S Poddar
Brad Pitt has filed a motion to deny what he describes as an “intrusive” request from his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, in their ongoing legal battle over their shared winery. The former couple, who finalized their divorce in 2019, have been in dispute since 2022, when Jolie sold her share of the French Château Miraval to a Russian oligarch without informing Pitt.
In a recent court filing, Pitt opposed Jolie’s demand to release third-party communications related to their 2016 plane incident, which Jolie’s legal team claims is relevant to the case. Pitt’s lawyers argue that this request is overly broad and unnecessary, labeling it a “sensationalist fishing expedition.” They state that Pitt has already provided sufficient documents detailing the events on the flight that Jolie references.
Jolie’s legal team is seeking these communications as part of their strategy, which Pitt’s lawyers claim aims to turn the business dispute into a re-examination of their divorce. They argue that the private conversations, including those about therapy and substance testing Pitt undertook after the flight, have no bearing on the winery case.
The legal tussle over Château Miraval began after Pitt sued Jolie for selling her shares without his consent. Jolie countersued, revealing new details of alleged abuse by Pitt during the 2016 plane ride, claims he has consistently denied. The FBI documents related to this incident included allegations of verbal and physical abuse towards one of their children.
The ex-couple share six children: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Vivienne and Knox.
In a previous ruling, a Los Angeles judge required Jolie to provide eight years of non-disclosure agreements, following a motion from her team to release communications they believe show Pitt imposed restrictive conditions on her selling her share of the winery. Pitt’s legal team insists that these NDAs are crucial to understanding Jolie’s reasons for not adhering to her contractual obligations.
Jolie’s attorney, Paul Murphy, expressed willingness to comply with the court’s request, stating that they welcome transparency in all aspects of the case.
