‘Tis the season for college graduations, and this past weekend was a big one in Atlanta. Spelman College’s class of 2026 graduated, including Angelina Jolie’s eldest daughter Zahara Jolie. Zahara left home for one of the best HBCUs in the country four years ago, and now she’s got her degree! Reportedly, Angelina was in Atlanta for the graduation, as were some (if not all) of Zahara’s siblings. But it looks like Brad Pitt did not go. It also looks like Zahara’s entire college experience was under her mother’s surname – Zahara Marley Jolie.
Zahara Jolie-Pitt is moving on to a new chapter in life — in more ways than one. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter graduated from Spelman College over the weekend. And while taking the stage to accept her diploma, she was announced as “Zahara Marley Jolie” — noticeably leaving out “Pitt” from her name.
The 21-year-old received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the Atlanta-based college.
This isn’t the first time she has dropped the last name of her estranged father at a public event, however.
When Zahara joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha organization back in 2023, she proudly declared herself as “Zahara Marley Jolie.” In a video from the sorority’s induction ceremony, she shouted it while shaking her hair and performing a series of moves. At the time, social media users pointed out that one of her brothers also dropped their father’s last name years prior.
Again, to my knowledge, Shiloh is the only kid to legally change her name. But it seems like the four oldest (Zahara, Shiloh, Pax and Maddox) dropped “Pitt” from their names at school/work as soon as possible. I wonder what the twins will do long-term – reportedly, Vivienne dropped “Pitt” from her name in production credits too. Incidentally, TMZ had this story straight from Team Jolie:
Brad Pitt’s estrangement from his daughter Zahara has not cooled off … with sources telling TMZ that the actor did not reach out ahead of her graduation from Spellman. A source close to Angelina tells TMZ that “Zahara’s mom and siblings, who have been involved over the four very special years, were present and cheering her and her Spelman sisters on.”
The source added, “Nothing prevented him from showing up for her. Or ever visiting her. The day was about all she accomplished. Not whether he was willing to attend.”
Sources tell TMZ that Brad did not contact anyone about getting a ticket to her graduation ceremony, which took place over the weekend.
My opinion: “A source close to Angelina” has every right to put this out there. Because we’ve seen, over the past decade, Brad’s constant victim act when it comes to the kids, like Angelina *made* the kids hate him, like Angelina *forces* him to be a terrible father and a terrible person. This was a moment for Brad to act like an adult towards his adult daughter, who was graduating from college. He could have showed up. He chose not to. This source also stopped Team Pitt from lying about it too, because you know some “poor Brad, he would have loved to go to the graduation, if not for Mean Angie” story was coming.
“Zahara Marley Jolie, the daughter of Angelina Jolie, reacts as she walks off the stage after receiving her diploma.” #Spelman 💙🎓
Credit: Miguel Martinez https://t.co/c6TYrfDy23 pic.twitter.com/QX6eXXy8Lf
— 𐌊𖤓 (@lyntwig_) May 17, 2026
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Avalon Red.
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- Angelina Jolie mit Tochter Zahara Jolie bei der Verleihung der 82. Golden Globe Awards 2025 im Beverly Hilton Hotel. Beverly Hills, 05.01.2025 Foto:xJ.xBlocx/xFuturexImagex globes_5193,Image: 952047356, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Jennifer Bloc/Avalon
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- BEVERLY HILLS, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – JANUARY 05: Zahara Marley Jolie and mother Angelina Jolie arrive at the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 5, 2025 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 952078915, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Zahara Marley Jolie, Angelina Jolie, Credit line: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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- BEVERLY HILLS, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – JANUARY 05: Zahara Marley Jolie and mother Angelina Jolie arrive at the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 5, 2025 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 952087846, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Zahara Marley Jolie, Angelina Jolie, Credit line: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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- BEVERLY HILLS, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – JANUARY 05: Zahara Marley Jolie and mother Angelina Jolie arrive at the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 5, 2025 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 952087851, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Zahara Marley Jolie, Angelina Jolie, Credit line: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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- New York City, NY – Angelina Jolie is spotted leaving Jean-Michel Basquiat’s former studio with her kids in New York City. The Manhattan building that once housed the studio and living quarters of the late artist Jean-Michel Basquiat has found a new tenant. Actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie secured 57 Great Jones Street, a two-story structure owned by Andy Warhol for 20 years, for a new creative endeavor platforming underrepresented fashion workers. With 6,600 square feet at her disposal, Jolie is working to create “a community of creativity and inspiration, regardless of socio-economic background” by providing resources and support to an international network of tailors through Atelier Jolie. Pictured: Angelina Jolie, Zahara Marley Jolie, Pax Thien Jolie BACKGRID USA 27 DECEMBER 2023 BYLINE MUST READ: T.JACKSON / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- New York, NY – Angelina Jolie, accompanied by her children, attends the “Maria” premiere at Alice Tully Hall during the New York Film Festival. The family arrived in style for the highly anticipated screening in NYC. Pictured: Pax Jolie-Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Zahara Jolie, Maddox Jolie-Pitt BACKGRID USA 29 SEPTEMBER 2024 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- New York, NY – Angelina Jolie and her children were spotted attending the after-party for the New York Film Festival premiere of “Maria”. The family made a stylish appearance as they celebrated the film’s debut. Pax could be seen with what appeared to be a black brace supporting his right arm followign his recent bike accident. Pictured: Maddox Jolie-Pitt, Zahara Jolie BACKGRID USA 29 SEPTEMBER 2024 BYLINE MUST READ: T.JACKSON / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- New York, NY – Angelina Jolie attends the “Maria” Premiere during the 62nd New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall in New York City. Pictured: Zahara Jolie BACKGRID USA 29 SEPTEMBER 2024 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- New York, NY – Angelina Jolie attends the “Maria” Premiere during the 62nd New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall in New York City. Pictured: Pax Jolie-Pitt, Zahara Jolie and Maddox Jolie-Pitt BACKGRID USA 29 SEPTEMBER 2024 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
I bet they were all happy that he decided not to attend. Who wants an abuser at such a wonderful celebration.
