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Zahara, Maddox Drop ‘Pitt’ Surname; Brad Pitt Upset

7/16/2026

47 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Zahara and Maddox placed four-week legal notices in the Los Angeles Daily Journal to drop “Pitt” from their surnames.
The court scheduled Zahara’s hearing for September 28 and Maddox’s for September 14.
Notices ran on June 16, June 23, June 30 and July 7 for Zahara and June 10, June 17, June 24 and July 1 for Maddox.
Actor Brad Pitt is upset after learning that Shiloh removed “Pitt” in 2024 and Vivienne now uses “Jolie.”

History

Historical Context

In 1993 Prince adopted an unpronounceable symbol as his name to escape a Warner Bros. contract, sparking lawsuits and a public debate that coincided with the Love Symbol album’s 2.8 million-copy worldwide sales. Today the Los Angeles Daily Journal’s notices to Zahara and Maddox, and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s surname disputes, echo that precedent as courts balance celebrity branding with legal name-change rules.

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Story summary

Zahara and Maddox placed four-week legal notices in the Los Angeles Daily Journal to drop “Pitt” from their surnames.
The court scheduled Zahara’s hearing for September 28 and Maddox’s for September 14.
Notices ran on June 16, June 23, June 30 and July 7 for Zahara and June 10, June 17, June 24 and July 1 for Maddox.
Actor Brad Pitt is upset after learning that Shiloh removed “Pitt” in 2024 and Vivienne now uses “Jolie.”

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