Zahara filed a petition with the Los Angeles Superior Court on 9/6, seeking to change her name from Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt to Zahara Marley Jolie. The court documents did not specify a reason for the request, according to TMZ.

Page Six reported that a judge is expected to rule on the petition during a court hearing on 28/9. A source described Zahara's legal move as the outcome of "a deliberate campaign to create division", adding that it is "sad to witness one parent succeed in separating" children from the other.

Representatives for both Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have not yet commented on the situation.

Angelina Jolie attended an art exhibition in Brooklyn in 2022. Photo: X/imnikkiheat

Born in Ethiopia in 2005, Zahara was adopted by Angelina Jolie at seven months old. Brad Pitt, then dating Jolie, also adopted Zahara, leading to her bearing the Jolie-Pitt surname. Following her parents' 2016 divorce, Zahara and her siblings—Maddox, 25; Pax Thien, 23; Shiloh, 20; and twins Vivienne-Knox, 18—resided with their mother in Los Angeles. Since the divorce, Pitt's relationship with his children has grown increasingly strained.

Zahara is the third child to seek the removal of her father's surname, following Shiloh and Maddox. Her eldest brother filed his petition last month, while her younger sister officially changed her name in 2024. Zahara herself has refrained from using the Jolie-Pitt surname in university activities for several years.

Zahara enrolled in Spelman College in 2022, pursuing a bachelor's degree in Psychology. In 11/2023, she publicly introduced herself as Zahara Marley Jolie at a campus event. During her university graduation ceremony last month, she was announced as Zahara Marley Jolie when she accepted her degree. Her mother and siblings were present at the ceremony, but her father was absent.

Zahara's name being called for her degree. Video: Spelman College

Beyond Zahara, Shiloh, and Maddox, youngest daughter Vivienne publicly omitted her father's surname when she collaborated with her mother on the 2024 musical production of "The Outsiders". While Pax Thien and Knox are believed to still use their original names, Pax reportedly has a strained relationship with Brad Pitt. The actor is said to be "heartbroken" by his children's decisions to change their names, but he "is not ready to give them up".

Phuong Thao (according to Page Six, TMZ)