Hollywood star Brad Pitt has leveled accusations against his former wife Angelina Jolie, stating that she secretly planned to offload her share of their French estate, Château Miraval, in an act of retribution amid their heated child custody dispute.
According to court documents, Pitt claims that he and Jolie had a mutual understanding not to sell their respective stakes in the $30 million estate without each other’s approval. However, following their divorce in 2019, Jolie allegedly showed interest in stepping away from the venture, sparking discussions with Pitt about buying out her share.
Initially, Jolie had consented to a division favoring Pitt, granting him a 68 percent share to her 32 percent, due to his greater financial and time investment in the property. Nevertheless, it was through a press statement in 2021 that Pitt learned of Jolie having sold her 50 percent share.
The lawsuit states that Jolie surreptitiously collaborated with Yuri Shefler, proprietor of the Stoli Group, to keep Pitt in the dark about the deal. Court filings suggest Jolie’s decision to sell her stake to Pitt altered after an unfavorable child custody ruling, which overturned their earlier agreement of joint custody of their six children. Pitt alleges in his lawsuit filed with the LA Superior Court that Jolie’s actions were premeditated, unlawful, and deliberately harmful to him while giving herself an unfair advantage.
Pitt claims that Jolie’s choice of Shefler as the buyer, due to his alleged connections with Vladimir Putin, was intentionally meant to damage the business.
With half of the estate now under external ownership, Pitt asserts that the original goal of buying Château Miraval as a nurturing family home for their children has been disrupted.
This new lawsuit follows a $250 million counter-claim made by Jolie against Pitt nine months prior. She accused him of trying to maintain complete control over the French winery to prevent her from sharing in its substantial profits. Jolie’s company, Nouvel, initiated the lawsuit, which further accused Pitt of attempting to impose a non-disclosure agreement to prevent her from discussing specifics about their divorce.
