Brad Pitt has secured a legal victory in his protracted dispute with ex-wife Angelina Jolie over their French winery, Château Miraval. On June 17, the Superior Court of California granted a motion from Pitt’s legal team, compelling depositions from individuals associated with the Stoli Group. Pitt’s attorneys had argued that these individuals possess crucial firsthand knowledge regarding Jolie’s 2021 sale of her stake in the winery to Tenute del Mondo, the wine division of the Stoli Group.
Last June, Pitt’s lawyers sought to depose Alexey Oliynik, a representative of the Stoli Group. Oliynik had reportedly refused to provide documents or appear for a deposition, citing his residency in Switzerland as a reason he could not be compelled to participate. A source close to the matter stated that the Stoli parties are now expected to be transparent about the transaction.
The legal conflict centers on the former couple’s $500 million property, which they acquired in 2008. The dispute escalated in 2021 when Jolie sold her share of the vineyard without Pitt’s explicit approval, an action Pitt claimed violated a prior agreement. Jolie has denied the existence of such an agreement and, in a countersuit, accused Pitt of engaging in a “vindictive war” against her.
This recent ruling follows another legal win for Pitt last month, when a Michigan judge determined that lawyers for the Stoli Group had improperly obstructed testimony during a key deposition. The court found that former Stoli General Counsel Todd Culyba was instructed not to answer 33 questions related to Jolie’s 2021 sale. The judge ordered Culyba to undergo another deposition to answer the previously withheld questions.
However, Jolie also achieved a legal success recently. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge denied Pitt’s request to obtain private emails related to the winery dispute, ruling that Pitt had not sufficiently demonstrated grounds to overcome attorney-client privilege claims. This decision was made “without prejudice,” allowing Pitt to potentially reintroduce the motion later.
The former couple, who share six children, finalized their divorce in December 2024 after more than eight years of legal proceedings. The winery dispute is one facet of their ongoing legal entanglements since Jolie filed for divorce in 2016.