Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt’s property battle takes new twist

A California judge has issued a significant ruling in the ongoing legal dispute between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie over the $500 million Château Miraval estate in France. The court ordered executives from the Stoli Group to provide documents and testimony regarding Jolie’s 2021 sale of her shares in the winery to the group’s wine division, Tenute del Mondo. This development intensifies the high-stakes litigation surrounding the property, which centers on allegations of unauthorized share transfers and the breach of a mutual consent agreement.

The Superior Court of California has granted a motion by Brad Pitt’s legal team compelling depositions from members of the Stoli Group, including executive Alexey Oliynik. The ruling follows allegations that Oliynik, a resident of Switzerland, had previously refused to provide relevant documents or appear for questioning regarding the 2021 sale of shares in the French winery. Pitt’s attorneys successfully argued that these investors possess first-hand knowledge of the transaction where Jolie sold her stake to Tenute del Mondo, the wine division of the Stoli Group. This decision is viewed by sources close to the case as a major step toward transparency regarding the corporate interests involved in the sprawling estate, which the couple originally purchased in 2008.

The legal conflict began in 2022 when Pitt filed a lawsuit claiming Jolie sold her shares without his approval, violating a prior agreement that neither would sell without mutual consent. The property is valued at approximately $500 million USD ($725 million AUD), and Pitt alleges Jolie sold her half despite their previous understanding. Jolie has denied the existence of such an agreement, with her legal team asserting that the sale was motivated by a desire for financial stability for her children. While Jolie’s lawyer, Paul Murphy, downplayed the recent ruling as having no impact on the merits of the case, the court's decision follows a similar win for Pitt in Michigan, where a judge ruled that a former Stoli General Counsel, Todd Culyba, had improperly blocked testimony during a key deposition.

The battle over Château Miraval highlights the complexities of high-value international real estate assets held by high-profile individuals. Despite the finalization of the couple's divorce in December 2024 after eight years of proceedings, the property dispute remains unresolved with a full trial scheduled for next year. Recent proceedings have also seen Jolie secure a legal win when a Los Angeles Superior Court judge denied Pitt’s attempt to access her private emails, citing lawyer-client privilege, though the motion was denied without prejudice. As both parties prepare for the upcoming trial, the case continues to underscore the significant legal and financial challenges involved in divesting co-owned luxury estates and their associated global business entities.