Angelina Jolie’s former firm is suing Brad Pitt for ‘moving assests’ from their wine business
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Angelina Jolie’s former company is suing Brad Pitt following claims he stole control of the couple’s wine business “in retaliation”.
Jolie’s previous firm Nouvel has accused Pitt of attempting to “secretly move assets” from Chateau Miraval, the wine brand and French castle he bought in 2008 with Jolie, to other companies and friends.
The legal action comes after Pitt has sued Jolie, claiming that she unlawfully sold her shares in Chateau Miraval, which had been held by Nouvel, after selling them off to drinks company giant Stoli last October.
Pitt and Jolie had their wedding ceremony at Chateau Miraval in the south of France in 2014.
They paid £22 million for the castle, which sits on 1,300 acres of grounds with a sprawling vineyard, and Pitt’s previous company Mondo Bongo owned 60% of shares originally while Nouvel owned 40%.
Jolie’s former firm is now claiming Pitt moved assets from the business and subsequently spent “millions on vanity projects”, including a recording studio and swimming pool. Pitt is also alleged to have given half of the company’s trademarks away for free to a friend.
Nouvel claims Pitt is acting to spite Jolie and wants to ensure she “never sees a dime” from the “tens of millions of dollars in profits" of Chateau Miraval.
The lawsuit states: “In retaliation for the divorce and custody proceedings, Pitt embarked on a multi-faceted, years-long campaign to seize control of Chateau Miraval and appropriate the company’s assets for his benefit and that of his own companies and friends.
"Appointing himself the rightful owner of Chateau Miraval, his twin objectives were to usurp the value of Jolie’s company, Nouvel, and to obtain sole ownership of Chateau Miraval."
The lawsuit continues to allege that Pitt refused to work with replaced co-owner Stoli and "lied" about the head of the vodka brand Yuri Shefler being "an ally of Vladimir Putin".
According to Nouvel, Jolie wished to sell her stake in Chateau Miraval to Pitt back in 2016 when she filed for divorce from him, however Pitt was claimed to have tried to add gag clauses over their disputes in the contract.
Nouvel alleges Pitt gave 10% of his shares to Jolie in 2013 “voluntarily", but he launched a lawsuit refuting this, arguing that the transfer was invalid.
Pitt’s lawsuit states: "Jolie has sought to force Pitt into partnership with a stranger, and worse yet, a stranger with poisonous associations and intentions."
The legal battle between Pitt and Jolie continues.
