Brad Pitt demands to see Jolie’s messages in winery legal feud

Pitt files motion on June 30

Brad Pitt filed a legal motion on June 30 asking the court to order Angelina Jolie to hand over all private messages about her 2021 sale of their French winery, Château Miraval. The filing claims Jolie kept Pitt in the dark.

Pitt’s team argued these communications are essential to prove Jolie acted with malice. They believe she secretly finalized the deal with Stoli Group, a buyer Pitt had previously rejected, without his consent and in violation of existing contractual obligations between them regarding the winery.

Jolie sold her shares in 2021

In 2021, Angelina Jolie sold her stake in Château Miraval to the Stoli Group. Pitt had not approved the deal and claimed he was unaware it had even taken place until after it was done.

Pitt and Jolie once jointly owned the estate and had an understanding that neither would sell their share without the other’s agreement. Pitt’s lawsuit said Jolie purposely avoided discussing the sale with him and intentionally kept the terms and negotiations hidden to violate his rights.

Pitt claims intent to harm

Brad Pitt’s lawsuit says Jolie’s actions were meant to cause him harm. He accused her of going through with the sale not for business reasons, but to retaliate against him.

The motion said Jolie knew Pitt was against working with Stoli Group but chose them anyway. Pitt’s legal team described Jolie’s sale as “vindictive” and a “secret deal” that was done knowing it would damage Pitt’s role and influence in the Miraval business operations.

Jolie sold to Yuri Shefler

Angelina Jolie sold her stake to Yuri Shefler, a Russian oligarch and owner of the Stoli drinks group. Pitt strongly opposed Shefler’s involvement in Miraval due to their past business conflicts.

Court documents said Shefler once mocked Pitt by calling him an actor who couldn’t run a business. Pitt viewed the sale as Jolie siding with someone who had personally disrespected him. This strengthened Pitt’s claim that Jolie made the deal out of personal spite rather than financial or legal necessity.

Jolie bypassed earlier refusals

Before the 2021 sale, Stoli Group had approached both Pitt and Jolie about buying into Château Miraval. The couple rejected the offer together at the time.

After their relationship deteriorated, Jolie went back to Stoli and completed the sale without Pitt’s approval. According to court documents, this was seen as a clear violation of their mutual agreement and business partnership, and a deliberate act that reversed a previously shared business decision.

Sale followed custody ruling

An insider told the Daily Mail that Jolie’s sale came shortly after a judge granted Pitt 50/50 custody in 2021. Jolie allegedly lost that case after 160 pages of expert reports.

The source said Jolie was displeased with the outcome and sold her Miraval shares just weeks later. Pitt believed the sale was connected to her frustration with the custody ruling and was done specifically because she knew he opposed selling to Stoli Group.

Source called it an ‘F U’ move

A source told the Daily Mail the winery sale was Jolie’s “F U” move to Pitt after losing the custody ruling. The insider claimed Jolie made the sale knowing Pitt would strongly oppose it.

The insider also said the situation over Miraval only escalated because Jolie had been upset about the court’s decision and took action shortly after. Pitt’s team used this timeline to support the claim that the sale wasn’t just business, but personal retaliation.

Jolie later won appeal

After the initial custody ruling in Pitt’s favor, Jolie appealed the decision. The ruling was later overturned, but the damage from the sale had already been done.

By the time the court reversed the custody outcome, Jolie had completed the deal with Stoli Group. Pitt’s lawsuit argues that Jolie didn’t wait for the appeal’s result and instead moved forward with the sale as a direct reaction to the first custody loss.

Pitt targets Alexey Oliynik

Pitt is trying to depose Alexey Oliynik, a Stoli Group executive. Pitt’s team says Oliynik had direct involvement in the winery purchase and has relevant documents.

Oliynik has refused to testify or hand over records, saying he cannot be forced to comply because he lives in Switzerland. Pitt’s legal filing says that despite his location, Oliynik should not be exempt from giving testimony about his role in the deal with Jolie.

Jolie asks Pitt to drop case

In 2024, Angelina Jolie asked Brad Pitt to withdraw his lawsuit over Château Miraval. Her lawyer said ending the legal fight would allow their family to move forward.

Pitt refused to drop the case. Jolie’s attorney, Paul Murphy, said she had no choice but to defend herself and obtain evidence to disprove Pitt’s claims. Jolie maintained that the sale was legal and that Pitt’s legal action was keeping the conflict alive unnecessarily.

Pitt rejected document request

Jolie once asked Pitt to provide messages from third parties about their 2016 private flight, the incident she said led to their divorce. Pitt rejected this request.

Pitt’s team said he already offered documents that show what happened on the flight and called Jolie’s request a “sensationalist fishing expedition.” They argued that the flight incident had no link to the winery dispute and was being used to distract from the business issue.

Jolie filed own lawsuit

In response to Pitt’s winery lawsuit, Jolie filed a countersuit. She included new claims about the 2016 flight, where she said abusive behavior occurred, leading to the breakup.

Jolie’s suit argued that the events of that flight were relevant because Pitt later asked her to sign an NDA that would have kept those details private. She refused and sold her winery shares instead. This added another layer of dispute between them in court.

Divorce settled in 2024

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie finalized their divorce in 2024. Their separation had started in 2016 after 12 years together and eight years of legal fighting.

Although the divorce was legally closed, the business fight over Miraval continued. Pitt’s lawsuit over the winery remains unresolved, and sources said the case is scheduled to go to trial in 2026 unless they settle first.

Jolie had a 40 percent stake

Angelina Jolie’s stake in Château Miraval was reported to be 40 percent. After selling that share, Pitt became the controlling figure in the business.

A source said Pitt wants to keep control of Miraval because it includes more than a vineyard. The estate also has a music studio and a skincare brand. Jolie tried to get the case dismissed but was not successful in court.

Jolie and Pitt have six kids

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have six children: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Vivienne and Knox. The kids range in age from 16 to 23 years old.

Pitt is reportedly estranged from most of them. Several have dropped the Pitt name in public or legal settings. Vivienne went by “Vivienne Jolie” in a Playbill for The Outsiders. Shiloh and Zahara also no longer use the Pitt surname.

Angelina sold her winery stake and finalized the divorce in December—see Angelina Jolie post‑divorce details.

Pitt tries to reconnect

According to the Daily Mail, Pitt wants to reconnect with Vivienne and Knox ahead of their 17th birthday. He knows the chance is low but hopes they’ll speak with him.

The report said Pitt was deeply affected when Vivienne dropped his name. Knox has not, which gave him some hope. A second source said Pitt wants to be back in their lives and believes he’s tried many times to make amends with his children.

Angelina opened up in January about missing the little things with Brad. Check out Angelina Jolie’s confession on Brad Pitt.

Whose side are you on? Drop your thoughts below.

Read More From This Brand:

• Brad Pitt’s Next Move After Wolfs?
• Brad Pitt & Fincher Reunite for Netflix Sequel
• Lewis Hamilton produces Brad Pitt F1 film

Don’t forget to follow us for more exclusive content right here on MSN

If you liked this story, you’ll LOVE our FREE emails. Join today and be the first to get stories like this one

This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.