Zahara Marley Jolie has had a significant year, marking her 21st birthday in January and graduating from college in May. Recently, she submitted a formal request to change her name to Zahara Marley Jolie, as revealed in court documents obtained by CBC News on June 5. Prior to this, her 24-year-old brother also filed to change his name to Maddox Chivan Jolie, while their younger sibling, Shiloh, had already removed Pitt from her name back in 2024.
The decision to drop her father’s name has once again sparked interest in the family dynamics of Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who have been in the spotlight since they began dating in 2005 and especially following their separation in 2016. The high-profile couple’s divorce settlement took eight years to finalize, during which Jolie made allegations against Pitt, including physical violence towards her and their children. However, a representative for Pitt denied these claims, and an FBI review did not lead to further investigation.
In 2016, Jolie was granted sole custody of their six children, aged between eight and 15 at the time, with provisions for therapeutic visits with Pitt. Pitt, who has been open about his struggles with alcohol and subsequent sobriety journey since 2016, acknowledged the support he received from Alcoholics Anonymous in maintaining his sobriety over the years.
Despite Pitt’s efforts to address his issues with alcohol, there are indications that he has not fully reconciled with his children, as he has not been publicly seen or photographed with them for an extended period. Conversely, Jolie frequently accompanies her children to public events, including red carpet appearances, and often discusses them in the media.
CBC News reached out to Pitt’s representatives for comment, but no response has been received at the time of reporting.