Brad Pitt Seeks to Dismiss Financial Misconduct Claims in Winery Dispute
Brad Pitt has petitioned a judge to dismiss all accusations of financial misconduct as part of his ongoing dispute with his former wife, Angelina Jolie, over the French winery, Chateau Miraval, Us Weekly can exclusively reveal.
On Monday, December 22, Pitt, 62, submitted court documents addressing the claims that he and his business associates improperly utilized Miraval’s funds for non-essential expenditures, including $8 million spent on a residence within the estate and the construction of a swimming pool.
Pitt informed the court that any expenses incurred by Miraval were documented and never concealed.
He also addressed a communication he sent to his colleagues, as part of a discussion regarding the construction of a music studio at Miraval, which read, “I believe we should no longer provide [Jolie] with reports as she is attempting to sell her ownership stake.” He stated that this message does not constitute evidence of a crime or embezzlement.
Pitt noted, “The message is presented as a personal opinion or observation, not a directive, and reflects no intention to engage in or facilitate any illegal activity.” He indicated that there has been no suggestion that he was obligated to share the report in question with Jolie, 50.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's Battle of the Winery: Everything to Know
His legal representative continued, “Nor does the message imply any effort or intention by [Pitt] to hide assets from Jolie. Such a claim is illogical, considering the public nature of the music studio and its connection to [Miraval].”
Pitt argued that the alleged embezzlement claims against him should be adjudicated in France, not California, since the purported actions occurred in France. The actor is requesting that all charges against him be rejected by the court.
As Us previously reported, Pitt and Jolie acquired Miraval in 2008. Following their separation, Jolie expressed a desire to exit the business. They attempted to negotiate a settlement, with Pitt offering $55 million, but discussions ultimately failed.
Jolie subsequently sold her shares to an alcohol corporation named Stoli. Pitt initiated a lawsuit against his ex-spouse, asserting that her consent was required, a claim she denied.
Stoli joined the lawsuit and filed a countersuit against Pitt in 2024. The company alleged that Pitt and his team, instead of distributing Miraval’s profits to them, diverted the funds to support ancillary businesses and utilized them to finance a series of unnecessary expenditures that benefited him personally.
Miraval’s profits reached approximately $15 million in 2022, the suit stated.
Stoli claimed “not a single euro of the millions of euros” that Miraval has generated over the years has ever been applied to repay its debts. “Instead, Pitt uses the company’s resources as his own personal funds to indulge in lavish spending and to support his business ventures.” The company said that throughout the years, Jolie had provided Miraval with $20 million in loans to fund improvements.
“Pitt has led Chateau Miraval to spend tens of millions of dollars on non-essential projects that have little, if any, business rationale,” Stoli’s lawyer argued. “After the divorce proceedings began, only Pitt has resided at the manor house owned by Chateau Miraval and enjoyed the advantages of a private lease on the property — Jolie never returned.”
Stoli said after Pitt and Jolie separated, Pitt assumed control of Miraval.
Brad Pitt Accused of Misusing Winery as 'Personal Piggy Bank' in Lawsuit
The suit added, “Chateau Miraval has never distributed any of the business’ earnings to its shareholders. Ever.”
Stoli said Jolie observed that Miraval was “allocating substantial sums of money to projects that lacked a clear business justification.”
“She began to insist on receiving information about Chateau Miraval’s finances and sought to exert greater oversight over its operations,” the countersuit alleged. “Pitt frequently resisted her requests and, over time, excluded her from the business and deprived her of information regarding Chateau Miraval’s finances.”
Brad Pitt Accused of 'Looting,' Acting Like a 'Child' in Winery Lawsuit
Stoli claimed Pitt approved expenditures and budgets without Jolie’s approval. To support this assertion, the company pointed to the alleged message Pitt sent in June 2021, which read, “I believe we should no longer send AJ reports as she is trying to sell her shares.”
A source tells Us, “It’s not surprising that after another favorable ruling for Brad, these parties would proceed with another unwarranted filing. Unfortunately, this is to be anticipated from the types of individuals she chose to partner with.”
As Us previously reported, Pitt recently achieved a victory when the court ordered Jolie to produce emails she had initially refused to provide. (A second countersuit was filed against Pitt for $100 million. That case was initiated by Nouvel, the company that held Jolie’s shares and that was sold to Stoli. Pitt denied all allegations of wrongdoing. The second countersuit remains pending.)
Pitt and Jolie began dating in 2004 and married in 2014. The former couple separated in 2016 following an incident on a private aircraft. The actors share six children: Maddox, 24, Pax, 22, Zahara, 20, Shiloh, 19, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 17.
In December 2024, Jolie and Pitt finalized their divorce after eight years of protracted negotiations. Jolie did not receive spousal support in the agreement.
