Who is Zahara Jolie? Inside Angelina Jolie's daughter's move to drop Brad Pitt's last name

Zahara Jolie is 21 years old and one of six children adopted or born to actress and filmmaker Angelina Jolie and her former partner and actor Brad Pitt. Zahara was adopted from Ethiopia by Jolie in 2005, when she was just seven months old. Brad Pitt filed to adopt her the following year. She has spent her entire life in the public eye despite both her parents making deliberate efforts to shield their children from the spotlight.Long before any legal filing, Zahara had already started making her feelings about her surname known. As Us Weekly reported, in November 2023, while celebrating her induction into the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at Spelman College in Atlanta, Zahara introduced herself simply as "My name is Zahara Marley Jolie. Coming all the way from the Golden State, in the city that is full of angels, Los Angeles, California." The moment was filmed by Essence and quietly circulated online, with most people understanding exactly what it meant.The next significant moment came at her college graduation. As People confirmed, on May 17, when she walked the stage to collect her diploma for her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Spelman College, although she was listed in the commencement programme as Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt, her name was read aloud as Zahara Marley Jolie. Brad Pitt was not present at the ceremony. As TMZ reported, a source said Brad did not contact his daughter about attending the ceremony.The formal step came shortly after. As per the reports, Zahara filed a petition with the Los Angeles Superior Court requesting that her legal name be changed to Zahara Marley Jolie, effectively dropping Pitt from her last name. She did not specify any reasons for the change in her filing. As in Weekly, which was the first to report the news, confirmed, the filing dates back to April 28. She is set to appear in court on September 28 to share with a judge why she is making the change.Zahara is the latest in a line of siblings making the same move. As People reported, in May 2024, Shiloh filed to legally change her name on her 18th birthday and was granted the request, while Vivienne used only the last name Jolie in the playbill for 'The Outsiders', the Broadway play she worked on with her mother. As InStyle reported, Maddox, 24, became the third child to drop the Pitt surname when he was credited simply as Maddox Jolie as assistant director on Angelina's film 'Couture'. As People also noted, while Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh, and Vivienne have all taken steps to distance themselves from their father's name, Pax and Knox still carry the Jolie-Pitt surname.In April, Zahara delivered a speech at a sorority event that gave a rare glimpse into her relationship with Angelina. As Complex reported, she said, "My mom and I have a unique, almost kindred relationship that can be hard to put into words." She also accompanied Angelina to the 2025 Golden Globes, standing beside her on the red carpet as her mother was honoured for her work.As People confirmed, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt share six children together: Maddox, 24, Pax, 22, Zahara, 21, Shiloh, 20, and twins Knox and Vivienne, both 17. Their divorce was finalised in December 2024 after more than eight years of legal proceedings.