Trigger Warning: This article includes references to domestic violence.
Angeline Jolie has secured a major win in the legal winery battle she’s engaged in with ex-husband Brad Pitt. On Monday, November 25, a judge ruled that Pitt, 60, must disclose documents that Jolie’s legal team claims will expose communications concerning abuse, lies to authorities, and years of cover-ups on his part.
The documents will reportedly include Pitt’s texts, emails, and other written communications, though nothing between his therapists and attorneys.
Pitt’s legal team had previously sought to have Jolie’s motion denied, labeling her requests as “wide-ranging and intrusive” and a “sensationalist fishing expedition.”
One of Jolie’s lawyers, Paul Murphy, claims the documentation they’re seeking to bring to light is “crucial evidence” that Pitt has tried to hide for years. On November 26, he added, “His actions harmed Angelina and their children and are central to the case.”Murphy, however, emphasized that Angelina never wanted to engage in the prolonged legal battle. She never pressed charges against Pitt and left all their properties. According to Murphy, she was the one who tried to sell him the winery business in the first place to avoid conflict.
“To this day, Mr. Pitt has never been held accountable for his actions and has at all times controlled Miraval and the winery, yet he still wants more.” Jolie, per her lawyer, wants the case to end, and so do their six children. Murphy advised Pitt to focus on healing their family instead of pursuing lawsuits against Jolie.
“If he does not,” the lawyer added, “Angelina will defend herself in court by presenting the evidence necessary to demonstrate that Pitt’s allegations are demonstrably false.”
The legal dispute, brought by Pitt, stems from Jolie selling her share of their French winery estate, Chateau Miraval, to Tenute del Mondo, the wine division of the Stoli Group, in 2022. Pitt alleges that Jolie broke their agreement not to sell without the other party’s approval.
Jolie previously claimed that when she approached Pitt to sell her half of their joint estate, he requested an NDA as part of the deal, which she rejected. The NDA, according to Jolie’s legal team, was designed to silence her about his misconduct and the abuse he allegedly subjected her to during their time together.
Jolie filed for divorce days after the September 14, 2016, mid-flight altercation, during which Pitt allegedly became aggressive while drunk in front of the kids. Pitt, who has since become sober, has denied any wrongdoing and was cleared by authorities after investigations at the time. Jolie’s lawyers claimed in a previous filing that Pitt’s history of physical abuse toward her began well before the plane incident.
Pitt and Jolie, who were declared legally single by a judge in 2019, share six children: Maddox, 23; Pax, 20; Zahara, 19; Shiloh, 18; and twins Vivienne and Knox, 16.
If you need support or know someone who is struggling with domestic violence or assault or abuse, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist, NGO or speak to someone about it. There are several helplines available for the same.
