A California judge has delivered a significant procedural victory to Brad Pitt, ordering Angelina Jolie to turn over 22 previously undisclosed emails and text messages in their long-running legal battle over Château Miraval, the French vineyard at the center of one of Hollywood's most contentious property disputes. The ruling requires Jolie to produce the documents within 45 days, potentially opening a new evidentiary front ahead of a scheduled 2027 trial.
The decision marks a sharp setback for Jolie's efforts to shield the materials from discovery and strengthens Pitt's claim that key communications about the sale of her stake were improperly withheld. Since 2022, the former couple have been locked in litigation over ownership and control of Château Miraval, a luxury Provence estate known for its high-end rosé wine.
At issue are emails and text messages exchanged among Jolie, her business manager and advisers that Pitt's legal team argues are central to whether she acted in bad faith when she sold her 50% stake. Jolie sold the interest to Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler in 2022 for about £53 million without first offering Pitt the opportunity to buy, a move he says violated a binding right-of-first-refusal agreement.
Jolie had argued the documents were protected by a non-disclosure agreement and attorney-client privilege, asserting they reflected confidential legal strategy. The judge rejected that position, concluding the communications were not privileged legal advice but rather ordinary business exchanges among non-lawyers. The ruling aligns with Pitt's contention that privilege was being used to block access to evidence critical to the core claims.
In a court filing, Pitt's legal team argued bluntly: "Jolie is abusing the privilege to bury critical documents that go to the heart of the case." The judge's order indicates the court agreed that the materials should be produced.
The dispute traces back to 2008, when Pitt and Jolie purchased Château Miraval during their marriage. Pitt maintains the couple reached a clear agreement that neither would sell their interest without first offering it to the other. Jolie has disputed the existence of any binding restriction and has maintained she was free to sell.
The newly ordered disclosure could provide a contemporaneous record of Jolie's thinking and planning around the sale. Pitt's lawyers believe the correspondence may undercut her public position and bolster claims that the transaction was designed to circumvent their alleged agreement.
Jolie's own sworn declarations acknowledged the sensitivity of the materials, stating they reveal "the step-by-step road map of her legal and strategic manoeuvres, from drafting responses to analysing legal advice." Her legal team has maintained that this characterization underscores why the communications should remain confidential, an argument the judge did not accept.
The Miraval litigation has become emblematic of how deeply personal conflicts can spill into prolonged commercial warfare. Pitt and Jolie's relationship ended in 2016 after an incident aboard a private plane, triggering divorce proceedings and a custody battle that has since intersected with disputes over property and contracts.
The court has set mediation for Oct. 28, 2026, signaling a continued push to resolve the case short of trial. A full trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 1, 2027. Jolie has already been ordered to produce all non-disclosure agreements she signed between 2014 and 2022, further expanding discovery.
