Brad Pitt's children file name change petitions

Two adult children of actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have taken formal legal steps to remove their father's surname from their names, according to court documents. Zahara Jolie-Pitt, 21, and Maddox Jolie-Pitt, 24, have both filed petitions and published the required public notices to change their legal names to Zahara Marley Jolie and Maddox Chivan Jolie, respectively.

The process, mandated by California law, requires petitioners to publish an "Order to Show Cause" in a local newspaper for four consecutive weeks. Zahara's notices ran in the Los Angeles Daily Journal on June 16, June 23, June 30, and July 7. Maddox's notices ran on June 10, June 17, June 24, and July 1. The publications allow time for any objections to be filed before final court hearings. Zahara's hearing is scheduled for September 28, while Maddox's is set for September 14.

This legal action follows years of the siblings informally using only their mother's surname. Zahara used "Jolie" when joining the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at Spelman College and during her graduation ceremony in May. Maddox was credited as "Maddox Jolie" in the closing credits for his mother's film "Couture." They are not the first...