Latest news with #ChâteauMiraval
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
We tried Meghan Markle's new As Ever rosé in a blind taste test. It wasn't what we expected, but we'd buy it again.
Meghan Markle is in her wine-making era. The Duchess of Sussex launched her As Ever brand in the spring, selling items like fruit spreads, high-end honey, and flower petal sprinkles. As Ever's first two product drops sold out within an hour, and in June, the company announced it was debuting its first-ever wine, a 2023 Napa Valley Rosé curated by Meghan. As Ever said its rosé is supposed to taste "crisp" and has notes of "stone fruit, gentle minerality, and a lasting finish," much like Provençal rosés from France. The rosé retails for $30 on As Ever's website, and it sold out almost immediately after going on sale on July 1. The bottles are only available in packs of three, six, or twelve, so it costs consumers at least $90 to taste Meghan's rosé. As Ever has not yet announced if or when it'll restock the rosé. Because royals and rosé are two of my greatest passions, I knew I had to try As Ever's wine. I've been writing about the royal family and Meghan for years. I've also been closely following As Ever over the past few months as Meghan further expands into the lifestyle space. Plus, I'm a big rosé fan when I'm off the clock, so I knew I had to try Meghan's wine when it was released. I decided the best way to experience As Ever's rosé would be in a blind taste test, comparing it to a few other popular rosés on the market. I got a few of my colleagues to participate in the taste test with me. I didn't think it would be fair to assess the wines by myself, especially because I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to rosé. Give me a glass of pink, cold wine, and I'll be a happy camper. Three of my colleagues graciously volunteered to spend a Tuesday afternoon drinking with me. (They are such givers, I know.) Here's a quick rundown of why you can trust us. Spoiler alert: The main qualification is that we like drinking wine. Callie Ahlgrim, senior pop culture writer: I did work at a wine bar for like a year, but that was a long, long time ago. And since then, I drink wine recreationally and copiously. Samantha Rollins, deputy editor of entertainment and real estate: I'm a wine enthusiast who has been to France, the rosé capital of the world, in my opinion. So that's my only qualification. Joi-Marie McKenzie, editor in chief, Life: I'm a new wine lover. I did not drink wine that much in my 20s. I love Rieslings and rosés, and I just got into red. So I think I would be quite picky because I'm sort of new to the whole thing. We sampled four rosés total, including another celebrity brand. For the taste test, I selected three wines in addition to As Ever, choosing rosés that were pretty similar in price point to Meghan's. It seemed only fitting to include another celebrity brand, so I chose Côtes de Provence Rosé from Château Miraval, Brad Pitt's wine company. Pitt's Provençal-style rosé cost $23.88. Next, I selected the $22.49 Summer Water Rosé, which is made on the California coast and offers a slightly different experience with a screw cap. Finally, I included Whispering Angel, one of the most popular rosés on the market. It's a personal favorite of mine and is made in the Provençal-style like As Ever. It was $22.96. As Ever ended up being the most expensive wine of the bunch, which wasn't surprising considering it isn't widely available like the others. We kept the test completely blind. For the test, I put a piece of tape on the bottom of each wine glass with "A," "B," "C," or "D" written on it, which corresponded to one of the wines. The code was: A: Summer Water B: As Ever C: Whispering Angel D: Château Miraval The wine was poured out of sight and given to us in a random order, so we didn't know which rosé we were tasting. Brad Pitt's rosé wasn't a hit with our group. First, we tried Miraval's rosé, aka Brad Pitt's wine, aka "wine D" during the test. The flavor was a bit intense for some of us. McKenzie: It's good to me. Ahlgrim: It has kind of a sharp aftertaste. Rollins: It's honestly kind of bitter. I usually like bitter things, but it's a little too bitter. Pettyjohn: I like it. It's sharp, and I wish I had some cheese to eat with it. It has a champagne-y flavor. McKenzie: And that, to me, resonates. Rollins: There's something about it that I don't really like. Pettyjohn: If a bottle were offered to me, I would certainly have a glass, if not two. McKenzie: It'd be perfect for hot weather. Summer Water tasted the most like a classic rosé to us. Next, we tried Summer Water, known to us as "wine A." We immediately noticed that it had a pinker hue and a distinct aroma. As we took our first sip, it was