Angelina Jolie’s daughter Zahara has publicly left her father Brad Pitt’s last name behind, choosing to abandon it at her recent college graduation ceremony.
The 21-year-old graduated from Spelman College over the weekend, and social media footage from the event revealed that as she walked across the stage to receive her diploma, she was officially announced as “Zahara Marley Jolie.”
The obvious omission of Pitt’s last name is the latest indication of a change in family dynamics following his parents’ high-profile split.
This isn’t the first time Zahara has chosen to drop her father’s name in a public place.
Three years ago, when she joined Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, she introduced herself to her peers using the exact same nickname.
In a video clip shared on social media in 2023, she proudly declared her name as Zahara Marley Jolie, adding that she is from the Golden State, Los Angeles, California.
While Zahara has remained quiet about her relationship with Pitt, she has been incredibly open about her close bond with her mother.
Last month, Jolie stood alongside her daughter at a mother-daughter lunch, where Zahara gave an emotional speech about their relationship.
She described their bond as unique and almost kin, explaining that because she was adopted at six months old, their love for each other was true love.
Zahara praised Jolie as a selfless and understanding role model who raised her children to value kindness, growth and helping others, ending her speech with a heartfelt thank you to her mother.
The family has been in a complicated dynamic since Jolie and Pitt split in 2016 after falling in love on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith in 2004.
The former couple, whose incredibly messy divorce was finally finalized in 2024, share five other children: Maddox, Pax, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne.
Zahara is far from the only sister to recently distance herself from the Pitt name.
Her younger sister Shiloh has already submitted official paperwork to legally change her last name to Jolie, while 17-year-old Vivienne chose to drop her father’s last name professionally, choosing to be credited simply as Vivienne Jolie in the Broadway show’s poster. The strangers.
