Angelina Jolie opposes Brad Pitt’s request for earlier trial as $164M winery dispute continues
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actress Angelina Jolie remains locked in a prolonged legal dispute over their French winery, Chateau Miraval, with ex-husband Brad Pitt. The former couple, once among Hollywood’s most prominent partnerships, continue to clash over the ownership and sale of the estate years after their separation.
Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt on September 19, 2016, after two years of marriage and 12 years together. The dispute has continued even after their divorce proceedings concluded, with the winery remaining a central point of contention between them.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s Chateau Miraval trial timeline dispute
Jolie appears willing to allow her years-long legal battle with Pitt over their French winery to continue for a longer period. She stated in a recent court filing that a trial scheduled for September 2027 would be suitable, despite Pitt’s request to advance it by five months to April.
“It's sort of sad that the strategy is just a delay instead of addressing or resolving things, but that's par for the course,” a source said regarding Jolie’s latest position in the proceedings. Pitt said in a recent filing that the prolonged legal dispute has deprived him of years of “the quiet enjoyment of his home in France,” which is valued at $164 million.
He also argued that time is a critical factor, noting that key witnesses are aging, with one already having passed away. In court documents, He additionally referenced the ages of Jolie’s legal team, stating that one attorney had passed the bar more than 50 years ago, in 1972.
In response, she told the court that a five-month delay would have a negligible impact on the case. She also stated in court documents that Pitt had not presented evidence demonstrating how the proceedings had affected his ability to enjoy visits to the estate.
Addressing his concerns that a fall trial could conflict with the Jewish High Holidays, Jolie said he had not identified any members of his legal team who would be unavailable due to religious observances. According to legal documents, the court had initially set February 1, 2027, as a trial date, leading Pitt to concede a two-month delay.
He stated in filings that he sought an earlier start so all parties could “move on with their lives.” She had previously requested that the case be scheduled for November 2027, as per filings.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s dispute deepens amid lawsuits and abuse allegations
The dispute centers on a vineyard the former couple co-owned in France. The conflict escalated after Jolie sold her stake in the winery in 2021 to Tenute del Mondo, part of the Stoli Group. Pitt has argued that this sale breached a prior agreement between them that neither would sell their share without the other’s consent.
Following the sale, Pitt initiated legal action in 2022, claiming damages and alleging that she acted without proper approval. He has maintained that the business was intended as a joint family investment and that her decision undermined that arrangement.
Jolie, however, has denied the existence of such an agreement and filed a countersuit, accusing him of "waging a vindictive war against" her.
Lawyers representing Jolie have argued that Pitt refused to buy out her stake in the business because she declined to sign a non-disclosure agreement, which they described as being “designed to force her silence about his abuse and cover-up,” in reference to a 2016 private jet incident during which the actor was allegedly verbally and physically abusive toward his family.
Pitt was not charged following investigations, and she chose not to pursue charges at the time. More recently, court filings indicate that he has also sued Jolie for $35 million in damages in connection with her 2021 sale of her share in the winery business.
