Brad Pitt has branded Angelina Jolie “vindictive”, as he claimed she plotted to “damage” by selling her stake in their co-owned vineyard to a Russian oligarch.
In 2008, the former Hollywood couple bought a substantial interest in Chateau Miraval SA, a French company comprising a home and vineyard in the south of France.
Brad’s lawyers previously stated that under his stewardship, the business boomed into a “multimillion-dollar international success story”, though Angelina had “contributed nothing” to it.
According to documents obtained by Page Six, the actor claims his ex agreed they would never sell their share in the lucrative property without each other’s approval.
However, when they got divorced in 2019, Angelina decided she wanted out and began negotiations of a buy-out with Brad.
The 47-year-old is said to have agreed to divide the business up 68 percent to 38 percent in Brad’s favour.
According to the lawsuit, in 2021, Angelina sold her 50 per cent stake to a Luxembourg-based spirits manufacturer controlled by Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler, without Brad’s knowledge.
Brad claims “vindictive” Angelina “collaborated in secret” with Yuri Shefler, owner of Stoli Group, to ensure he’d be “kept in the dark”.
The new filings claim that she “no longer wanted to sell to Pitt” in the “wake of the adverse custody ruling,” in which he was granted joint custody of their six child; a decision which was later overturned.
“Her decision to terminate negotiations with Pitt was intentional and pretextual,” the document filed in LA Superior Court states.
“As will be demonstrated at trial, Jolie’s actions were unlawful, severely and intentionally damaging Pitt and unjustly enriching herself.”
Brad also claims Angelina specifically chose Yuri Shefler because she knew it would be bad for business, given his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin – specifically his “invasion of Ukraine and homophobic legislative agenda.”
“Stoli and Jolie have sought to force Pitt into a partnership with a stranger, and
worse yet, a stranger with poisonous associations and intentions,” the document claims.
The actor claims that now half the property has been sold, it defeats the purpose of buying Miraval as a “loving home for their six children”.
The former couple bought the Miraval estate, which is located in the village of Correns in south-eastern France, for around €25 million.
According to the legal doucments, Brad contributed 60% to the purchase price, whilst Angelina made up the remaining 40%.
Lawyers have said that the business continues to flourish, and “though she benefited from Miraval’s success, Jolie had no involvement in these efforts”.
Angelina reportedly told Brad in January 2021 of her intention to sell her stakes in the business, saying she had reached “painful decision, with a heavy heart”.
Angelina filed for divorce from Brad in September 2016 following two years of marriage.
The former couple share six children; Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne.
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