Court Filing Reveals Brad Pitt Is Suing Angelina Jolie For $35 Million Over Sale Of Château Miraval Winery

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie first visited Château Miraval in 2008.

The 1,200-acre estate, nestled in the village of Correns in Provence, dates back to the 1600s and includes olive groves, pine forests, private lakes, and a 35-room stone château surrounded by terraced vineyards.

Initially, they LEASED the property, with an option to buy. Court documents would later reveal that when they leased the property in 2008, Brad owned 60% through his company, Mondo Bongo, and Angelina owned 40% through her company, Nouvel. They eventually exercised their option to buy, paying $28.4 million to become the full owners. Jolie contributed 40% of the purchase price while Pitt contributed 60%, in accordance with their ownership stakes.

In 2013, Pitt sold 10% of his stake to Jolie for one Euro, making them equal owners. They got married at the estate a year later.

Chateau Miraval (MICHEL GANGNE/AFP via Getty Images)

Miraval Rosé

The vineyard, Miraval Côtes de Provence Rosé, was already in operation when they acquired it, but Pitt and Jolie elevated it into a global luxury brand. Partnering with the Perrin family—renowned vintners behind Château de Beaucastel—they launched Miraval Rosé in 2013 to widespread acclaim. You've probably seen it at your local grocery store. It's excellent!

Critics praised its pale pink color and refined taste, and bottles bearing the "Jolie-Pitt & Perrin" label became instant status symbols. Within months, it was one of the best-selling rosés in the world. For a time, Miraval embodied the pinnacle of "Brangelina" glamour—romance, artistry, and business success seamlessly intertwined.

The Breakup

Then came the unraveling. Jolie filed for divorce in 2016 following a private jet incident that ended their 12-year relationship and two-year marriage. The breakup triggered a cascade of legal battles—custody fights, financial disputes, and property divisions—that stretched on for years. What had once been their shared retreat in Provence became one of the most contentious assets in their divorce.

In 2021, Jolie sold her 50% stake in Miraval to Tenute del Mondo, the wine division of the Stoli Group. Pitt argues that move violated an understanding that neither partner would sell their shares without the other's approval. Jolie has denied that such a binding agreement ever existed. What began as a love story had by then evolved into a transcontinental corporate war.

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$35 Million Lawsuit

Until recently, most observers assumed the winery dispute had faded quietly into the background of their divorce. Well, apparently not.

On October 29, Pitt's attorneys filed a 286-page compendium of evidence in Los Angeles Superior Court as part of his ongoing case against Jolie. The documents include both redacted and unredacted emails spanning nearly two decades—some dating back to 2008—covering everything from business discussions to personal stress.

Among them is a letter dated November 22, 2023, from one of Jolie's attorneys to Pitt's legal team. That letter contained a revealing line:

"We note that the burdensome nature of any production is a matter of [Pitt's] own creation — he is suing for $35 million in damages. As a result, he has to incur the expense of producing the documents that will show (or not show) those damages."

That correspondence marked the first time Jolie's own team acknowledged the scale of Pitt's financial claim. The $35 million figure refers to alleged economic damages and reputational harm that Pitt's side says resulted from Jolie's 2021 sale to Stoli. His attorneys argue the deal undermined Miraval's operations and was part of a "hostile takeover" that stripped Pitt of control of the brand he had built.

Jolie's camp has fired back, insisting the sale was lawful and motivated by her desire to move on from their joint business affairs. Her lawyers claim she withdrew from Pitt's earlier buyout negotiations only after he insisted she sign a sweeping non-disclosure agreement that would have prevented her from speaking publicly about their marriage or the 2016 plane incident that ended it.

Pitt's team, meanwhile, maintains that Jolie's sale was carried out "with malice" and that her communications with advisers—many of which are now at the center of a discovery battle—show intent to damage his financial interests.

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Jolie's Emails and Privilege Battle

The $35 million revelation is just one piece of a much larger fight over Angelina Jolie's private communications. Pitt's legal team is pressing the court to compel Jolie to hand over hundreds of emails, texts, and internal correspondence they believe are critical to proving she intentionally damaged the value of Château Miraval and his business interests. Jolie's lawyers have pushed back hard, claiming those communications are protected by attorney-client privilege.

One of the unsealed emails, dated May 2021, has drawn particular attention. In that message, Jolie wrote to her business manager about her mounting anxiety over her personal and professional life:

"I need to remove all stress. I honestly feel I am getting sick from worry. So I would like us to discuss better support. And not continuing relationships that you see cause me stress."

She also referenced her brother, James Haven Voight, adding:

"Financial situations like Jamie where I just give and give and don't even get a thank you… is just wrong." 

Jolie's attorney, Paul Murphy, has accused Pitt of using discovery demands to "invade her privileged communications" and "harass and control" his former wife. "Mr. Pitt's reply brief does not address our arguments and continues to rely on conjecture and speculation — all for the purpose of invading her privileged communications with her lawyers," Murphy said in a statement. "This once again confirms that this lawsuit is the manifestation of Mr. Pitt's years-long effort to harass and control Angelina."

Pitt's side insists the emails could help prove that Jolie's sale to the Stoli Group was orchestrated to harm him personally and financially. They have also highlighted internal messages suggesting Jolie's advisers worried that her public comments might "disparage BP" — shorthand for Brad Pitt — and damage the Miraval brand. Those claims, Pitt's lawyers argue, go to the heart of his allegation that the sale was made "with malice."

The court has scheduled a hearing on the discovery dispute for December 17, 2025, where a judge is expected to rule on whether Jolie must release the remaining documents. The full trial over Miraval and the $35 million damages claim is set for February 2027, nearly five years after Pitt first filed his lawsuit.