A legal dispute between former Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie has erupted, as new documents have surfaced claiming that Pitt looted the assets of the winery he co-owned with Jolie.
The filings, obtained by CNN and the Financial Times, accuse Pitt of "looting" the assets of Chateau Miraval in an attempt to maintain control of the property.
According to the Financial Times, the filing was made by Jolie's former investment firm Nouvelle, which previously held her stake in the winery.
Nouvelle is seeking $350 million in damages, alleging that Pitt “masterminded a so-far-successful plan to seize de facto control of Chateau Miraval” following their divorce.
The documents assert, “Pitt wasted the company’s assets, spending millions on vanity projects, including more than $1 million on swimming pool renovations, building and rebuilding a staircase four times, and spending millions to restore a recording studio.”
{{/usCountry}}The documents assert, “Pitt wasted the company’s assets, spending millions on vanity projects, including more than $1 million on swimming pool renovations, building and rebuilding a staircase four times, and spending millions to restore a recording studio.”
{{/usCountry}}Lawyers representing Nouvelle claimed that the Hollywood star’s alleged “misconduct” escalated after Jolie sold her stake in the investment firm in October 2021.
The filings suggest that Pitt, “Incensed that Jolie sold Nouvel to Stoli rather than him, Pitt has acted like a petulant child, refusing to treat Nouvel as an equal partner in the business.”
The ex-couple initially purchased Chateau Miraval, in 2008.
In recent times, their legal battles have revolved around the ownership and control of the property.
In February 2022, Pitt filed a lawsuit claiming that Jolie's sale of the winery was illegitimate, asserting that they had agreed not to sell the property without mutual consent.
The ‘Original Sin’ actress countered Pitt's claim, stating that no such agreement had been reached. She explained that she sold her share of the winery to attain “financial independence” from the ‘Bullet Train’ actor and to find closure for herself and their children, following a deeply painful and traumatic chapter in their lives.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were together for over 12 years and tied the knot in 2014. They officially divorced in 2019, and the couple shares six children: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Vivienne, and Knox.
While Maddox, Zahara, and Pax were adopted from orphanages in Cambodia, Ethiopia, and Vietnam, respectively, the remaining three are the couple's biological children.