A Los Angeles judge has ordered Angelina Jolie to turn over previously withheld emails and text messages tied to the sale of her stake in Château Miraval, handing Brad Pitt a significant procedural victory in a yearslong legal battle over the French winery they once co-owned.
The ruling, issued by Superior Court Judge Lia Martin, compels Jolie to produce unredacted communications with personal aides and financial advisers related to her 2021 decision to sell her interest in the estate. The dispute centers on whether the sale violated a prior agreement between the former spouses governing ownership and control of the business.
Château Miraval, a 1,200-acre estate in Correns in southern France, became a global brand after Pitt and Jolie purchased it in 2008 for about €25 million. Pitt has argued that the pair had a binding understanding that neither would sell their shares without the other's consent, an arrangement he says was breached when Jolie sold her stake three years ago.
In 2021, Jolie sold her interest to Russian businessman Yuri Shefler of the Stoli Group for $67 million. Pitt has alleged that the transaction was designed to undermine his role at the winery and described Shefler as an "aggressive third-party competitor." He has also said he invested nearly $50 million more than Jolie to build Miraval into a leading rosé producer alongside the Perrin family.
Jolie sought to block disclosure of dozens of communications, arguing that the messages were protected by attorney-client privilege and nondisclosure agreements. Her legal team said the documents were "reasonably necessary to help me receive the legal advice I needed."
Pitt's lawyers countered that Jolie was "abusing the privilege to bury critical documents that go to the heart of the case." They argued that the redactions concealed instructions given to staff to keep Pitt "in the dark" while negotiations with Shefler proceeded.
Judge Martin agreed with Pitt's position, ordering Jolie to produce 22 disputed documents in full. The ruling applies to communications involving Jolie's longtime business manager, Terry Bird, as well as aides Chloe Dalton and Lady Arminka Helic, both of whom previously served as advisers to former British foreign secretary William Hague.
Pitt's legal team has characterized Dalton and Helic as "image consultants," arguing their involvement in business negotiations does not qualify for privilege protections. The order also covers correspondence between Jolie and financial consultants Marjorie Brabet-Friel and James Friel.
Jolie has 45 days to comply with the ruling, setting the stage for further developments early next year. Pitt's attorneys say the unredacted material could support claims of "tortious interference" with his business relationships, while Jolie has previously dismissed the lawsuit as "frivolous."
The winery dispute persists despite the couple's divorce being finalized in December 2023. Mediation is scheduled for Oct. 28, 2026, with a trial date set for Feb. 1, 2027, extending a legal fight that has come to be known as the "War of the Rosés."
