Zahara Marley Jolie has had a significant year of milestones. Celebrating her 21st birthday in January, she graduated from college in May, and most recently, she filed a formal request to change her surname by removing her father’s last name.
According to court records obtained by CBC News, on June 5, she submitted an application to switch her name to Zahara Marley Jolie. Just a few days earlier, her 24-year-old brother also filed to change his name to Maddox Chivan Jolie. Their younger sibling, Shiloh, had already removed Pitt from her name back in 2024.
She had informally discarded the Pitt surname some time ago.
These actions have once again sparked speculation about the family dynamics of a well-known family that has been under the spotlight since the relationship between Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt began in 2005, and especially after their contentious breakup in 2016.
The high-profile couple took eight years to finalize their divorce settlement. During this time, Jolie made allegations against Pitt, claiming he had physically assaulted her by grabbing her head, shaking her, and also harming their children. Pitt’s representative denied these allegations, and the FBI, after reviewing the situation, decided not to pursue further investigation.
In November 2016, the ex-couple reached an agreement granting sole custody of their six children to Jolie, who were between eight and 15 years old at the time. The agreement also stipulated ongoing therapeutic visits with Pitt.
Pitt has been open about his struggles with alcohol and his journey to sobriety, which he embarked on in 2016. He attributes his nearly decade-long sobriety to Alcoholics Anonymous.
However, there are indications that Pitt’s relationship with his children remains strained. He has not been publicly seen or photographed with them for several years. In contrast, Jolie frequently accompanies her children to red carpet events and discusses them in the media.
CBC News has attempted to reach out to Pitt’s representatives for a response but has not yet received any comments.
