Brad Pitt claims ex-wife Angelina Jolie 'kept him in dark' about French winery's 'secret' sale in amended lawsuit
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Brad Pitt, through his attorneys filed an amended complaint in Los Angeles court on Thursday, June 1, that claimed that he had been kept entirely “in the dark” during Angelina Jolie’s sale of the former couple’s property Chateau Miraval to billionaire Russian businessman Yuri Shefler. Earlier in February 2022, the ‘Babylon’ star sued his former wife with whom he shares six children.
According to the new amended report as reported by the New York Post, the ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ actor came to know about the sale during a 2021 press release, as the lawsuit reads, “That was by design: Jolie collaborated in secret with Shefler and his associates to pursue and then consummate the purported sale, ensuring that Pitt would be kept in the dark.”
‘Pitt would be kept in the dark’
As it was reported before that Pitt and Jolie were contractually bound not to sell the property without each other’s permission. Thus Jolie’s sale of the property allegedly without Pitt’s knowledge is termed as a violation of the “contractual rights." The amended report reads, "Shefler’s company and Jolie knowingly violated Pitt’s and [his company] Mondo Bongo’s contractual rights and forced a stranger into Pitt’s family home,” as the ‘Mr. and Mrs Smith’ co-stars had a “mutual and binding commitment… that, if the time ever came, neither could nor would dispose of his or her interest separately without the other’s consent.”
The property not only served as the wedding venue of the former power couple when they married in 2014, but it was also Pitt’s work of “passion.” The ‘Troy’ actor would venture into the rose wines business as he partnered with winemaker Marc Perrin in 2013. The suit continues, “Together they would create one of the first high-end rosé wines, branded as a family-owned, family-run French wine business. That strategy met with success. Under Pitt’s and Perrin’s stewardship, Miraval has grown into a multimillion-dollar global business and one of the world’s most highly regarded makers of roe wine.”
Pitt’s updated lawsuit further claimed that Jolie drew the benefits while Pitt continued to put his blood and sweat into the business, terming the ‘Maleficent’ actress as being “unjustly enriched."
The lawsuit further read, “Jolie, though supportive of Pitt’s efforts on behalf of the family, did none of the work necessary for Miraval’s success. Instead, she stood by as Pitt invested money and sweat equity into the home and business in reliance on her promise to hold Miraval together, as well as the contractual rights her holding company Nouvel owed his.”
Shefler’s connection to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine also received a special mention in the lawsuit, “Shefler’s Russia-affiliated spirits conglomerate has been the subject of repeat boycotts in connection with Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and homophobic legislative agenda,” before adding, “While Shefler may be seeking to launder his reputation by forcing a partnership with one of the world’s most well-known and popular actors, affiliation with Shefler and Stoli jeopardizes the reputation of the business.”
Jolie's countersuit
According to Us Weekly, Pitt came to know about the sale of half of the property in October 2021 when a subsidiary of the Stoli group, Tenute del Mondo, announced that they have purchased 50% of Jolie’s share in the property. The Oscar-winning actor claimed during that time that while he wanted to buy the other half himself, he was not allowed to by Jolie. In the February 2022 lawsuit, he sought damages for the sale. While Pitt wanted to keep the property as a family legacy, he was not given the chance.
The battle of the exes continued as in September 2022, the ‘Salt’ actress filed a countersuit worth $250 million which claimed that Pitt filed the suit to retaliate against their bitter divorce proceedings. The couple divorced in 2016, and were immediately engaged in a bitter custody battle.