Summary (tl;dr)

Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are currently engaged in an ongoing and complex legal battle over the co-owned French winery, Château Miraval, with recent court decisions impacting both sides of the dispute regarding the sale of Jolie's share.

Essential Background

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie acquired Château Miraval, a 1,200-acre estate and vineyard in Provence, France, in 2008 and were married there in 2014. Together, they developed a highly successful organic rosé brand, Miraval Wines, in collaboration with the Perrin family. Following their separation, with their divorce finalized in late 2024, a legal dispute ignited in 2022 when Jolie sold her stake in the winery. Pitt claims there was a mutual agreement that neither party would sell their share without the other's consent. Jolie had initially attempted to sell her half to Pitt, but negotiations reportedly stalled over a nondisclosure agreement she refused to sign.

The Full Story

The current legal battle centers on Angelina Jolie's 2021 sale of her 50% interest in Château Miraval to Tenute del Mondo, a subsidiary of the Stoli Group, which is owned by Russian-born billionaire Yuri Shefler. Brad Pitt subsequently filed a lawsuit in February 2022, asserting that the sale violated their prior understanding and unlawfully introduced an "aggressive third-party competitor" into what he considers his "life's work."

Recent developments have seen rulings favoring both parties. A Michigan court recently sided with Pitt, ordering Todd Culyba, the former General Counsel of the Stoli Group, to undergo another deposition to answer questions concerning the Miraval sale. Conversely, Jolie secured a win in California when a Los Angeles Superior Court judge denied Pitt's request for access to certain private emails related to her sale, citing attorney-client privilege. Furthermore, a California appeals court reversed an earlier decision, ruling that Yuri Shefler can indeed be sued in California over his purchase of Jolie's stake. Most recently, on July 3, 2026, Jolie challenged Pitt's motion to access her financial records from 2017 to 2019, arguing it infringed upon her privacy rights. The broader case is slated for trial in Los Angeles Superior Court in February 2027.

Why It Matters

This trending lawsuit is significant due to the high-value asset at its core—Château Miraval, estimated to be worth around $500 million—and its representation of ongoing financial and personal entanglements in high-profile divorces. Pitt views the winery as his "passion" and "life's work," considering Jolie's sale to an outside entity a direct violation of their alleged agreement and detrimental to the business. The legal proceedings continue to impact both actors' public images and their substantial assets, while Jolie has publicly stated her inability to maintain ownership in an alcohol-based business due to personal objections.

Geographic Location

• Château Miraval, Correns, Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France (location of the co-owned winery and primary subject of the lawsuit)
• Los Angeles Superior Court, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States (location of key legal proceedings, motions, and scheduled trial)
• Michigan, United States (location of a court ruling ordering a key witness deposition)
• Luxembourg (location of the Stoli Group, where a court previously ruled on share distribution)