easy to see why. Pettyjohn: Oh, that is way more berry-forward. Rollins: It's a little more effervescent. Pettyjohn: This is definitely more pool vibes to me. McKenzie: This is a better wine. Ahlgrim: Lighter. McKenzie: I didn't notice the aftertaste being that sharp on D, but now, this has no aftertaste, and I'm like, "This is better." Ahlgrim: I like a funkier, tangier wine, but I think most people expect rosé to be a bit sweeter and smoother. So I think this fits what people reach for when they reach for a rosé, more so than the first one. McKenzie: As a sweet enthusiast, it has my vote. Ahlgrim: I don't know if I would spend $30 on it because it feels like such easy drinking. As Ever took us by surprise. As Ever was the third wine we tried, under the alias "wine B." It had the most unexpected flavor profile of the bunch. Ahlgrim: Oh, I like the smell. This smells more expensive. Pettyjohn: This tastes expensive. But it doesn't taste like rosé to me. It's good, but it is not what I would expect. Rollins: This is like a very dry white, maybe. McKenzie: It has a very bold flavor. Ahlgrim: I actually like that I don't think it tastes like a rosé. It's much bolder than I expected. I feel like it's aged. Rollins: There's something oaky about it. Pettyjohn: It's fancy. Ahlgrim: It's earthy, almost. Whispering Angel had the group split. The final wine of the test was Whispering Angel, which we labeled "wine C." It was a hit or miss vibe for the testers. Pettyjohn: I do like this one. This is what I would consider easy rosé drinking. Ahlgrim: Oh, this is bland. McKenzie: It's very harsh on my tongue. I don't prefer this at all. Rollins: Really? This one seems like an easier drinking version of B and D. McKenzie: This one? I don't like it at all. I just taste more of the alcoholic taste, which I don't love. Ahlgrim: Yes, I think there's very little flavor, and it's more alcohol-forward. This is my least favorite of the four. Rollins: I feel like this one splits the difference between all of them. It's got a bit of the berry of the other ones, but it's still dry, and it's got the rosé. Ahlgrim We revisited all four wines before the reveal. While we still didn't know which wine was which, we compared them to each other, referring to them by their letter code. Overall, our takeaway was that Summer Water was the best for casual rosé drinking, thanks to its light and berry flavor, but the taste of As Ever's wine stood out for being unexpected and refreshing. Miraval sat in the middle of the pack, while Whispering Angel was too alcohol-forward for McKenzie and Ahlgrim. After the big reveal, we loved that As Ever wasn't what we expected from Meghan. When we finally found out which wine was which, we were all surprised that "wine B" was As Ever. Ahlgrim: Oh, that's the one that doesn't taste like rosé! It's weird, and I like that. McKenzie: It was my number two favorite! Ahlgrim: As Ever was my top in terms of what I like in a wine. I like a weirder flavor, but I think Summer Water is more rosé-y. But if I saw As Ever at the store, I would buy it again. Pettyjohn: Me too. I would buy this again, and I think it would be nice if you paired it with fruit or cheese — that vibe. If you brought this to a party, your friends would be like, "Oh, the rosé you brought is so good. Where did you get it?" Rollins: I would be curious to drink it in a cup, like in one of the "Love Is Blind" cups, where you can't see what color it is, and just be like, "What does that taste like to you?" Ahlgrim: I admire that Meghan didn't take the easiest route. So many celebrities have an alcohol brand, so I think it was bold of her to do something that does not taste like every other rosé on the market. Pettyjohn: If I put my Meghan Scholar hat on, I also feel this reflects her as a flavor. You think you're going to get one thing, but then she surprises you, and it's a really lovely flavor, even if it's not necessarily what you were expecting. McKenzie: It's something that I would order again. Pettyjohn: Me too. We took a closer look at the As Ever bottle after the taste test. Once we knew which wine it was, we checked out the As Ever bottle. Its 14.5% alcohol content — the highest of the four — surprised us, particularly because it didn't taste too alcohol-forward. We also liked that the wine seemed versatile. Ahlgrim: It is the best bang for your buck if you're looking for the highest alcohol content. McKenzie: 14.5% is pretty high. Ahlgrim: That surprises me because because of how alcohol-forward I felt like the Whispering Angel was. I expected that to be the highest. Pettyjohn: I like to make a rosé sangria, and I think As Ever would be good with that. Ahlgrim: Ooh, with a bit of prosecco or seltzer in it? Yeah, because the flavor is so strong, it would