August M
Growing up in the glaring light of Hollywood fame can put an immense strain on even the closest family ties.
While some celebrity dynasties cherish their recognizable names, others find that a shared moniker carries too much heavy history. For one famous household, the desire to start fresh is leading straight to the courtroom, reports Ziare.com.
Cutting the ties
Two more of Brad Pitt’s adult children have taken official legal steps to completely sever ties with their famous father’s name. According to court documents obtained by CNN and reported by Ziarre.com, his daughter Zahara, 21, and son Maddox, 24, have both filed petitions to legally drop “Pitt” from their last names.
The siblings cited personal reasons in their Los Angeles Superior Court filings. This quiet legal maneuver marks a new chapter in the very public and painful fallout following the actor’s bitter split from Angelina Jolie.
The former Hollywood power couple filed for divorce nearly a decade ago, back in 2016. Although the split was officially finalized in late 2024, the legal battles between the two Oscar winners show no signs of stopping. They continue to fight in court over their shared French vineyard, Château Miraval.
Under California law, the siblings had to make their intentions public. They ran weekly legal advertisements in the Los Angeles Daily Journal throughout June and July, giving anyone the chance to formally object.
A growing trend
If no one files an appeal, a California judge will soon approve the name changes. A ruling on Maddox’s petition is expected by mid-September, with Zahara’s decision scheduled for the end of the same month.
Interestingly, they are not the first of the Jolie-Pitt children to make this choice. Their sister Shiloh already took that path. In 2024, she filed a formal petition to legally shed her father’s name.
Additionally, sister Vivienne chose to go by Vivienne Jolie in the playbill for a Broadway musical she co-produced. In total, the former couple shares six children, and the emotional divide within the famous family appears to be widening.
So far, the actor’s team has kept quiet about the latest legal filings. CNN reached out to Pitt’s representatives for a comment on the matter, but they could not be reached.
Sources: Ziarre.com, CNN
