Brad Pitt claims Angelina Jolie 'sought to inflict harm' on him through vineyard sale
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie split in 2016 after twelve years together and two years of marriage, and their divorce was finalised in 2019.
However, the Once Upon A Time In Hollywood actor is now suing his ex-wife for the sale of her share of their French vineyard.
The former couple bought a controlling stake in Chateau Miraval SA in 2008 for €25 million (£20.8 million) and they later married at the vineyard in 2014. But following Jolie's decision to sell her stake, Pitt has launched legal action.
According to new legal documents, Pitt claims that she 'sought to inflict harm' on him by selling to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler, who controls a Luxembourg-based spirits manufacturer, without his knowledge.
She allegedly told him about the sale in January 2021, saying she reached a 'painful decision, with a heavy heart', but this had led to a 'hostile' takeover of the business and forced him into partnership with 'a stranger with poisonous associations and intentions.'
The documents filed earlier this month claim: 'Through the purported sale, Jolie sought to inflict harm on Pitt.
'Jolie knew and intended that Shefler and his affiliates would try to control the business Pitt had built and to undermine Pitt's investment in Miraval.'
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It also claims that Pitt created a 'multimillion-dollar international success story' with the Miravel estate, which is located in the south of France, and that Jolie 'contributed nothing' to the success of the business, adding that the venture with Shefler 'jeopardises the reputation of the brand Pitt so carefully built.'
The Fight Club star's lawyers are requesting a trial by jury.
Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.
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