Zahara Jolie: Legal Name Change Deepens Rift Between Pitt and Jolie

The hearing at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse proceeded without objection, formalizing a transition that began earlier this summer through a series of public legal notices. While Pitt’s representatives characterized the move as a calculated act of alienation and an attempt to overshadow the actor's professional successes, sources close to Jolie dismissed these claims. They maintained that the name change was a routine procedural matter, criticizing the actor's camp for weaponizing the personal decisions of his own children.

This development follows a pattern within the family, as both Maddox and Shiloh have previously received court approval to drop the Pitt surname. Maddox completed his formal transition earlier in September, having already used the name Jolie in his professional work as an assistant director. As these legal ties are severed, the family’s transition continues to play out against a backdrop of ongoing litigation and personal separation, including the recent $24.75 million sale of the Los Feliz estate where the children were raised.