lend itself well to a mix. Pettyjohn: Yes, exactly. Ahlgrim: It's not a poolside rosé. It's like a charcuterie rosé. Three out of the four of us could see ourselves buying As Ever. Ahlgrim, McKenzie, and I said we would buy As Ever down the line, though we want people to know they shouldn't expect a classic rosé flavor. Rollins had reservations, especially because the bottles are only available in three, six, or 12 packs. Rollins: As Ever was interesting, but I definitely wouldn't order three bottles because of the price and strong flavor. You really have to love the flavor. Pettyjohn: I would buy it! When I went to Sonoma, one winery had a rosé you could try, and it was very similar to this. It didn't taste how you expected a rosé to taste, but it was good. McKenzie: It's a good wine. I would order it again. It was my top two. It tastes like a chardonnay, and I don't mind that. Ahlgrim: The Summer Water would be what I would drink on a Saturday during the day in the summer. Then I would switch to Meghan's at night. I tried As Ever's rosé at home and loved it even more. A few days after the official taste test, I revisited As Ever rosé, pouring a glass for myself and my husband. I gave it a sniff, inhaling that full-bodied, almost orange wine-like scent that surprised me during the test. It was inviting and bright, and as I took a sip, I was delighted that As Ever tasted even more refreshing and crisp than I remembered. My husband was a fan, too, and I had to remind myself not to drink it too quickly over dinner. Meghan's rosé is a hit in my book, and I'm intrigued to see how her foray into the wine industry continues. Cheers!
News24
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- News24
Brad Pitt wants access to Angelina Jolie's private conversations to prove his case
Brad Pitt is not backing down when it comes to the sale of half of Château Miraval, the winery he owned with ex-wife Angelina Jolie. The F1: The Movie actor recently filed court documents requesting to see private conversations between Angelina and Alexey Oliynik, who works for Stoli Group, which bought out her stake of the winery. Zahara Jolie, Angie and Brad's daughter, is all grown up and dating a rising star! In 2021, the Salt actress sold her 50% stake to Tenute del Mondo, a subsidiary of the Stoli Group and Brad felt sidelined when the news broke because he claimed they'd had an agreement that they both had to give consent before selling. The following year, he sued Angelina (50), claiming he'd been 'waging a vindictive war' against her since she filed for divorce in 2016. In the new filing, Brad (61) claims Alexey had firsthand knowledge of the sale of the French winery and that he was refusing to hand over relevant documents. 'These requests go directly to key allegations about Pitt's objections to the sale,' the Oscar winner's legal team wrote in his filing. His lawyers say the documents will prove Brad's claims that Angie 'acted with malice' in selling to Stoli, a move 'she knew Pitt opposed'. The former couple haven't commented on the new filings, but Angie's legal team has previously said that Brad declined to buy her out of the winery business because she refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement he wanted from her. The actress claimed that Brad's non-disclosure agreement was 'designed to force her silence about his abuse', referring to a private jet flight in 2016 in which Brad was allegedly verbally and physically abusive with his family. An insider shared that the events leading up to the divorce are what 'turned the kids against him' but adds that Brad 'doesn't blame [Angelina] for everything'. 'The divorce is something that had been controlling his life for so many years,' the insider says. 'He loved her and he knows he made mistakes.' The Babylon actor recently opened up on a podcast about facing obstacles with perseverance and said that he's ready to put the past behind him as he's learned from his mistakes when it comes to parenthood and marriage. 'No matter the mistake, you know, you just learn from [it] and move on,' he said at the premiere of F1. Brad, who is now dating Ines de Ramon (32), said that at his age he sees 'how important it is to surround yourself with the people you know, the people you love, the people that love you back'. 'Friends, family, and that's it,' he said. 'From there, we get to go make things. It's a pretty simple, I think, equation.' A source close to the mom of six said that Angelina hopes Brad can 'move on'. However, they point out that she feels this will be impossible until he calls off his lawyers. 'Sadly, until he drops his lawsuit, this family will not have the peace and healing they so very much desire and deserve,' Angie notes in legal documents her team has filed.
