Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleJacob StolworthyTuesday 14 July 2026 17:05 BSTAngelina Jolie fights back tears after moving daughter into Spelman CollegeMaddox and Zahara, children of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, have initiated legal proceedings to formally drop Pitt's surname, placing newspaper advertisements as required by California law.The public notices, published four times weekly in June, invite objections before a final court hearing scheduled for September.Zahara has already introduced herself as Zahara Marley Jolie and was credited as such at her graduation, while Maddox used Maddox Jolie for his work on Angelina Jolie's film, Couture.Their siblings, Shiloh and Vivienne, have also begun using only the Jolie surname; Shiloh was granted a name change on her 18th birthday in 2024, and Vivienne was credited as Vivienne Jolie in a Broadway playbill.The family's decision to drop Pitt's surname follows the couple's 2016 separation, which occurred after an alleged incident on a private plane that led to child abuse allegations against Pitt, from which he was later cleared.In fullAngelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s kids confirm they’re dropping dad’s name in newspaper adMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in