Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are gearing up for a courtroom showdown over their French estate and winery, Ch芒teau Miraval. The dispute is part of their ongoing divorce proceedings, which have stretched over eight years. Pitt is reportedly seeking full control of the property and is not backing down. According to court documents, the trial could last around 15 days, with both parties agreeing that it may extend beyond two weeks. A final date has yet to be confirmed, as several legal complexities remain unresolved. Pitt has called the case 鈥渃omplicated,鈥 citing international involvement and conflicting claims from both sides.
A source close to the actor told Daily Mail, 鈥淭his is a straightforward business dispute, but unfortunately, the other side has consistently introduced personal elements which have exposed the weaknesses in their case and complicated and lengthened the proceedings.鈥
Brad Pitt initially filed the lawsuit in 2022, saying that he and Jolie had promised not to sell their shares in the winery without asking each other first. However, as per TMZ reports, Jolie had sold her part of shares to Russian oligarch, Yuri Shefler, which left Pitt fuming. The former couple had bought the estate together in 2008 and Pitt one day wanted to give it to their children. He also told the court that he had invested a lot of time, effort and money to turn the place into a well-known and successful winery.
An insider informed, 鈥淯nfortunately, this is another example of the same person disregarding her legal and ethical obligations. In doing so, she has violated the rights of the only person who poured money and sweat equity into the success of the business by purporting to sell both the business and the family home to a third-party competitor. She is seeking a return on an investment she did not make and profits she did not earn.鈥
US Weekly reports suggest that Angelina Jolie had told Brad Pitt in 2021 that she wanted to leave the winery business. She sent him a private email, which later became part of the court case. In it, she was unhappy with how things had been handled over the past few years. She felt that money was spent without her agreement and decisions were being made without including her.
At first, both tried to settle the matter by letting Pitt buy her share. He and his team offered over $55 million, but the deal never moved forward. The Hollywood star said it happened because he asked his ex-wife to sign a non-disparagement agreement, meaning they wouldn鈥檛 be able to speak badly about each other. Jolie said she refused because she believed the agreement was meant to hide his past behaviour, but Pitt has denied those accusations.