Spectator
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
Meghan Markle's rosé-tinted reality
Rosé, like a lot of wine, is not much good. And yet people love it, for the simple fact that it is pink. This reminds them of all nice things – and especially of warm summer evenings somewhere non-grotty. Like the south of France. Or… the Napa Valley. That is where the new branded rosé of Meghan Markle comes from – the latest in a carousel of celebrity rosés. The output of 'As Ever', her lifestyle brand, the wine is a 'thoughtfully curated' vintage. The former Suits star is pleased to offer 'a roundness and depth of flavour' that 'invites you to celebrate warm summer moments with the ones you love'. It sold out immediately – something that usually happens to a new iPhone or sports bra, not bottles of probably quite plonky plonk. (Most rosé is plonk and we all know it.) The magnetism of rosé for business-curious celebs bears examining. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt started the trend by buying the vineyard Château Miraval in Provence in 2006 (and fighting like cats over it long after their divorce). Miraval felt on-brand for them at the time. But then came Snoop Dogg, Cameron Diaz ('all about clean ingredients'), Jon Bon Jovi, Sarah Jessica Parker, Drew Barrymore, Graham Norton, Gordon Ramsay and, of course, Kylie Minogue – who has nine types, including an alcohol-free variety. Kylie Rosé, simply called Kylie, is the UK's best-selling rosé. Its label looks like a pre-teen has been let loose in a Claire's Accessories. And yet off the shelves it flies – perhaps justifiably, given its sub-£10 price tag. Rosé is cheap, but I can't say that I find it all that cheerful. Still, it must be the pinkness and indeterminateness of the wine that makes dollar signs flash in the eyes of all those celebrity vendors. Nobody seems much bothered by what rosé actually is: not-quite-red wine served at white-wine temperatures. It is made from red grapes and tinged by contact with the grape skins. We all think that dark red rosés – a suspect, magenta-adjacent lipstick hue – are inherently worse than the famous straw-tinted paler pinks. But the colour just comes down to maceration time, which is always short in rosé-world. That's rosé for you: skin-deep. This tart of wines barely macerates, and spends next to no time crouching boringly in cellars, which costs producers in space and time but gives wine depth and structure. Out it pops – cheap as chips – and we all love it. Rosé sales are soaring around the world. It's not just Provence or Napa that is wanted: English and Welsh rosés is up 200 per cent at Majestic Wines, and 160 per cent at Aldi. But the romance of wine – and especially rosé – is basically France. In France, people sit in heat and eat duck confit and baguette and get in the mood for love. The imagery is as far removed from the neon lights of mass production as possible. Meghan wants a world where everything is hand-picked and bespoke, and who has publicised her own detailed involvement in tasting and testing, using her own handwriting on the label. Yet even she is hawking a rosé made from Fairwinds Estate grapes, which is anything but a romantic producer. Devastated by wildfires, Meghan chose them as a show of support – but they are huge and dreary. They make wine for Barry Manilow, the TV show Yellowstone, and sports teams – and their website has a section devoted to work specifically with college fraternities. I get it. When you substitute out red or white and replace it with the colour pink and the promise of sunsets in the south of France, of course it'll be popular – even though it's more likely to be drunk at a barbecue in Greater Manchester or suburban New Jersey. What I will never cease to find surprising is that the girly scrawl of Kylie or Meghan turns people on, not off. Still, there is nothing wrong with this utter vulgarisation of a dubious-at-worst, sphinx-like-at-best type of wine. Good business is good business. And if celebrity rosés entrench the escapist appeal of rosé to a nation that goes mad when the temperature gets to what retailers now call the 'rosé tipping point' (20 degrees, when sales jump by 150 per cent), then fine by me. But a word about rosés that aren't stamped with Meghan's macabre, perpetual invitation to take flight into love and light through her products. I've tried only a few rosés that ask for the glass to be finished. One was from Chêne Bleu – the winery run by Nicole Rolet, wife of Xavier Rolet, former head of the London Stock Exchange – and the other, oddly, is Whispering Angel, the (vulgar-looking) £25 stuff available at Waitrose from Château d'Esclans, which is now owned by LVMH, who is credited with reviving interest in rosé at a luxury level. Both are not only that straw-salmon colour; they also hold back their strawberry notes, while the mouth fills with something more tart and buttery. Still, if both of these were on offer, I'd go for a good fizz – boring old white, boring old bubbles, but genuinely effervescent. Not just pretty.
