‘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.
