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Brad Pitt’s daughter Zahara and son Maddox take final steps to DROP dad’s last name after Angelina Jolie divorce
Brad Pitt's daughter Zahara and son Maddox, whom he adopted with ex-wife Angelina Jolie, have taken further legal steps to formally drop his surname, reflecting the continued fallout from the couple's bitter divorce. The move underscores the lasting estrangement between Pitt and several of his children in the years since the split, which began in 2016 amid allegations of a mid-air altercation involving the actor.
Zahara, adopted from Ethiopia, and Maddox, adopted from Cambodia, are among the six children Pitt shares with Jolie. Both have previously distanced themselves from their father publicly, including Zahara omitting the Pitt name during her university sorority induction, while reports have long pointed to a fractured relationship between Pitt and his elder children since the divorce proceedings began.
In short
- Zahara and Maddox Pitt move to legally drop father's surname
- Latest sign of rift since Pitt-Jolie's 2016 divorce
- Both were adopted by Pitt and Jolie internationally
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Young adults have a fundamental right to self-determination regarding their own identities and legal status. If their relationship with their father is genuinely fractured, they should be free to legally reflect their chosen identity rather than bearing a surname against their will. Such decisions about one's own name are deeply personal, and constraints based on a parent's preferences or family discord would improperly subordinate individual autonomy to family relations.
The case against
Whilst individuals do possess identity rights, significant permanent legal decisions warrant caution, particularly when pursued during bitter family conflict and active divorce proceedings. There may be value in preserving possibilities for future family reconciliation and relationship repair. The emotional turbulence of divorce can influence children's choices without full clarity about long-term implications, and formal legal severance represents an unusually final step that might look different with time and perspective.
Explained simply
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have six children, including Maddox, whom Jolie adopted from Cambodia, and Zahara, whom she adopted from Ethiopia. Pitt later adopted both children, making them part of the family the couple raised together.
Jolie and Pitt separated in 2016, and their divorce and related disputes have continued for years. The split followed reports of an incident on a flight involving Pitt and members of the family; the parents have since had a strained relationship, alongside reported distance between Pitt and some of the children.
A surname can be part of a person’s legal identity and family ties. Changes to the children’s names therefore form part of the wider story of how the family’s relationships have evolved since the separation.