Brad Pitt Sued Again Over Chateau Miraval, Accused Of Using Winery As 'Personal Piggy Bank'
By Favour Adegoke on May 14, 2024 at 5:35 PM EDT
Hollywood star Brad Pitt and his company, Mondo Bongo, are being sued again for allegedly participating in a "scheme to steal millions of dollars" from Tenute del Mondo.
Tenute is the beverage company to whom Pitt's ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, sold 50% of her shares in the French winery Chateau Miraval. In a cross-complaint, the company alleges that Pitt has "diverted Chateau Miraval's funds to their own entities" and used the funds for "personal expenses."
Tenute del Mondo claims Jolie, through her former company, Nouvel (now owned by Tenute), and Quimicum, made a total of $20 million in loans to Château Miraval, which they claim they have yet to be paid back.
Brad Pitt Hit With Another Lawsuit Over Chateau Miraval
As the owner of Nouvel, Tenute del Mondo claims that it is "entitled to its fair share of profits from Chateau Miraval," adding that the two business entities in the "chain of ownership between Tenute and Chateau Miraval," which are Quimicum and Nouvel, are "companies that pass their profits on to their shareholders."
According to the legal documents obtained by TheBlast, Tenute del Mondo claims that despite Chateau Miraval becoming a very successful winery, they have not "received a single penny from their
investment in Miraval or the repayment of any of their $20 million in loans" to the winery.
Tenute claims that the funds given to Chateau Miraval were structured as "loans" and not "equity investments" to ensure it would be repaid once the winery became a profitable business.
In the legal documents, Tenute alleges that Pitt and his company, Mondo Bongo, indulge in "illegal conduct" to reduce "the profits and repayments that Tenute receives from Chateau Miraval."
Brad Pitt Is Accused Of Turning Chateau Miraval Into His 'Personal Piggy Bank'
Tenute claims in the legal documents that Pitt and his company, Mondo Bongo, have moved funds meant for Chateau Miraval to other business endeavors and have turned the winery into their "personal piggy bank."
The legal document states, "Pitt and Mondo Bongo have turned Chateau Miraval into their personal piggy bank. They have entered into a series of transactions using Chateau Miraval's funds that have deprived Tenute of the profits and loan repayments to which it is entitled."
It further states that Pitt has "diverted Chateau Miraval's funds to a number of other businesses in which Chateau Miraval (and by extension Nouvel and Tenute) have little or no ownership interest and have used Chateau Miraval's assets to fund their personal expenses."
Brad Pitt And His Company Allegedly 'Misappropriated Millions Of Dollars'
Pitt and his company are accused of "misappropriating millions of dollars" that should have gone to Tenute through Nouvel of Quimicum.
According to Tenute, Pitt was able to achieve this by making Chateau Miraval employees "who owe
their livelihoods to Pitt and will obey his commands without question to use their positions as
employees and directors of Chateau Miraval and other entities to misappropriate" the funds by
transferring them to the actor and his company, Mondo Bongo's private ventures.
Tenute claims that Pitt and his company have been able to hide their actions by prohibiting Jolie, Nouvel, and Tenute from participating in Chateau Miraval's operations.
Pitt also allegedly withholds "information about the business's operations and finances" from Tenute.
The Legal Dispute Is Tied To Brad Pitt And Angelina Jolie's Divorce
Pitt and Jolie, once Hollywood's most beloved couple, split in 2016 and have been embroiled in a bitter legal battle ever since.
They have been delaying their divorce despite being legally single since 2019 as they continue to battle over Chateau Miraval in what has been dubbed "the war of the rosés."
Pitt previously accused Jolie of unfair business practices after she sold 50% of her share in Chateau Miraval to Tenute del Mondo, a company "indirectly owned and controlled by Yuri Shefler — the Russian billionaire who controls the Stoli Group and whose flagship Russian vodka, Stolichnaya, has been the object of boycotts throughout the world."
Since then, Pitt has accused Jolie and Tenute of attempting a "hostile takeover" of Chateau Miraval. According to Vulture, Pitt believes his ex-wife "sought to force [him] into partnership with a stranger, and worse yet, a stranger with poisonous associations and intentions."
Brad Pitt Is Eager To Finalize His Divorce From Angelina Jolie
According to an insider, Pitt is eager to finalize his divorce from the "Eternals" actress and move on with his new girlfriend, Ines de Ramon.
"Brad really wants this to be finalized more than anything," the source told the DailyMail. "If it were up to him entirely, this would have been wrapped up a long time ago."
"Brad wants to move forward with Ines, and he can't when he is technically still married to the mother of his children. It is not an easy split, obviously, but it could have been wrapped in the last ten years," the source added.