Brad Pitt's Children Legally Remove His Surname from Their Names

Two adult children of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie—Zahara, 21, and Maddox, 24—have formally petitioned California courts to remove Pitt from their legal surnames. The siblings submitted applications in April and May respectively, with court decisions expected in September. The development reflects broader decisions by multiple members of Pitt's family to legally distance themselves from his surname.

Legal Process and Timeline

Both Zahara and Maddox followed California's legal requirements for name changes, filing documents electronically with the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Following standard procedure, each placed advertisements in the Los Angeles Daily Journal once weekly for four consecutive weeks during June and July. These public notices allow anyone to formally object to the proposed changes. Zahara's case is scheduled for judicial approval at the end of September, while Maddox's decision is anticipated in mid-September.

The siblings cited personal reasons in their applications but disclosed no specific details. Both have already used the surname Jolie in select circumstances—Zahara during her graduation ceremony and Maddox in film credits—signaling their preference before the legal formalization.

Family Context

Pitt and Jolie married in 2014 after meeting on the set of the 2005 film "Mr and Mrs Smith." They filed for divorce in 2016 following an incident aboard a private aircraft. Jolie stated in a 2020 Vogue interview that she left Pitt for the "wellbeing" of her family. The former couple share six children and have remained entangled in legal disputes over a decade later, including ongoing conflicts regarding Château Miraval, a French winery they jointly owned. Their divorce settlement was finalized at the end of 2024.

Another of their biological children, Shiloh, changed her surname to Jolie in 2024. A representative for Pitt indicated that he regretted how events unfolded with his family and, while "heartbroken," respected his children's decisions regarding their names.

Broader Surname Choice Pattern

The Pitt-Jolie children's decisions reflect a growing trend of young adults reassessing their surnames independent of parental relationships. The BBC documented the parallel case of Hannah, a 25-year-old Californian who legally changed her name to Leonard-Ripley, combining her mother's maiden name with her husband's surname. Hannah had used two surnames informally for over a decade but maintained her father's surname legally despite minimal contact since childhood.