The Advertiser
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Pitt demands private comms from Jolie amid legal battle
Brad Pitt has demanded private communications from Angelina Jolie in their long-running legal battle. The former couple - who split in 2016 - have been locked in dispute over the ownership of their $US500 million ($A762 million) winery, Château Miraval, after she sold her stake to Tenute del Mondo, Stoli Group's wine division, in 2021 and the latest move in the row has seen the F1 star file new legal documents in his attempts to depose Alexey Oliynik. As an employee of Stoli Group, Pitt claimed Alexey had firsthand knowledge of Jolie's sale but has refused to turn over relevant documents or sit for a deposition, having argued he cannot be forced to do so as a resident of Switzerland. In documents filed in California on June 30 and obtained by People magazine, Pitt's team wrote: "These requests go directly to key allegations about Pitt's objections to the sale and 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." Pitt filed his lawsuit in February 2022, in which he alleged his 50-year-old ex-wife had sold her stake in contravention of an agreement that neither would do so unless the other approved. Jolie hit back with a countersuit in September that year, and accused the 61-year-old star of "waging a vindictive war against" since they split. The Maria star's team stated in court documents that the Fight Club actor refused to buy his ex-wife out of the winery because she didn't want to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) "designed to force her silence about his abuse and cover-up," referring to a 2016 incident in which Pitt was accused of being drunk and aggressive during a private jet flight from France to California. And last May, a judge ruled Jolie must produce eight years worth of NDAs to illustrate that she too had used the kind of documents she had objected to signing. In one filing, Pitt - who has Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 20, Shiloh, 19, and 16-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox with Jolie - alleged former security guard Tony Webb was told the Maleficent star had instructed the kids not to speak to their father during custody visits and then attempted to use NDAs to threaten her protection team to stay silent. Brad Pitt has demanded private communications from Angelina Jolie in their long-running legal battle. The former couple - who split in 2016 - have been locked in dispute over the ownership of their $US500 million ($A762 million) winery, Château Miraval, after she sold her stake to Tenute del Mondo, Stoli Group's wine division, in 2021 and the latest move in the row has seen the F1 star file new legal documents in his attempts to depose Alexey Oliynik. As an employee of Stoli Group, Pitt claimed Alexey had firsthand knowledge of Jolie's sale but has refused to turn over relevant documents or sit for a deposition, having argued he cannot be forced to do so as a resident of Switzerland. In documents filed in California on June 30 and obtained by People magazine, Pitt's team wrote: "These requests go directly to key allegations about Pitt's objections to the sale and 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." Pitt filed his lawsuit in February 2022, in which he alleged his 50-year-old ex-wife had sold her stake in contravention of an agreement that neither would do so unless the other approved. Jolie hit back with a countersuit in September that year, and accused the 61-year-old star of "waging a vindictive war against" since they split. The Maria star's team stated in court documents that the Fight Club actor refused to buy his ex-wife out of the winery because she didn't want to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) "designed to force her silence about his abuse and cover-up," referring to a 2016 incident in which Pitt was accused of being drunk and aggressive during a private jet flight from France to California. And last May, a judge ruled Jolie must produce eight years worth of NDAs to illustrate that she too had used the kind of documents she had objected to signing. In one filing, Pitt - who has Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 20, Shiloh, 19, and 16-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox with Jolie - alleged former security guard Tony Webb was told the Maleficent star had instructed the kids not to speak to their father during custody visits and then attempted to use NDAs to threaten her protection team to stay silent. Brad Pitt has demanded private communications from Angelina Jolie in their long-running legal battle. The former couple - who split in 2016 - have been locked in dispute over the ownership of their $US500 million ($A762 million) winery, Château Miraval, after she sold her stake to Tenute del Mondo, Stoli Group's wine division, in 2021 and the latest move in the row has seen the F1 star file new legal documents in his attempts to depose Alexey Oliynik. As an employee of Stoli Group, Pitt claimed Alexey had firsthand knowledge of Jolie's sale but has refused to turn over relevant documents or sit for a deposition, having argued he cannot be forced to do so as a resident of Switzerland. In documents filed in California on June 30 and obtained by People magazine, Pitt's team wrote: "These requests go directly to key allegations about Pitt's objections to the sale and 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." Pitt filed his lawsuit in February 2022, in which he alleged his 50-year-old ex-wife had sold her stake in contravention of an agreement that neither would do so unless the other approved. Jolie hit back with a countersuit in September that year, and accused the 61-year-old star of "waging a vindictive war against" since they split. The Maria star's team stated in court documents that the Fight Club actor refused to buy his ex-wife out of the winery because she didn't want to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) "designed to force her silence about his abuse and cover-up," referring to a 2016 incident in which Pitt was accused of being drunk and aggressive during a private jet flight from France to California. And last May, a judge ruled Jolie must produce eight years worth of NDAs to illustrate that she too had used the kind of documents she had objected to signing. In one filing, Pitt - who has Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 20, Shiloh, 19, and 16-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox with Jolie - alleged former security guard Tony Webb was told the Maleficent star had instructed the kids not to speak to their father during custody visits and then attempted to use NDAs to threaten her protection team to stay silent.
