Brad Pitt has scored a legal victory in his ongoing dispute with ex-wife Angelina Jolie over the Château Miraval winery.
Brad Pitt has scored a legal victory in his ongoing dispute with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie over the Château Miraval winery, where a California Supreme Court ordered members of the Stoli Group to submit to depositions.
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The legal battle began in February 2022 when Pitt filed a lawsuit alleging that Jolie sold her stake in the French winery to Tenute del Mondo, the wine division of the Stoli Group, without his consent, in violation of a mutual agreement between them.
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Jolie responded with a countersuit in September of the same year, claiming Pitt had “waged a vengeful war against her” since filing for divorce in 2016.
Brad Pitt’s legal victory in winery dispute with Angelina Jolie
In a June 17 court document obtained by Peoplethe Superior Court of California granted a motion by Pitt’s legal team with compelling testimony from members of the Stoli Group, who Pitt claimed had firsthand knowledge of Jolie’s 2021 sale.
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The depositions of Alexey Oliynik, director of the Stoli Group, and the “most qualified persons” of Tenute del Mondo BV and Nouvel LLC, the holding company Jolie, 50, sold to Tenute del Mondo, must now take place before September 30 in London.
Oliynik had previously opposed a June 2025 impeachment order, arguing that the court had no jurisdiction over him as a resident of Switzerland.
A second development occurred on June 24, when the California Court of Appeals reversed an earlier decision on Stoli Group owner Yuri Shefler’s involvement in the sale.
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The court found that despite his claim, he played a “minimal role” in the sale of the winery. “It defies credulity that Shefler, a sophisticated businessman, would risk nearly $40 million on a transaction he knew nothing about and had no involvement in.” A hearing on a motion to compel Shefler’s deposition is scheduled for July 8.
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“Winning is a new step towards transparency”
“This victory is another step toward transparency about what took place,” a source close to Pitt said People.
Another insider added that Jolie had agreed that Pitt would have “first right of refusal” on the sale, “and then be sold to Shefler anyway.” A source close to Pitt also said that Shefler “was a partner (Jolie) chose, knowing it was a partner Brad did not want involved in the firm.”
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Jolie’s camp pushed back. A lawyer for Jolie said it “has no impact on the merits of the case, and certainly has no impact on Ms. Jolie’s case. At this point, Ms. Jolie is just looking forward to beating the case at trial next year so their family can finally focus their energies on healing and moving on.”
A source close to the actress added that Jolie “didn’t sell to Stoli for any reason other than she expected Stoli to be an excellent global distribution partner who could help grow the company for the benefit of their children, who would inherit Brad’s share.”
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The source added, “The truth is, Pitt’s ego and obsession with control got in the way. Brad refused to work with Stoli simply because Angie chose them, not him.”
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Jolie had previously filed documents characterizing Pitt’s descriptions of Shefler as a “xenophobic, untrue smear campaign,” noting that Shefler is “a Russian exile who has been a longtime critic of Vladimir Putin.”
The case is currently set for trial on February 1, 2027. Jolie has requested that the trial be postponed to November 2027; Pitt has opposed the postponement.
The former couple finalized their divorce settlement in December 2024.
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