Zahara Jolie Makes Bold Graduation Statement — Drops Brad Pitt From Her Name

Another Jolie-Pitt kid just made a very public choice about her last name. At Spelman College’s graduation this past weekend, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter Zahara walked the stage as, simply, Zahara Marley Jolie. No hyphen. No Pitt. Not subtle.

The graduation moment

Zahara, 21, graduated from Spelman over the weekend, and a clip floating around social media shows the announcer calling her name as Zahara Marley Jolie when she received her diploma. If you’ve been following along, this wasn’t out of nowhere.

Not the first time she dropped Pitt

Back in 2023, when Zahara joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at Spelman, she introduced herself to the chapter without her dad’s surname. She also shouted out her hometown of Los Angeles — the city that is full of angels — and noted she was number seven on her line.

'My name is Zahara Marley Jolie.'

What she has (and hasn’t) said

Zahara hasn’t spoken publicly about her relationship with Brad Pitt. She has, however, talked openly about her bond with Angelina. Last month, at the Pearls of Purpose Foundation Scholarship Mother Daughter Luncheon — with Angelina there beside her — Zahara described their connection as hard to put into words because it ’s so specific to them. She reminded the room she was adopted at six months old, said her siblings are some of the most special people in her life, and credited her mom for raising them on helping others, kindness, and growth. She also called Angelina her role model and the most selfless, loving, and understanding woman she knows.

'I am a strong woman because a strong woman raised me.'

The bigger family picture (and the name updates)

• Parents: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt met making 2004’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith, married a decade later, split in 2016, and their divorce was finalized in 2024.
• The kids: Maddox (24), Pax (22), Zahara (21), Shiloh (19), and twins Knox and Vivienne (17).
• Names in motion: Zahara is publicly using Jolie. Shiloh recently filed legal paperwork to change her last name to Jolie. Vivienne has been credited professionally as Vivienne Jolie on the Broadway musical The Outsiders.

Bottom line

Zahara has been introducing herself as Zahara Marley Jolie for at least a year, and now she’s doing it at one of the biggest milestones of her life. It’s a clear, public choice — and she’s not the only sibling making it.