The long-running family rift between Brad Pitt and Angeline Jolie has reportedly entered another chapter.
As per reports, Maddox and Zahara have each filed legal notices in California seeking to remove “Pitt” from their surnames, a move that has reportedly left the Oscar-winning actor devastated.
The filings, published in the Los Angeles Daily Journal as required under California law, list the names the siblings hope to adopt.
Zahara is seeking to become Zahara Marley Jolie, while Maddox has requested the name Maddox Chivan Jolie.
The requests have not yet been approved, with separate court hearings scheduled later this year.
A source close to Pitt described the development as deeply painful.
“This is the result of a prolonged campaign of alienation of children against their parent.”
The insider added, “It’s an incredibly sad reality, but it’s not surprising after years of one parent weaponizing the children against the other one with no regard for the consequences.”
Neither Jolie nor her representatives have publicly commented on the reported filings.
Pitt and Jolie finalized their divorce in December 2024, ending an eight-year legal battle that began after Jolie filed for divorce in 2016.
Their relationship with their six children has remained the subject of public attention ever since.
If the court approves the petitions, Maddox and Zahara would officially join other reported instances in which members of the family have chosen to publicly identify without using the Pitt surname.
For now, the legal process is still unfolding, but the latest filings suggest the emotional distance within one of Hollywood’s most famous families may be far from over.
2026-07-14 17:35:00
