Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt's Messy Court Battle
The couple formerly known as Brangelina purchased Château Miraval, the setting of their 2014 wedding, in 2008, becoming 50/50 partners. In October 2021, Jolie sold her shares to Yuri Shefler for $67M. Some reports have accused Angelina of doing so out of spite, as it happened shortly after Brad was awarded shared custody over their children, Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne. Angelina's reps have denied these accusations.
In February 2022, the Moneyball actor sued Jolie for selling the winery, in which he sought monetary damages, legal fees, and for her sale of Miraval to Shefler to be voided. He says that she sold her half of the company without his agreement or knowledge, something they had privately agreed to uphold. He also accused Shefler of trying to "bully" and "threaten" him.
In all the back and forth, the pair have brought up all their dirty laundry. Pitt brought up Jolie's habit of making her staff sign NDAs, Jolie brought up her past allegations of abuse against Pitt. As the two make this court battle a dirty one, it's still unclear who will come out on top. But apparently, Jolie has an inkling it won't be her, which could be why she is now asking her ex to drop the lawsuit.
Angelina Jolie Criticized For Reportedly Asking Brad Pitt To Drop His Lawsuit
According to Blast, the Tony-winning Outsiders producer asked her ex-husband to drop the lawsuit "to allow their family to heal." But according to insiders, Pitt is determined to continue fighting his ex-wife, even more so now that she is allegedly painting herself as a "victim."
One source close to the couple told the Daily Mail: "Brad is not going to drop this lawsuit – why would he? This was a very standard business dispute but unfortunately, Angelina has consistently introduced personal elements that are meant for a divorce court."
"Angelina is asking him to put an end to the fighting as if she is a peacemaker. This is nothing more than to paint herself as the victim," the insider continued, adding: "This is not a fight. This is a business dispute over the sale of property that was ultimately going to be for their kids. It was their inheritance, and she knows this."
"[Jolie] is realizing that she does not have a strong case anymore and she also knows that she may likely have to shell out the money by order of the courts," the insider went on. "Bringing very personal issues into a business lawsuit is backfiring on her. It has exposed the weaknesses in her case and has complicated matters for both parties. She didn't need to do this."
Angelina Jolie Reportedly Worries About Finances
If the Maleficent actress loses this court battle, she has to pay her ex-husband damages; but that's not the only loss. An insider revealed that "she could be forced to pay back all of the money she received if the deal is undone."
And seemingly, this could be a real possibility. "She is very concerned about that. At the very least, she would have to pay back 10%, which would be 5.5M." And that's not including Jolie's own legal bills.
According to another Hollywood insider, while it may seem like Jolie is one of those celebrities that will always be rich, her cash may be dwindling. "She has some small roles coming out in indy movies—one is said to even be good—but it won't make her the big money." Not like her ex, who makes around $20M per role.