Angelina Jolie has publicly called on her ex-husband Brad Pitt to "end the fighting" by dropping his ongoing lawsuit regarding their shared ownership of the French winery Château Miraval. The lawsuit, which stems from Jolie's sale of her half of the winery for $67 million in October 2021, has been a focal point of contention between the former couple.
Pitt initially sued Jolie, claiming that her sale violated a verbal agreement that neither would sell their share without the other's consent. Jolie, however, refused Pitt's offer to buy her out, citing his insistence on a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that she was unwilling to sign. This NDA, according to Jolie's legal team, was designed to cover Pitt's alleged personal misconduct and abuse.
In a recent statement obtained by PEOPLE, Jolie's attorney, Paul Murphy, argued that Pitt's actions were aimed at punishing and controlling Jolie. "We are not at all surprised Mr. Pitt is afraid to turn over the documents demonstrating these facts," Murphy said. "While Angelina again asks Mr. Pitt to end the fighting and finally put their family on a clear path toward healing, unless Mr. Pitt withdraws his lawsuit, Angelina has no choice but to obtain the evidence necessary to prove his allegations wrong."
The legal skirmish has taken a new turn as Jolie's team requested Pitt disclose third-party communications related to a 2016 plane incident that contributed to their divorce. Pitt's lawyers have countered, calling the request "intrusive" and a "sensationalist fishing expedition." They asked the judge to deny Jolie's request, stating that these communications deal with sensitive issues, including therapy sessions and personal advice from trusted advisors.
Pitt's legal team maintains that Jolie's demand is an attempt to re-litigate their divorce case through the business dispute over the winery. "These private, third-party communications are far removed from the issues and allegations in this case," Pitt's attorneys stated in a court document obtained by CNN. They further labeled Jolie's request as "oppressive and harassing."
In response to Jolie's latest legal maneuvers, a source close to Pitt told PEOPLE that the actor's recent court filing speaks for itself. Meanwhile, Pitt has remained silent on the matter, with his representatives declining to comment publicly.
Back in May, a judge ruled that Jolie must produce eight years' worth of non-disclosure agreements she had signed. Pitt's legal team hopes that this disclosure will show that NDAs are standard business practice and not unique to his demands. Murphy, however, argued that these NDAs are not comparable to Pitt's "last-second demand to try and cover up his personal misconduct."
The dispute over Château Miraval began in earnest in February 2022 when Pitt sued Jolie and her former company, Nouvel LLC, over what he described as the "unlawful" sale of her stake to Tenute del Mondo, a subsidiary of the Stoli Group. Pitt claimed that Jolie's sale was "vindictive" following an adverse custody ruling.
Jolie's countersuit, filed in September 2022, accused Pitt of waging a "vindictive war" against her and refuted the existence of any agreement preventing the sale. The countersuit alleged that negotiations to sell her share to Pitt fell apart due to a contentious NDA that Pitt wanted Jolie to sign, which would have restricted her from discussing the events leading to their marital breakdown.
This prolonged legal battle comes amid broader issues for the former couple, whose divorce was finalized in 2019, though their legal disputes continue. Details of the 2016 plane incident, which were revealed in an FBI report last year, include allegations that Pitt physically assaulted Jolie and verbally abused their children during a flight from France to the U.S. Although Pitt was investigated, he was never charged.
