In the continuing divorce saga between celebrity ex-couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Pitt is suing his former wife, alleging she sold her stake in a French winery in an unauthorized deal. Some of the issues in their divorce are ongoing, though they each became legally single in 2019.
Pitt claims Jolie sold her stake in the wine estate Chateau Miraval, where they were married, in spite of the agreement the couple shared about selling shares of the company. Last week, he filed a civil lawsuit against the actress.
The buyers of Jolie’s shares, Tenute del Mondo, are characterized in the lawsuit as an “aggressive third-party competitor.” Pitt alleges they are trying to take over his successful rosé company, Miraval. Tenute del Mondo is a subsidiary owned by the privately-owned company Stoli.
Court papers state Pitt and Joie both owned shares of the company that operates and owns Chateau Miraval, and that both parties had been in discussions about a buyout by Pitt.
However, the legal filing notes, Jolie stopped her ongoing negotiations with Pitt about selling her shares to Pitt and then sold them without his approval. Pitt said the sale of Jolie’s stake in Miraval to Tenute del Mondo is a breach of their understanding.
The lawsuit shares the timeline for the divorcing couple, when they discussed both in 2017 and again in 2019, a full or partial buyout by Pitt.
But in 2021, Jolie said, as the lawsuit notes, that she “could no longer maintain any ownership position in an alcohol-based business given her personal objections.”
Still, Pitt and Jolie continued to negotiate the buyout of Jolie’s stake in the company for months.
Pitt claims that Jolie’s team suddenly stopped their discussions. Then, in October 2021, Pitt discovered Jolie had finalized a sale to a company owned by Yuri Shefler.
Pitt owns sixty percent of the company and Jolie owns 40 percent. The once-married celebrity couple created a new business to operate Chateau Miraval as partners, and then in 2013 entered a 50-50 joint venture with another winemaker owned by Marc Perrin.
Pitt describes in the lawsuit how he learned the winery could not be self-sustaining after their purchase, and that he personally decided to learn how to turn the winery around and create a profitable business.
He states he personally invested funds and his time to transform the winery into a working business, and that his ex-wife Jolie did not disagree with his efforts.
Court documents state Jolie stopped contributing to the renovations in 2013, and that Pitt stepped up to pay for about 70 percent of the total funds needed to complete the project.
Miraval rosé became a global success and now includes a line of wines that in 2021 brought in about $50 million in revenue.
Pitt alleges that Jolie “hid the discussions and declined to disclose the terms of her contemplated deal to Pitt at all. Pitt still does not know what those terms are.”
Making this case even more contentious is that Jolie requested the courts in 2021 to allow her to be free from any restrictions in their divorce case regarding selling property, once pending resolutions were made.
Pitt agreed but clearly excluded the winery, stating he would not agree to any sale of the home or wine business connected to the Chateau Marvel.
Now, Pitt states in the lawsuit, he is unable to work with Shefler’s direction and management of the Chateau Miraval company and adds that he can’t enjoy the privacy of his living space since it is now co-owned by strangers.
Pitt is seeking a trial by jury. He is also seeking to undo the sale Jolie made with Tenute del Mondo.
The lawsuit seeks restitution for unspecified punitive and compensatory damages. Pitt also requests Jolie’s shares in the company be transferred to a trust.
