Brad Pitt Scores Major Legal Victory Against Angelina Jolie in Winery Dispute

Brad Pitt has scored a legal win in his ongoing dispute with ex-wife Angelina Jolie over the Château Miraval winery, with a California Superior Court ordering members of the Stoli Group to submit to depositions.

The legal battle began in February 2022 when Pitt filed a lawsuit alleging that Jolie sold her stake in the French winery to Tenute del Mondo, the wine division of the Stoli Group, without his consent, in violation of a mutual agreement between them.

Jolie responded with a countersuit in September of the same year, claiming Pitt had been "waging a vindictive war against" her since she filed for divorce in 2016.

In a June 17 court document obtained by People, the Superior Court of California granted a motion from Pitt's legal team compelling depositions from members of the Stoli Group, whom Pitt argued had firsthand knowledge of Jolie's 2021 sale.

The depositions of Stoli Group executive Alexey Oliynik and "persons most qualified" from Tenute del Mondo B.V. and Nouvel LLC, the holding company Jolie, 50, sold to Tenute del Mondo, must now take place in London by Sept. 30.

Oliynik had previously resisted a June 2025 deposition order, arguing the court had no jurisdiction over him as a resident of Switzerland.

A second development came June 24, when California's Court of Appeals reversed a prior decision regarding Stoli Group owner Yuri Shefler's involvement in the sale.

The court found that despite his claim of a "minimal role" in the winery sale. "It defies credulity that Shefler, a sophisticated businessman, would risk almost $40 million on a transaction about which he knew nothing and with which he had no involvement." A hearing on a motion to compel Shefler's deposition is scheduled for July 8.

“This win is another step towards transparency over what took place,” a source close to Pitt told People.

Another insider added that Jolie had agreed that Pitt “would have first right of refusal” over the sale, “then sold to Shefler anyway.” A source close to Pitt also said Shefler "was a partner [Jolie] chose, knowing it was a partner Brad did not want involved in the business."

Jolie's camp pushed back. A lawyer for Jolie said it has “no impact on the merits of the case, and certainly has no impact on Ms. Jolie's case. At this point, Ms. Jolie is just looking forward to defeating the case at trial next year so that their family can finally focus their energies on healing and moving on.”

A source close to the actress added that Jolie “did not sell to Stoli for any reason other than she expected Stoli to be an excellent worldwide distribution partner who could help grow the business for the benefit of their children, who stood to inherit Brad's portion.”

The source added, “The truth is that Pitt's ego and obsession for control got in the way. Brad refused to work with Stoli simply because Angie chose them, not him.”

Jolie had previously filed documents characterizing Pitt's descriptions of Shefler as a "xenophobic, untrue smear campaign," noting that Shefler is "a Russian exile who is a long-time critic of Vladimir Putin."

The case is currently set for trial Feb. 1, 2027. Jolie has requested that the trial be pushed to November 2027; Pitt has opposed the delay.

The former couple finalized their divorce settlement in December 2024.