Brad Pitt reportedly secured a major win against ex-wife Angelina Jolie in the ongoing Château Miraval legal fight. As per court documents obtained by Page Six, a Michigan judge ruled on Thursday, May 28, that lawyers representing Stoli’s side unfairly blocked themselves during a key deposition tied to the case. For those unversed, Stoli Group is the company involved in buying Jolie’s share of the winery.
Brad Pitt reportedly scored legal victory in Angelina Jolie fight
Brad Pitt reportedly secured a major legal victory against Angelina Jolie in the ongoing Château Miraval dispute, according to Page Six. The court found that former Stoli General Counsel, Todd Culyba, was instructed not to answer 33 questions during a December deposition. This was regarding Jolie’s 2021 sale of her stake in the French winery business.
The blocked questions included inquiries about the involvement of Yuri Shelfer, who is Stoli’s ultimate beneficial owner. The judge determined that these were business questions and not regarding attorney-client privilege. Hence, it was okay for the court to raise these pertinent questions.
Now, per a new update, Culyba has been ordered to sit for another deposition and answer previously blocked questions. Additionally, Culyba is required to answer follow-up questions along with any other related matters from the Stoli side. Notably, the ex-couple’s legal fight stems from the $164M Château Miraval, the French winery they have co-owned.
The F1 star filed a lawsuit in 2022 alleging that Jolie had sold her share of Miraval to Tenute del Mondo, the wine division of the Stoli Group, breaching a prior agreement between them. Jolie retorted by filing a counter lawsuit, claiming her ex-husband has been “waging a vindictive war against” her.
As per court documents, the case is set for trial on February 1, 2027 (via TMZ). However, the Maria star wants it pushed to November 2027, which Pitt disagrees with and wants the case resolved.
Notably, Jolie scored a small victory against her ex-husband this year. A Los Angeles judge denied Pitt’s effort to force Jolie to submit private messages exchanged with her attorneys tied to the winery dispute. The judge ruled that the private messages are protected by the attorney-client privilege, meaning they are confidential.
Originally reported by Anwaya Mane on Mandatory.