Brad Pitt has taken legal action against his ex-wife Angelina Jolie, accusing her of intentionally withholding information about the sale of her stake in their family wine business to a Russian oligarch. Pitt argues that the new partial owner’s relationship with Russia poses a serious threat to the winery given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. 

According to court documents, Pitt is seeking damages, declaratory relief, disgorgement, and pre- and post-judgment interest for the alleged interference with contractual relations by Jolie and Tenute del Mondo, which is owned by spirits manufacturer Stoli Group and controlled by Yuri Shefler, a Russian oligarch. The lawsuit claims that Shefler’s affiliation with Putin’s regime and homophobic policies has led to repeated boycotts of the Stoli Group. Pitt contends that the partnership with Shefler jeopardizes the reputation of the business that he helped build with Perrin and with which he has closely associated himself and his image.

According to reports, Pitt learned about Jolie’s alleged attempt to sell their shared property in France through a press release. The lawsuit claims that the sale was unlawful due to contractual breaches between the ex-couple and their agreement to hold Miraval together and not sell their interests without each other’s consent. 

However, a source close to Jolie argues that Pitt’s reasoning for suing her is confusing, given that their children have not felt comfortable returning to the house in France for almost seven years due to events leading to Jolie’s divorce filing. In 2008, Pitt and Jolie purchased a controlling interest in Château Miraval S.A., a home and vineyard in the south of France, where they later tied the knot in 2014. 

The complaint alleges that Pitt and Jolie agreed to hold Miraval together and sell their interests only with each other’s consent. However, Jolie allegedly terminated these discussions amid a heated child custody dispute with Pitt, secretly selling a 50% stake in the family home and business in the summer of 2021. In September 2022, Jolie’s former company filed a countersuit against Pitt, accusing him of waging a vindictive war against Jolie since their divorce filing in 2016. Nouvel is seeking over $250 million in damages.

According to reports, Brad Pitt has been accused of squandering his former company’s assets on frivolous expenses, such as renovating a swimming pool for more than $1 million and restoring a recording studio. The lawsuit also claims that Pitt “masterminded” a scheme to take control of the winery company from Angelina Jolie. The winery was originally owned by American winemaker Tom Bove, who eventually became a top French producer of organic wine. Jolie and Pitt continued the winemaking tradition by launching Miraval Wines in 2013, which sold out its first 6,000 rosé bottles in just five hours. Jolie has yet to comment on the allegations.