Angelina Jolie’s adopted daughter, Zahara Jolie-Pitt, addressed herself as Zahara Marley Jolie and dropped her father’s surname at her graduation from Spelman College with a degree in psychology.
The move is being widely seen as the 21-year-old’s defiance and a subtle jab at her father, Brad Pitt.
Angelina Jolie’s daughter Zahara makes changes to her name after graduating from Spelman College
Zahara first dropped her father’s name in the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority initiation ceremony in late 2023.
A-list Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were married in 2016 but divorced two years later. The divorce stretched across eight years before being finalized in 2024.
In the meantime, the couple’s children have opted to drop their father’s name one by one. This includes Max, 24; Pax, 22; Shiloh, 19; and 17-year-old fraternal twins Knox and Vivienne—all of whom have, in one form or another, distanced themselves from identifying with Brad Pitt.
Fans commenting on Reddit have expressed their surprise at Zahara’s graduation, saying, “Graduated?! But she just got there!’ one shocked person commented, while another wrote, ‘It’s been 4 years? My goodness, time is flying.’
Angelina Jolie adopted Zahara in 2005 from Ethiopia at six months old. Last month, Zahara spoke at a mother-daughter brunch where she publicly expressed her admiration for her mother.
In her words, “Our love for each other is a found one. I was adopted at 6 months old and given some of the most special and loving people as my siblings, with a mom who raised us on the value of helping others, being kind, and always striving for growth as people.”
Though it is unclear what career path Zahara will choose after her graduation from the prestigious Black private college, she seems to be thriving in a supportive environment where her curiosity is valued.
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