Brad Pitt Estrangement From His Children Continues

At the time, her lawyer, Peter Levine, told People magazine that she “made an independent and important choice after a painful period. The fact of her making it public was simply part of the legal process. ” A month later, in a separate conversation with People, an insider confirmed that Pitt was not close to his older kids, stating, “He has almost no contact with the adult children, and his interaction with the younger ones is also limited in recent times due to his own work commitments.” In May 2024, Vivienne appeared on the playbill for the Broadway production of The Outsiders as simply Vivienne Jolie rather than Vivienne Jolie-Pitt. Meanwhile, family tensions reignited when Pitt’s mother, Jane Etta, passed away last year at the age of 84, having been cut off from her grandchildren for the previous nine years, with the children allegedly having no opportunity to say their goodbyes.

Brad Pitt Reportedly Sees Rift With Son Pax as ‘Unfixable’

“The most heartbreaking of all is Angelina kept the kids away from her grandparents,” one insider revealed to the Daily Mail last August.
Pitt’s relationship with his son Pax, who previously called his father a “world-class asshole” and accused him of making his younger siblings “tremble in fear,” does not appear to be any better.
A source reportedly told the Daily Mail that Pitt was disappointed to see his 22-year-old storm out of the Chateau Marmont last year, supported by a group of his friends.
“He doesn’t care what Pax does or doesn’t do,” the insider continued. “What Pax does is who he is
Brad feels like there is no redemption for Pax,” they added.
The source alleged that Pitt is not likely to make any attempt to reconnect with either of his adopted sons.
“Pax and Maddox have made their feelings very clear to him, and Brad has nothing to say about either of them,” the insider concluded.

Brad Still Hopes to Rebuild Bonds With His Children

The source added that the actor does not intend to reach out to either of his adopted sons: “Pax and Maddox have made their feelings very clear to him, and Brad has nothing to say in return about either of them.”
As for his other two children, the source shared the news that Pitt “is hoping he can eventually convince the kids that time is the best healer for all the deep wounds in their relationships.” Another source who knows Jolie very well spoke publicly, supporting the former husband of the actress: “You must understand that Brad has not had the easiest time of it in life. His boys are unhappy because Brad is to blame!”

Brad​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s split led to years of family conflict

The couple tied the knot in 2008 during a private wedding in southern France. The biological children from their relationship are Shiloh, born in 2006, and twin siblings Vivienne and Knox, born in 2008. Apart from the biological children, Brad and Angelina also have two other sons whom they adopted: Zahara and ​‍​‌‍​‍‌Pax. Additionally, the former couple legally adopted each other’s child, namely, Madox.

The marriage came to an end in 2016 after the couple had a severe physical altercation on a private jet with their six children. Jolie filed for divorce after Pitt allegedly choked one of the children and hit another child in the face, making them feel like ‘hostages’ and making them tremble beneath a blanket for hours until they landed.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s Legal Battle Continues

Pitt’s representative denied Jolie’s allegations to CNN at first; however, they released an updated statement to the publication shortly after that stated, “Angelina’s narrative keeps changing with every passing instance.
Brad has accepted accountability for his acts, although he will not be responsible for things he is not at fault for. He has faced every kind of character assassination and slander.
‘Fortunately, the numerous authorities she attempted to employ against him in the previous six years have ruled independently. Brad will continue to defend himself in court as he always has.
The two celebrities have been embroiled in one of Hollywood’s most conspicuous custody disputes over their six kids and the vineyard they jointly owned following their split. They battled it out in court for nearly a decade, with the situation reaching its peak in May 2021 when the two-time Oscar winner and Pitt were awarded joint custody of the kids. A month passed before the decision was overturned.
Pitt now spends his days alongside Ines de Ramon, a jeweler he’s been seeing for several years. Life unfolds differently these days, shaped by quiet moments rather than headlines.