Brad Pitt requests Angelina Jolie's private messages amid bitter legal battle
Pitt, 61, sued Jolie, 50, over the sale of her stake in their winery, Chateau Miraval, in 2022, to the Tenute del Mondo, the wine division of Stoli Group.
The F1 star had previously wanted to buy Jolie's half of the winery and said she abandoned their negotiations when she sold her part of the winery.
On June 30, Pitt filed court documents seeking to depose Alexey Oliynik, who works for the Stoli Group. In the filing, obtained by People, Pitt stated that Oliynik has firsthand knowledge of Jolie's 2021 sale of the winery to Tenute del Mondo.
In February 2022, Pitt filed a lawsuit alleging that Jolie made the sale without his consent and ruined a private space that had been a second home. Pitt called the move by his ex-wife 'vindictive' and 'unlawful.'
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Jolie responded to Pitt's lawsuit with a countersuit in September 2022, claiming that discussions over the sale of her share of the winery deteriorated when Pitt insisted she sign 'a nondisclosure agreement that would have contractually prohibited her from speaking outside of court about Pitt's physical and emotional abuse of her and their children.'
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An aerial view taken on May 31, 2008, in Le Val, southeastern France, shows the Chateau Miraval. MICHEL GANGNE/AFP via Getty Images
In Pitt's new filing, Oliynik has refused to turn over relevant documents — including any messages with Jolie and her team pertaining to the sale of the winery — or appear for a deposition. He said he could not be forced to do so as a resident of Switzerland.
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'These requests go directly to key allegations about Pitt's objections to the sale,' Pitt's legal team wrote in the actor's filing.
They also claim that the request to depose Oliynik 'easily meet the standard for discoverability given Pitt's allegations that Jolie acted with malice in selling to Stoli, a counterparty she knew Pitt opposed.'
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If the judge rules in favour of Pitt's motion, filed in the Superior Court of California, Jolie's private messages could be revealed as crucial evidence in the court battle.
Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, following a private jet flight from Europe, during which she alleged Pitt physically abused her and their children.
The former couple finally reached a divorce settlement in December 2024, ending one of the longest divorces in Hollywood history. The divorce agreement did not affect the winery lawsuit, where the legal battle between the two stars continues.
'More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt,' Jolie's lawyer, James Simon, said in a statement. 'She and the children left all of the properties they had shared with Mr. Pitt, and since that time she has focused on finding peace and healing for their family. This is just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago. Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over.'
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The FBI and child services officials investigated Pitt's actions on the flight. Two months later the FBI released a statement saying it would not investigate further, and no charges were filed.
Jolie and Pitt were among Hollywood's most prominent pairings for 12 years, two of those years as a married couple. The Oscar winners have six children together: Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 20, Shiloh, 19, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 16.
—With files from The Associated Press
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