Zahara Jolie-Pitt drops father Brad’s surname in sorority introduction

Zahara Jolie-Pitt dropped her father Brad Pitt’s surname during in her sorority introduction at Spellman College.

When the 18-year-old Spellman undergraduate declared herself at her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority induction ceremony this week, she reportedly shouted “Zahara Marley Jolie,” notably not including her father’s last name, according to a video obtained by Essence.

The daughter of former Hollywood power couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt - famously referred to with the portmanteau, “Brangelina” - joined the Mu Pi Chapter of the first historically Black sorority in the nation. Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded in 1908, and the Mu Pi chapter was established in 1979.

She was seen dancing alongside her fellow sorority sisters before introducing herself, “My name is Zahara Marley Jolie. And [I] landed all the way from the Golden State in the city full of angels: Los Angeles, California.”

Zahara reportedly enrolled at Spellman in the fall of 2022, with her mother, Jolie, seen by fellow parents throughout move-in activities in August of that year. The Oscar winner recently took to Instagram to celebrate her daughter’s induction into the sorority, excitedly writing beneath a snap of Zahara and her new Spellman sisters: “Zahara with her Spelman sisters!”

“Congratulations to all new students starting this year,” she added. “A very special place and an honor to have a family member as a new Spelman girl.”

Last year, Pitt told People that he thought it was “really beautiful” that Zahara would be attending Spellman College, but after her declaration was posted online, many users on X, formerly known as Twitter, found it to be a blatant snub of her famous father.

“I wasn’t gonna say anything, but I definitely peeped that Zahara left Pitt off her last name,” one user wrote on the platform, while another added: “She said Zahara Marley JOLIE. Put some respect on that name.”

Some believed that the snub was well deserved, with one user writing: “Zahara shouting her last name “Jolie” with all her might and stopping is so pleasing to me, we love to see it.”

“She is raised by a single woman and that abuser did not deserve a mention,” they added, referring to the 2016 airplane incident in which Pitt and his wife became embroiled in a heated argument. The FBI investigated the incident and the heavily redacted report was made public record during the pair’s contentious divorce proceedings.

According to the report, Pitt allegedly “grabbed her by her head,” “grabbed her by the shoulders,” shook her, pushed her into the bathroom wall and yelled various things at her, including “‘You’re f***ing up this family.’”

The pair were allegedly in a private room together while two of their children - who were both minors at the time and went unnamed in the report - were crying outside of the door asking if she was okay. The Inglorious Basterds star reportedly replied, “‘No, mommy’s not ok. She’s ruining this family. She’s crazy.’”

“‘It’s not her, it’s you, you p***k,’” one of the children responded, according to the report, allegedly enraging the actor.

Jolie, who feared that he was about to attack one of the children reportedly put her then-husband in a chokehold. After the incident, Jolie discussed the merits of pursuing an investigation with the FBI, and provided photos of injuries and handwritten testimonies from their children, but ultimately, Pitt was neither arrested nor charged.

He was cleared of allegations of verbal and physical abuse against one of the couple’s children after an investigation by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services and the LAPD.

Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in 2016 after a decade of dating and two years of marriage.

In an interview with Vogue India, Jolie hinted at the catalyst for their separation, saying: “I separated for the well being of my family. It was the right decision. I continue to focus on their healing.”

The former couple shares Zahara as well twins Vivienne and Knox, 15, as well as Shiloh, 17, Pax, 19, and Maddox, 22.