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Angelina Jolie and her daughter, Vivienne | Source: Getty Images
Angelina Jolie Responds After Daughter Vivienne, 18, Files to Drop ‘Pitt’ From Her Last Name
The filing comes after some of her siblings also took steps to use their mother’s surname. Behind the legal filing, new details have emerged about Angelina Jolie’s hopes for her family.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s youngest daughter has taken a formal legal step that speaks volumes about where things stand in one of Hollywood’s most closely watched family sagas.
Angelina Jolie’s reported reaction comes into focus after daughter Vivienne filed to remove “Pitt” from her legal last name. | Source: Getty Images
Vivienne has filed a petition to legally remove “Pitt” from her last name, according to court documents as reported by People on July 21, 2026.
The 18-year-old is asking the Los Angeles County Superior Court to change her legal name from Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie. E! News, which also reviewed the court records, reported that the petition was filed eight days after she turned 18.
Vivienne Jolie-Pitt arrives at “The Outsiders” afterparty in New York City in April 2024. She has since filed to legally remove “Pitt” from her last name. | Source: Getty Images
The petition lists the reason for the request as “personal.” According to the media outlet, the filing marks the latest indication that Vivienne has distanced herself from the Pitt surname.
After the petition became public, a source close to Brad responded in a statement to USA TODAY on July 22..
Brad Pitt attends the world premiere of F1 in New York City in June 2025. A source close to the actor later responded after Vivienne filed to legally remove “Pitt” from her last name. | Source: Getty Images
“It is important to contextualize that Brad was awarded 50/50 custody of the children in 2021 following lengthy testimonies from witnesses, experts, therapists and other people who had been with the kids and around them,” the source explained.
Angelina Jolie’s Reported Response Follows the Filing
A separate report also offered insight into Angelina’s perspective following the filing. According to a source, Angelina is looking for “everyone to heal” as her children seek to drop “Pitt” from their last names.
The source also said, “If people knew the whole truth, they would have more sympathy for the children and respect them. The fact they aren’t speaking ill or sharing things publicly only shows their decency.”
Angelina Jolie and daughter Vivienne Jolie-Pitt are seen together in New York City in 2023. Vivienne’s latest name-change filing has since prompted new insight into Jolie’s reported hopes for her family. | Source: Getty Images
No additional details about her response were included in the report. Vivienne’s request is scheduled to be heard in LA County Superior Court on November 2, 2026.
Vivienne’s Playbill Credit Added a Quieter but Telling Twist
As reportedly in 2024, Vivienne stepped into the conversation in a quieter, but still very noticeable, way. In the Playbill for the musical “The Outsiders,” which she helped Angelina produce, Vivienne was listed as “Vivienne Jolie” rather than “Vivienne Jolie-Pitt,” according to People.
The same publication noted that it was not immediately clear whether Vivienne had legally changed her name. Still, the listing was enough to catch public attention.
Vivienne’s filing is the latest in a series of legal efforts by the Jolie children to use their mother’s surname. A previous report showed that two of her siblings had already moved their own petitions closer to a court decision.
Vivienne Jolie at the Opening Night Gala Performance of the musical based on the film “Heathers The Musical” in New York City on June 30, 2025. | Source: Getty Images
The Legal Step That Moved Their Petitions Closer to a Judge’s Decision
As reported by the same publication on July 13, Zahara and Maddox have completed a key legal requirement in their petitions to remove “Pitt” from their last names.
Court documents obtained by the publication show they published the notices required under California law before a judge can consider their requests.
Before years of legal proceedings reshaped the family, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt frequently appeared together at public events like this one. Today, two of their children are seeking to legally remove “Pitt” from their names. | Source: Getty Images
The notices stated that Zahara, 21, is seeking the legal name Zahara Marley Jolie, while Maddox, 24, is requesting the name Maddox Chivan Jolie.
In California, petitioners seeking a legal name change must publish notice of their request in a qualifying newspaper before their case can proceed to a hearing.
Maddox’s notice appeared in the Los Angeles Daily Journal on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, while Zahara’s was published on Thursday, July 9. Once proof of publication is filed with the court, each petition can move forward to a hearing.
Maddox and Zahara were still young children when this photo was taken with Brad Pitt in 2007. Nearly two decades later, both have completed the legal publication requirement needed before a judge can decide whether to approve their requested name changes. | Source: Getty Images
Neither name change has been approved yet. The next step is for a judge to review each petition during separate court hearings. Maddox’s hearing is scheduled for September 14, while Zahara’s is set for September 28.
Both Maddox and Zahara were adopted by Angelina before Brad later adopted them.
Maddox was born in Battambang, Cambodia, and was adopted by Angelina in 2002 after she visited an orphanage while in the country. Zahara was born in Hawassa, Ethiopia, and was adopted by the actress in 2005 when she was about seven months old.
This is one of the more recent public photos of Zahara and Maddox with their mother. Since then, both siblings have filed petitions to legally change their names and are now waiting for separate court hearings. | Source: Getty Images
While the publication notices mark the latest development, they are not the first sign that the siblings were seeking to legally remove Brad’s surname.
The Daily Mail reported that Maddox filed the request on May 27, listing the reason simply as “Personal.” But the filing was not the first indication that he planned to drop the surname.
Maddox, Angelina Jolie, and Brad Pitt at the Governor Awards in Hollywood, California on November 16, 2013. | Source: Getty Images
Maddox had already informally dropped the surname in February, when he was listed in the end credits of Angelina’s movie “Couture” as Maddox Jolie.
