Brad Pitt claims Angelina Jolie 'kept him in the dark' about 'secret dealings' in sale of their $500-million winery
Brad Pitt has made further damning allegations against his ex-wife Angelina Jolie in the lawsuit concerning the sale of their French winery.
The ongoing legal battle between exes Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie regarding the sale of their $500-million winery is getting murkier. After Brad claimed that he was shut out of the sale of what was their joint property, the actor has now made further allegations, saying that Angelina was offered several millions in the deal and that she hid 'secret dealings' done behind his back. (Also read: Angelina Jolie is 'terrified' of being hurt by men 'like she was with Brad Pitt', keeps them all at a distance)
Brad Pitt's accusations
In court documents obtained by InTouch Weekly, Brad claims that Angelina was paid $54.4 million to sell her stake in Château Miraval, the French winery the couple purchased in 2008. Brad claims that Angelina then backed out of the deal, “feigning concern over the terms of a proposed non-disparagement agreement in connection with the deal.”
However, his lawyer says the real reason was that she was involved in secret dealings in the sale. “In reality. [Angelina] and Nouvel had covertly lined up and tentatively struck a deal with a third party: the Stoli Group, owned and controlled by Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler and its subsidiary Tenute del Mondo,” says Brad's legal team, as per InTouch Weekly. The court documents show Brad claiming he was ‘kept in the dark’ about these negotiations.
What is the lawsuit about
Brad and Angelina each owned 50% of Miraval. Angelina used her LLC, Nouvel, to purchase her shares. Brad used his LLC, named Mondo Bongo, to buy his interest. However, after the winery was sold, after their divorce, Brad filed a lawsuit to reverse the sale, saying he was kept out of the deal. In his suit, the actor claimed that Angelina was required to get his approval of any sale to a third party. He also accused Yuri and Stoli of attempting a hostile takeover of the company. Angelina's Nouvel has, in turn, sued Brad for $350 million, accusing him of misusing the winery's assets. Court documents have estimated the winery's worth at around $500 million. The case is ongoing.