Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's Daughter Vivienne Made a Bold Personal Decision the Day She Turned 18 – Details

What first appeared to be a subtle change in a Broadway credit has now taken on far greater meaning. A newly surfaced court filing reveals just how deliberate that earlier choice may have been.

Several of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's children have quietly taken steps to redefine their identities. However, what their youngest biological daughter reportedly did on the very day she became a young adult adds a striking new chapter to the family's story.

Earlier this month (July 2026), Zahara and Maddox, two of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's six children, had completed a key requirement in their petitions to remove "Pitt" from their names legally. According to court documents obtained by People, both siblings have published the legal notices required under California law before a judge can consider their requests.

The notices state that Zahara, 21, is seeking the legal name Zahara Marley Jolie, while Maddox, 24, is requesting Maddox Chivan Jolie.

The Legal Step That Moved Their Petitions Closer to a Judge's Decision

In California, filing a petition is only the first step in a legal name change. Petitioners must also publish notice of their request in a qualifying newspaper, making the proposed change part of the public record before the case can proceed.

According to the same publication, 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, the petitions can move forward to a hearing.

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 as well. 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 Angelina in 2005 when she was about seven months old.

Their legal efforts already suggested that the family surname remained a deeply sensitive issue. Yet another filing soon emerged, and this time, it came from the youngest daughter in the Jolie-Pitt household.

Vivienne Took Legal Action as She Entered Young Adulthood

According to court documents obtained by People, Vivienne filed a petition in Los Angeles County Superior Court seeking to change her legal name. She requested that Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt become Vivienne Marcheline Jolie.

The reason given in the documents was simply listed as "personal." No further explanation was provided publicly. What makes the move especially notable is its timing. Vivienne reportedly submitted the petition on the day she turned 18, using her first day of legal adulthood to make an intensely personal choice about the name she wants to carry forward.

A hearing on the petition has been scheduled for November 2. The filing is the clearest legal step Vivienne has taken regarding her surname. However, it is not the first indication that she had begun publicly identifying without "Pitt."

A Broadway Credit Had Already Raised Questions

In May 2024, Vivienne was credited as "Vivienne Jolie" in the Playbill for the Broadway production of "The Outsiders." She worked on the musical alongside Angelina, who served as a lead producer. Vivienne was credited as a producer's assistant.

A Playbill credit did not legally alter her identity. Still, her latest court petition shows that the omission was apparently more than a temporary professional choice. Vivienne was born in July 2008 alongside her twin brother, Knox. The twins are the youngest of Angelina and Brad's six children.

Vivienne Is Following a Path Taken by Her Siblings

Vivienne is now the latest of the former couple's children to seek distance from the Pitt surname, as outside of Zahara and Maddox, Shiloh took the same route in 2024. She filed to change her name from Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt to Shiloh Nouvel Jolie shortly after turning 18.

Her request was formally granted in August 2024. A source described as close to Pitt previously responded to the pattern of name changes, telling People, "It's sad to see someone repeatedly publicize their successful alienation of their children from the other parent."

Angelina Once Spoke About Letting Her Children Find Themselves

Angelina previously discussed raising six children with distinct personalities, interests, and emotional needs. "I have six very individual human beings in my home. I am so excited about all the different stages and feelings and curiosities that they go through. Why wouldn't you be?" she told People in October 2021.

"We're supposed to help them figure out who they are. And you can't figure out who they are if you don't enthusiastically develop with them," she added.

Those remarks take on added weight now that several of her children have reached young adulthood and begun making major decisions for themselves.

The Family Has Faced Years of Strain

The surname changes follow years of reports about tension between Brad and some of the children after his difficult separation from Angelina.

Angelina filed for divorce in 2016 after two years of marriage and more than a decade together. Their divorce was finalized in late 2024 following a prolonged legal battle.

Netizens React to Vivienne's Latest Filing

Vivienne's petition quickly sparked a wave of online discussion, with many commenters focusing on the siblings and the support they may be able to offer one another. One person wrote, "It's really nice to see the majority of the kids doing this because I'd assume all of them have each other for support after filing ❤️."

Another commenter wondered whether Brad would publicly respond, writing, "He previously only reacted to Shiloh dropping it, so it'll be interesting to see if he reacts again to a bio kid filing."

A third person shared a more personal reaction, stating, "I'm glad they all have each other. As a survivor of abuse, I will never not support anyone getting free, especially now that none of them have to be legally tied to him."

Vivienne has not publicly alleged abuse or explained what the word "personal" in her petition specifically refers to. For now, the exact feelings behind her decision remain hers alone.

Still, the timing sends an unmistakably powerful message. On the day Vivienne became legally able to make the choice entirely for herself, she asked the court to let her enter adulthood simply as Vivienne Marcheline Jolie.