Angelina Jolie secured a key legal win in her ongoing battle with ex-husband Brad Pitt over the Château Miraval winery, which has been at the center of their post-divorce disputes. On Monday, Nov. 25, a judge ruled that Pitt, 60, must disclose communications—including emails and texts—related to alleged abuse, lies, and cover-ups. However, communications with his lawyers or therapists remain protected.
The dispute began when Pitt sued Jolie for selling her half of the winery to Tenute del Mondo, a division of Stoli Group, in 2022, allegedly violating an agreement not to sell without mutual approval. Jolie has maintained she initially offered to sell her stake to Pitt, but he required a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that she deemed overly broad.
Paul Murphy, Jolie’s attorney, argued that the requested documents are crucial to demonstrating Pitt’s alleged misconduct and the harm he caused to Jolie and their children. “Angelina never wanted any of this,” Murphy said. “She tried to sell him the business first. To this day, Mr. Pitt has controlled Miraval and the winery yet demands more.”
Pitt’s legal team has dismissed Jolie’s motions as a “sensationalist fishing expedition,” claiming her efforts are an attempt to rehash their divorce case. Earlier this month, Pitt scored a separate legal victory when a judge found potential evidence supporting his claim that a written agreement barred Jolie from selling her stake without his consent.
The bitter legal battle has been compounded by accusations stemming from their personal history. Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, days after an alleged incident on a private plane where Pitt was accused of being abusive in front of their children. While Pitt was cleared of allegations at the time and has since become sober, Jolie’s legal filings have referenced a broader history of alleged misconduct.
Pitt and Jolie, declared legally single in 2019, share six children: Maddox, 23; Pax, 20; Zahara, 19; Shiloh, 18; and twins Vivienne and Knox, 16. Many of the children have distanced themselves from Pitt, with some dropping his last name.
The divorce proceedings, including financial settlements and custody arrangements, remain unresolved more than eight years after their split. “The bitterness is partly why the divorce has dragged on for so many years. Neither will let it go,” a source close to the couple told PEOPLE earlier this year.
As Jolie’s legal team presses forward in the winery case, Murphy reiterated, “Angelina will defend herself and present evidence to show that Pitt’s allegations are demonstrably false if he continues this litigation.” Both parties appear far from a resolution, with the fight over Château Miraval symbolizing deeper fractures in their tumultuous relationship.