Congratulations, Zahara! There’s got to be a private means of filing a name change, right? So maybe more kids have done it than we know about.
Yeah, you can legally change your name confidentially. I’ve often wondered if Harry and Meghan have changed the last names of their kids from Mountbatten-Windsor to Sussex, especially after what Meghan said to Mindy.
My Ex Husband was abusive. We have two children, now 20 and 22. I was 18 when they were born, my ex was 21.6 years ago, my ex went to therapy and said “I have committed many wrongs but please dont crucify me for the harm I caused many years ago . We saw him improving and opened the door. After a while, me, my ex and the kids mended fences and now he and I have a friendship and the kids LOVE him. He even gets along well with my new husband. BUT, when the children graduated middle school, they were not on good terms with their father and asked him not to come. My ex respected that. Its a bit unfair to say Brad is “miserable” for not showing up when they may not have wanted him there. Hopefully fences can be mended!
I’m glad that you tumultuous relationship with your ex resolved to one that you get along, however, Pitt is still abusing his ex wife with lawsuits. He makes it a point to abuse Angelina with press releases and lawsuits for the past ten years.
Maybe Pitt needs some intensive therapy like your ex. The thing is in order for a person to change, they have to see there is a problem and has to be willing to work at it. It has not been observed to be the case with Angelina’s ex husband
Thanks for this post cynthiafabian. Brad Pitt couldn’t win in this situation. If he appeared, the paparazzi interest would have taken away from Zahara Jolie’s accomplishment. Brad Pitt had a drinking/marijuana problem. Perhaps he will become a better man. Perhaps he will develop a relationship with his children. People can change. I agree that fences can be mended.
What do you mean he couldn’t win in this situation? Pitt spent a lot of time and energy saying he had a good relationship with the kids behind the scenes until they were old enough for it to be obviously untrue. Who cares if he wins? If Angelina Jolie can be there without taking away from her daughter’s accomplishments, he could do the same if he wanted to. He has no interest in the kids besides how he feels like they make him look.
Aww congrats to Zahara! I think that’s the broadest smile I’ve ever seen on her face and its fully deserved.
The whole world supports you and excited. Congratulations! Best family ever
He could ruin the fun. Can’t give him an opportunity to serve Angelina another law suit.
This is to reply to @CynthiaFabian, I take your point and it’s a heroic point to raise, from personal experience. I do get the impression from the way the statement to TMZ is worded, that he was not prevented from attending, so I infer that no one asked him to recuse himself. I get the impression with this story that the only times Angelina is truly pissed off — and not just terminally *tired* of this cheap gamesmanship — is when it undermines family moments for her kids, or her kids’ equilibrium, more generally. Even my parents were able to patch it up to attend graduation ceremonies. And these were people who did not exchange a single word after they split up, forty years ago this month. They just seethed with suppressed rage and bitterness. I never felt outclassed by the British capacity for repression, living in London. Maybe that was a silver lining.
Didn’t he make some weird comments a while back about finally having a daughter in reference to Shiloh? Am I remembering that correctly?
I think that was a case of a tabloid “source” saying something along those lines, but I don’t think BP himself has ever been quoted as saying that.
Anyway, congrats to Zahara! I remember when she was a baby, it’s so crazy that she’s now a grown-up college graduate 🤯. I wish her the best.
Brad Pitt doesn’t seem interested in any of children so I’m not surprised he wasn’t at the graduation. He didn’t even know that she had decided to go to Spelman. Congrats to Zahara.
It does feel sad when we’ve seen so many divorced couples recently reunite for their children’s’ ceremony.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DYFxNlECRT5/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DYaRykTEk4L/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DYabi8JxDGD/
And before history rewrites begin, Reese and Ryan had a VERY ugly divorce.
Accusations of infidelity & abuse abounded, but they locked it down fast.
But who would have wanted him to be there? However, a decent person would have sent her congratulations, or acknowledged her milestone in some way.
College graduations make me so emotional (my daughters graduated three years ago and I think I may have set some sort of record for tears in a single month).
Congrats to Zahara and any grads or parents of grads on Celebitchy!
Wow time flies!
They were all better off without him there.