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First Post
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Brad Pitt wants to see his ex-wife Angelina Jolie's private messages. Here's why
Hollywood actor Brad Pitt has filed a motion to obtain his ex-wife Angelina Jolie's private messages ahead of the trial over their French winery. The former couple who went through a bitter divorce are now engaged in yet another legal spat. Here's what happened read more Hollywood star Brad Pitt wants access to his ex-wife Angelina Jolie's private messages. The actors, who split in 2016, are engaged in a legal battle over their French winery. Ahead of the trial, the F1 star has reportedly filed a motion in a court in the United States to obtain Jolie's texts. But why does Brad Pitt want his ex-wife's private messages? What is the case? We will explain. The legal battle between Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are involved in an ugly court battle over their French winery Château Miraval. The duo had bought Château Miraval together in 2008. Two years after marriage, Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in September 2016. The Fight Club actor held his share of the winery in a company called Mondo Bongo. The Maleficent star kept her shares in a company named Nouvel. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As per Us Weekly, Jolie said in 2021 that she wanted to sell her shares in the French winery, leading to Pitt and his team offering $55.4 million for her stake. In February 2022, the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star sued Jolie for selling her shares in the winery to Stoli Group. He claimed she went ahead with the sale without his approval, which was required. Pitt called the move a 'vindictive' attempt to get back at him during their bitter divorce. As per the Bullet Train actor, he and his ex-wife began negotiations so he could purchase her out. But the talks fell apart after they began fighting over the custody of their six children — Maddox Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Vivienne and Knox. 'In the summer of summer of 2021, amid a heated child custody dispute with Pitt, Jolie terminated those discussions and secretly purported to sell a 50 per cent stake in the family home and family business to Tenute del Mondo,' Pitt's legal team alleged. 'Tenute del Mondo is part of the Russia-affiliated spirits conglomerate Stoli Group, which is owned and controlled by billionaire Yuri Shefler. Shefler, who has been designated as an 'oligarch in the Russian Federation' by the US Treasury Department, had previously sought to buy Miraval, and Pitt had turned him down.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Jolie filed a countersuit in September 2022, claiming Pitt had been 'waging a vindictive war against' her since she filed for divorce. The 50-year-old claimed that she pulled out of the deal due to Pitt trying to insert a non-disparagement clause to cover up his 'years of abuse.' The 61-year-old Hollywood actor denied her allegations. Why Brad Pitt wants Angelina Jolie's texts Brad Pitt filed a motion to obtain access to Angelina Jolie's private messages, which he believes could be crucial evidence in the legal battle over the French winery. The legal documents obtained by Page Six reveal Pitt's struggle to depose a man called Alexei Oliynik of Stoli Group. The actor claimed that in June, he 'attempted to meet and confer' with Oliynik regarding the legal matter but has failed to make any progress. In his document filed in the Superior Court of California, Pitt alleged that Oliynik, a Switzerland native, has 'refused' to comply with the legal process, citing Switzerland's 'authority that foreign nationals cannot be made to travel to California for deposition.' Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are engaged in a bitter legal battle over their French winery. File Photo/Reuters As per Us Weekly, Pitt claimed the man was aware of the negotiations with Jolie and her team. He asserted that the documents requested go 'directly to his core claims' in the case. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A source close to the case tells Us, 'this is another example of the defendant's repeated opposition to sharing documents that would provide insight.' 'These requests go directly to key allegations about Pitt's objections to the sale,' the actor's legal team wrote in his filing, and '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.' Speaking to Page Six, a source familiar with Pitt's legal situation said the filing is 'not just about Alexei [Oliynik], it's about Stoli [Group] as a whole.' The insider claimed that Pitt's hand 'has been forced.' 'Stoli has consistently chosen to avoid or challenge evidentiary court rulings,' a second source added. 'They've been failing to comply with the typical legal process.' The judge is yet to rule to Pitt's request. A trial date is also not set for the former couple's dispute over the winery. With inputs from agencies STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
