By Samantha Paul Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie remain locked in a complicated legal battle over Château Miraval, the French estate and winery they once owned together. Although their relationship and divorce proceedings have largely ended, the business dispute surrounding the winery has continued for years and has expanded to include investment companies, international wine executives and Stoli Group owner Yuri Shefler.
Pitt originally sued Jolie in Los Angeles Superior Court in February 2022 after she sold her interest in Château Miraval to Tenute del Mondo, a wine company associated with the Stoli Group. Pitt argues that the sale violated an agreement between the former couple that neither would dispose of their interest without the other’s approval. Jolie disputes that such an enforceable agreement prevented her from selling.
What Is Château Miraval?
Château Miraval is an estate and vineyard located near Correns in southern France. Pitt and Jolie acquired a controlling interest in the property through their respective business entities in 2008.
Pitt’s company, Mondo Bongo LLC, originally held a larger interest, while Jolie’s company, Nouvel LLC, held the remainder. Their ownership was subsequently adjusted so that each side effectively held 50 percent of the business.
The estate became particularly well known for Miraval rosé. Pitt and Jolie also married at the property in 2014.
After Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, the winery remained one of the most valuable business interests connecting the former couple.
Why Did Brad Pitt Sue Angelina Jolie?
The lawsuit focuses on Jolie’s 2021 sale of Nouvel, the company through which she held her 50 percent Miraval interest.
Tenute del Mondo announced in October 2021 that it had purchased Jolie’s interest. The company is connected to the Stoli Group and ultimately to businessman Yuri Shefler.
Pitt alleges that he and Jolie had an agreement or understanding that neither party would sell their Miraval interest without the other’s consent.
According to Pitt, Jolie therefore breached their arrangement when she completed the transaction without obtaining his approval. His claims have included breach of contract and related causes of action, while Mondo Bongo has also pursued claims against Shefler and companies connected with the transaction.
Pitt has sought damages and other relief arising from the sale. The validity and scope of the alleged no-sale agreement remain central disputed issues rather than established facts.
What Is Angelina Jolie’s Position?
Jolie disputes Pitt’s allegation that she was legally prohibited from selling her interest.
Her side has argued that negotiations for Pitt to purchase her stake had taken place before she ultimately sold to Tenute del Mondo. Jolie has also maintained that she wanted to separate her financial interests from Pitt following their relationship breakdown.
Another major point of disagreement concerns a proposed nondisclosure agreement. Jolie’s lawyers have argued that Pitt sought an NDA as part of their negotiations that would have restricted her ability to discuss allegations concerning their marriage and a 2016 private-plane incident.
Pitt has disputed Jolie’s characterization of the proposed agreement and has denied allegations of abuse.
Those personal allegations are not themselves the principal issue in the Miraval contract case, but they have become relevant because the parties disagree about why their private buyout negotiations failed and why Jolie eventually sold to a third party.
Pitt Wins Important Appeal Involving Yuri Shefler
Pitt obtained an important appellate victory on June 24, 2026.
A California Court of Appeal reversed an earlier trial-court ruling that had dismissed Yuri Shefler from the case for lack of personal jurisdiction.
Shefler had argued that he lived outside California and did not have sufficient contacts with the state to be sued there.
The appellate court disagreed. It found significant California connections to the transaction, including Shefler’s role in directing negotiations involving Jolie’s California company and his personal guarantee of substantial payment obligations.
The ruling means Pitt’s claims against Shefler can proceed in California rather than being dismissed simply because Shefler lives overseas.
Stoli Executives Ordered to Face Depositions
Pitt also obtained favorable discovery rulings during 2026.
In June, the California court granted requests requiring representatives connected with Tenute del Mondo and the Stoli transaction to participate in depositions and provide evidence concerning Jolie’s sale.
Pitt’s attorneys argue that these executives have firsthand information about the negotiations, the structure of the transaction and Shefler’s involvement.
Some of the depositions were ordered to take place in London, illustrating the international scope of a case being litigated in California over ownership of a French winery purchased through European corporate structures.
Why Does Pitt Want Jolie’s Financial Records?
A new discovery dispute emerged during the summer of 2026.
Pitt has asked Jolie to produce additional records showing her income during the years following their 2016 separation, particularly from 2017 through 2019.
Jolie had already provided certain financial information covering 2020 and 2021 but objected to producing the earlier records.
Pitt’s attorneys argue that Jolie’s finances are relevant because she has discussed her desire for financial independence when explaining the circumstances surrounding the Miraval sale. His side contends that information concerning her income from acting and other work could bear on those explanations.
Jolie’s lawyers reject that argument. They say she has not claimed that financial desperation forced her to sell Miraval and contend that demanding years of additional income records is irrelevant and unnecessarily intrusive.
The disagreement does not mean Jolie has been found to have concealed income. It is a discovery dispute over what information Pitt is legally entitled to obtain before trial.
What Must Pitt Prove?
For Pitt to succeed on his core contract theory, he will need to establish that an enforceable agreement actually existed restricting Jolie’s ability to sell her interest.
He must also show that Jolie’s sale violated that agreement and caused legally recoverable harm.
Jolie can challenge whether the alleged agreement existed, whether it was sufficiently definite to be enforceable and whether Pitt had a legal right to prevent the transaction.
Other claims against Tenute, Shefler and related parties involve different questions, including whether they improperly interfered with Pitt’s alleged contractual rights.
Current Status of the Pitt–Jolie Miraval Lawsuit
As of August, 2026, William B. Pitt et al. v. Angelina Jolie et al., Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. 22STCV06081, remains unresolved.
There has been no final ruling declaring Jolie’s 2021 sale invalid, and neither Pitt nor Jolie has won the overall lawsuit.
Pitt has, however, secured several significant procedural victories in 2026, particularly the appellate ruling allowing claims against Yuri Shefler to continue and orders requiring additional testimony connected with the Stoli transaction. Jolie has also successfully resisted some of Pitt’s discovery demands, including attempts to obtain material she argues is protected by attorney-client privilege.
The dispute is moving toward a trial expected in 2027. Before then, fights over financial records, depositions, international corporate evidence and the existence of the alleged no-sale agreement are likely to determine what evidence the jury ultimately hears.