Hollywood star Brad Pitt has leveled accusations at his former wife Angelina Jolie, stating that she secretly planned to offload her share of their French estate, Château Miraval, in an act of retribution amid their heated child custody dispute.
Court documents reveal that Pitt alleges a mutual agreement between him and Jolie to not dispose of their stakes in the $30 million estate without mutual approval. However, post their 2019 divorce, Jolie allegedly expressed a desire to disengage from the venture, instigating buy-out discussions with Pitt.
Jolie had agreed to a division favoring Pitt with 68 percent to her 38 percent due to his larger financial and time contributions to the project. But, Pitt found out in 2021, through a press statement, that Jolie had unloaded her 50 percent stake.
Pitt alleges that Jolie covertly worked in conjunction with Yuri Shefler, owner of Stoli Group, to keep him oblivious to the transaction. The legal paperwork indicates that Jolie’s earlier decision to sell to Pitt shifted after an adverse child custody verdict, wherein initial joint custody of their six children was reversed later. According to the lawsuit filed in the LA Superior Court, Jolie’s actions were calculated, illegal, and inflicted serious and deliberate harm to Pitt while unfairly advantaging herself.
Pitt asserts that Jolie opted for Shefler as the purchaser due to his ties with Vladimir Putin, knowing it would negatively impact the business.
With half of the estate now under a third-party’s ownership, Pitt claims that the initial intent of purchasing Château Miraval as a loving home for their children is now compromised.
This recent lawsuit follows Jolie’s $250 million counter-claim against Pitt nine months ago, when she accused him of trying to monopolize the French winery to bar her from reaping its significant profits. The lawsuit, initiated by Jolie’s company Nouvel, also accused Pitt of trying to enforce a non-disclosure agreement to keep her from divulging divorce specifics.