Hollywood may have another famous ex-couple going to court. Brad Pitt has filed a lawsuit against his ex-wife Angelina Jolie. Pitt is claiming that the famous movie star is attempting to “inflict harm” on him and his interests in their Chateau Miraval Winery, located in Corrrens, France.
Lawyers for Pitt claim Jolie sold her stake in their winery to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler in an effort to damage Pitt’s involvement in the company. As a result, Pitt is seeking monetary damages, legal fees, and Jolie’s Miraval sales to Shefler to be voided.
Pitt’s attorneys allege that Jolie knew and intended that Shefler and his affiliates would try to control the business Pitt had built and undermine Pitt’s investment in Miraval.
“The vineyard became Pitt’s passion – and a profitable one, as Miraval, under Pitt’s stewardship, has grown into a multimillion-dollar global business and one of the world’s most highly regarded producers of rosé wine,” the docs claim. “Jolie, meanwhile, contributed nothing to Miraval’s success. Instead, she allowed Pitt to pour money and sweat equity into the business in reliance on the consent right she owed him and a right of first refusal her business entity owed his.”
“In violation of the parties’ agreement, Jolie has sought to force Pitt into partnership with a stranger, and worse yet, a stranger with poisonous associations and intentions,” the docs state, alleging that Shefler “also maintains personal and professional relationships with individuals in Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.”
“Pitt – through significant financial investment and years of sweat equity – has built a highly successful family-owned business. Miraval has correspondingly grown massively in value since 2008 and is now worth hundreds of millions of dollars,” the docs claim. “Meanwhile, Jolie has not returned to Miraval since filing for divorce in 2016.”
“Jolie pursued and then consummated the purported sale in secret, purposely keeping Pitt in the dark and knowingly violating Pitt’s contractual rights,” the lawsuit alleges.
