Brad Pitt Intensifies Demand For Access To Angelina Jolie's Private Messages In Legal War Over Winery

Brad Pitt still wants access to Angelina Jolie's private messages with the group that purchased their French winery.

The actress sold her stake to the Stoli Group in 2021 and has since been in a legal battle with her ex-husband over the decision. Earlier in June, Pitt attempted to depose a key individual from the Stoli Group and compel him to hand over documents related to the group's transaction with Jolie.

Brad Pitt has now filed new documents seeking to have the actress herself turn over the materials, claiming they "go to the heart of the case."

Pitt is refusing to back down from his initial request for Jolie's private communications related to the sale of her stake in the French winery Château Miraval.

According to People Magazine, the actor's lawyers filed new documents with the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday, in which they sought to emphasize the need for Jolie to hand over the information.

However, the chances of Pitt obtaining the documents appear uncertain, as Jolie has been pushing back against the request by invoking the attorney-client privilege.

With regard to Jolie's stance, Pitt's lawyers wrote that she is "abusing the privilege to bury critical documents that go to the heart of the case," which they have been embroiled in since she sold her stake.

"It is Jolie's burden to prove that non-attorney communications are privileged, not Pitt's burden to disprove this," the attorneys also remarked in the filing.

The new filings echoed the one Pitt filed on June 30, in which he revealed that he has been unable to depose Alexey Oliynik, who was key to the sale of the winery to the Stoli Group.

The documents also detailed how Oliynik had refused to turn over any communications that he had with the actor's ex-wife and her team over the course of negotiations for the purchase of the winery.

According to the filing obtained by US Weekly, Pitt believes that the documents go "directly to his core claims" in the case.

However, Oliynik, at the time, refused to hand over the documents, claiming he couldn't be compelled to do so as he was a resident of Switzerland.

"This is another example of the defendant's repeated opposition to sharing documents that would provide insight," said a source close to Pitt.

Meanwhile, beyond attempting to invoke the attorney-client privilege, Jolie also sought to defend herself against Pitt's request with an emotional declaration to the court.

"The events leading to my need to separate from my ex-husband were emotionally difficult for me and our children," said Jolie about her split from her "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" co-star, per Page Six.

"Upon filing for divorce, I left him control (and full residency) of our family homes in Los Angeles and at Miraval, without compensation, which I hoped would make him calmer in his dealings with me after a difficult and traumatic period," she added.

Jolie further revealed that her savings were "tied up in Miraval," which compelled her to sell her stake to Stoli.

According to the actress, she needed money to support herself and her children, Maddox, 24; Pax, 21; Zahara, 20; Shiloh, 19; and twins Knox and Vivienne, both 17.

In her declaration, Jolie requested $33,000 from Pitt to cover the legal fees she incurred in responding to the "F1" star's motion demanding that she turn over her messages.

Although Pitt and Jolie finalized their divorce in December 2024, the two seem unable to resolve their dispute over the sale of Château Miraval.

At the center of Pitt's argument is his allegation that Jolie sold her share in an underhanded manner to the group that ultimately purchased it, despite being in ongoing negotiations with him over the same stake.

According to documents obtained by The US Sun in May, Jolie's "transactional counsel" allegedly provided "detailed feedback" to Stoli and its negotiators from his own meetings with the actress.

This information included "what it would take for Stoli to beat Pitt's offer," and ultimately led the group to agree to a $65 million deal in 2021.

The agreed price, Pitt claimed, was kept secret from him, leaving him unable to match or exceed the offer prior to the sale.