Angelina Jolie’s Daughter Takes the Spelman Graduation Stage
Zahara, who recently graduated from Spelman College, had also used her mom’s surname publicly before filing her own legal petition.
In its 2026 Commencement Ceremony footage, the graduate was called to the stage as “Zahara Marley Jolie” — notably, with no hyphenated “Pitt” at the end.
Zahara Marley Jolie shaking hands with people as her name was called during the Spelman College’s 2026 Commencement Ceremony, posted on May 17, 2026. | Source: YouTube/Spelman College
In the graduation footage, Zahara can be seen walking across the stage in her black cap and gown, with a pale stole draped over her shoulders. She appears poised and happy as she accepts her achievement, shaking hands with top alumnae and professionals.
More photos from the commencement showed Zahara beaming in her graduation attire. In one image, she turns back with a bright smile, holding her diploma cover as the Spelman emblem stands behind her.
The graduation was not the first time Zahara publicly used Angelina’s surname.
When Zahara joined the Mu Pi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in November 2023, she introduced herself using only her mother’s surname during her new member presentation.
“My name is Zahara Marley Jolie. And [I] landed all the way from the Golden State in the city full of angels: Los Angeles, California,” she said at the time.
Another Graduation Moment Drew Attention to the Family Name
As reported by Page Six, Knox used the name “Knox Jolie” on his high school diploma after graduating from Fusion Academy in Los Angeles.
According to the outlet, the teenager, who turns 18 on July 12, celebrated the milestone alongside Angelina and his siblings Pax, Zahara, and his twin sister, Vivienne.
The publication also shared differing accounts from unnamed sources about the family’s situation.
This is one of Knox’s recent public appearances before reports about his high school diploma drew attention to his surname. He reportedly used “Knox Jolie” on the certificate instead of his full hyphenated last name. | Source: Getty Images
One source alleged that Angelina viewed the recent developments positively, saying she “seems quite pleased with herself about the total success of her long-standing, intense, deliberate effort to alienate her children from their father.”
The same source added, “It’s so sad for the entire family that she would use the same weapon of the name change over and over for any other purpose other than to hurt their father. This was her goal and she succeeded.”
Another source offered a different perspective, pointing to the family’s past efforts to address their relationships.
Knox appeared with Angelina Jolie at the Governors Awards in Los Angeles. Months later, reports said he used “Knox Jolie” on his high school diploma, adding to the family’s ongoing name-change story. | Source: Getty Images
“Angelina participated in years of family therapy with Brad and the children for everyone to try to heal after the events that led her to file for divorce,” the source said.
The insider continued, “The children are now adults and make their own decisions, which deserve respect. If they choose to distance themselves from him, it comes from that pain and harm.”
Shiloh’s 18th Birthday Filing
In May 2024, Shiloh, formerly Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, filed paperwork requesting a legal name change, asking to drop her dad’s surname and become simply Shiloh Jolie, according to TMZ.
Shiloh Jolie is seen out and about in Studio City, California on March 18, 2025. | Source: Getty Images
Read also
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s Daughter Zahara Dazzles at College Graduation – Photos
Knox Jolie-Pitt Sparks Reactions Over Graduation Speech
Angelina Jolie Appears at Zahara’s Spelman Sorority Event, Draws Attention over Shocking Body Language — Photos
The timing made the move even more striking. Shiloh had just turned 18 on May 27, and the filing was reportedly made on her birthday. In other words, one of her first known acts as an adult was tied to changing her name. That detail did not go unnoticed.
TMZ described the filing as “incredibly telling,” pointing to the widely reported strain between Brad and some of his children since he and Angelina filed for divorce in 2016.
Shiloh Jolie attends the Los Angeles premiere of MSNBC Films’ “Paper & Glue: A JR Project” at Museum Of Tolerance in Los Angeles, California on November 18, 2021. | Source: Getty Images
One Sibling Is Reportedly Taking a Different Path
While several of the siblings have reportedly moved away from using the Pitt surname, the same media outlet reported that Pax’s situation appears to be different.
A source told the outlet, “Pax still has a relationship with his dad’s side of the family and continues to spend time with them.” The insider added that he recently joined relatives for a dinner celebrating his cousin Sydney Pitt’s engagement.
Pax has reportedly maintained ties with Brad Pitt’s extended family, even as several of his siblings have taken different paths. A source said he still spends time with his father’s relatives despite having little contact with Brad himself. | Source: Getty Images
At the same time, the source said Pax’s relationship with his father remains limited. “He doesn’t have much of a relationship with Brad,” the insider added.
Past Court Allegations Remain Part of the Family’s Legal History
Angelina and Brad’s long-running legal dispute has also included allegations stemming from a private flight in September 2016.
According to a court filing reported by CBC News, Angelina alleged that Brad grabbed her by the head and shook her during the flight, choked one of their children, and struck another after the child tried to defend her. The allegations were made in a cross-complaint filed as part of the former couple’s dispute over Château Miraval.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend the WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards in New York City in 2015. Their legal disputes later included allegations over a 2016 private flight, which Pitt has denied. | Source: Getty Images
A representative for Brad denied the allegations, calling them “another rehash that only harms the family,” according to the report.
The FBI and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services reportedly investigated the incident but did not take action against Brad Pitt. The FBI later said it had reviewed the circumstances and would not pursue further investigation.
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