When things seemed to calm down in the ex-marriage between Angelina Jolie (Los Angeles, USA, 48 years old) and Brad Pitt (Shawnee, USA, 59 years old), the fight for the vineyards they owned in Provence in the south of France. The actors have been at odds for years over the interpreter’s sale of the vineyard shares, but the court case made headlines again when a document was presented in court on Monday, July 10, defending Jolie against her ex-husband’s allegations to some attacks on him.
It all started seven years ago when the couple announced their divorce and, among other things, got involved in a constant argument over the wine-growing land they bought together in France. Exactly two years ago, Jolie accused Pitt of blocking the sale of Château Miraval; Months later, in February 2022, the actor sued his ex-wife for selling her portion of the estate to Russian businessman Yuri Shefler without notice, even though they agreed not to sell the shares without each other’s permission. Since then, the allegations have steadily increased. It didn’t stop there. Shortly thereafter, Jolie filed a counterclaim, claiming that no such agreement ever existed and that she decided to sell her stake in the winery in order to have “financial independence and some form of peace” and “to complete this in a deeply painful and traumatic manner.” “. chapter of her life and that of her children”. For the ex-partner, the farm is more than just a vineyard. They acquired it in 2008 and six years later, in 2014, it’s the place where, after nine years of relationship, they said “yes, I do” surrounded by their six children.
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In June court documents, Pitt’s attorneys called the sale “retaliation” after “an adverse custody decision” and nearly ruined the project the actor had invested so much money and time into. Now it is Maleficent’s interpreter who responds to the allegations. According to new legal documents attached to the lawsuit, accessed by the Financial Times, Jolie defends that the actor behaved like a “smug child” by subsequently refusing to recognize Nouvel – his former investment company – as an equal Partners in the business handle selling your shareholding. They also state that he was involved in a “blatant waste of money”. The actress’ lawyers continue the series of allegations, criticizing Pitt for presenting himself as a winemaker when he “only trades illusions, not dirt and grapes.” In a 2014 interview for Wine Spectator, the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood performer defined himself as follows: “Now I’m a farmer. I love learning about the land and learning which field is best for which grape, the drama of September and October: are we harvesting today? How is the acidity? It will rain? It was a school for me.”
Jolie’s lawyers also argue that Pitt actually made dozens of films and did “countless” commercial appearances and traveled the world during the years in which the company was allegedly set up: “He only visited the vineyards to observe the work of the French workers Admire those who really made it.” Business successful, Pitt is not a winemaker. In other words, the actress denies that the actor had any interest whatsoever in betting on a deal, which he now defends by all means. The lawsuit alleges that during the years the two were together, he spent millions of dollars of proceeds on frivolous projects like renovating a recording studio or a swimming pool.
Aerial view of Château Miraval, the winery in southern France that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie bought.MICHEL GANGNE (AFP)
In September 2022, Pitt founded his own natural cosmetics brand with products made from grapes from Provence vineyards: Le Domaine. A new line of anti-aging cosmetics for men and women that is also sustainable as it uses refillable bottles with wine barrel lids. As he defended when announcing the formation, the vineyard is a multimillion-dollar business with nothing wasted: “Anything left over becomes food for something else.” It remains to be seen what the next step will be and whether Pitt will defend himself against Jolie’s allegations.