Summary (tl;dr)

Brad Pitt has secured a significant legal win in his ongoing dispute with ex-wife Angelina Jolie over their co-owned French winery, Château Miraval, with a California appeals court ruling in his favor and compelling depositions from executives of the company that bought Jolie's shares.

Essential Background

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie jointly purchased Château Miraval, a 1,200-acre estate and vineyard in Correns, France, in 2008 and were married there in 2014. Pitt claims they had a mutual understanding not to sell their respective stakes in the winery without the other's consent. However, in 2021, Jolie sold her 50% share to Tenute del Mondo, a subsidiary of the Luxembourg-based Stoli Group, owned by Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler, without Pitt's alleged approval. Pitt subsequently sued Jolie in 2022, alleging breach of contract and that the sale was damaging to the business and his reputation.

The Full Story

The legal battle over Château Miraval continues to intensify, with recent developments favoring Brad Pitt. A California appeals court recently sided with Pitt, reversing a lower court's decision that had allowed Yuri Shefler, the owner of the Stoli Group, to exit the lawsuit. The court found that Shefler's involvement in the purchase of Jolie's shares, which included an agreement governed by California law, was sufficient to establish jurisdiction in California courts. Furthermore, the Superior Court of California has granted Pitt's legal team's request to compel depositions from members of the Stoli Group, arguing that their executives possess crucial information regarding Jolie's 2021 sale. This mandates that depositions of key individuals, including Alexey Oliynik from the Stoli Group, be conducted in London by September 30. While Pitt celebrates these legal victories as steps towards transparency, Jolie's legal team maintains that these rulings do not impact the core merits of her case and that she is focused on defeating Pitt's claims at trial.

Why It Matters

This ongoing dispute highlights the complexities and personal animosity that can arise from shared assets following a high-profile divorce. The winery itself, renowned for its rosé, is a significant financial asset. Pitt has argued that Jolie's sale of her stake to a "Russian oligarch" could harm the carefully built reputation of the winery and his brand, especially in light of international boycotts related to Russia. Conversely, Jolie's camp has countered by alleging that Pitt has mismanaged the winery's funds, diverting millions for personal "vanity projects," and that he sought to impose a non-disclosure agreement to silence her about alleged past abuse. The legal proceedings, spanning multiple countries, are seen as a high-stakes battle over both financial control and public narrative.

Geographic Location

• Château Miraval, Correns, Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France (location of the disputed winery and former wedding venue of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie)
• Los Angeles County, California, United States (location of the California Court of Appeal ruling and where Brad Pitt filed his lawsuit)
• Luxembourg (where the Stoli Group, which acquired Jolie's stake, is based and where a court ruled on share ownership in 2024)
• London, England, United Kingdom (location where depositions from Stoli Group members are to be conducted)