Brad Pitt is being countersued for misappropriating funds from Chateau Miraval by the company his ex-wife Angelina Jolie is trying to sell her shares to.
The Troy actor, 60, and the Maleficent star, 48, have been embroiled in a bitter legal dispute centered around their co-ownership of the $500 million French winery, which they originally purchased in 2008.
And now Pitt has been hit with a countersuit by Tenute del Mondo, after he previously sued the company claiming they did not have the right to receive Jolie’s shares in the winery.
In new court documents, obtained by DailyMail.com, Tenute filed a claim against Pitt and his company, Mondo Bongo, alleging they have been using Chateau Miraval like a ‘personal piggy bank’ to fund their projects for years.
One such project is a swimming pool only used by Pitt, which Tenute claims the actor spent more than $1 million in renovations on. Other ventures include a recording studio, a cosmetics line and a gin brand.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Pitt’s representative for comment.
Brad Pitt is being countersued for misappropriating funds from Chateau Miraval by the company his ex-wife Angelina Jolie is trying to sell her shares to; the former pair seen in 2014
The Troy actor, 60, and the Maleficent star, 48, have been embroiled in a bitter legal dispute centered around their co-ownership of the French winery (pictured)
‘Pitt caused millions of its funds to be spent on projects that benefit him personally,’ the suit alleges.
It goes on to claim, ‘Worse yet, Pitt has diverted the company’s assets to his side businesses—which include a recording studio called Studio Miraval, a cosmetics line called Le Domaine, and a gin brand called The Gardener.’
‘This theft has put millions of dollars in the pockets of Pitt’s and Mondo Bongo’s business ventures, and has diverted dividends and loan repayments to them that otherwise would have been paid out to Tenute as one of the ultimate owners of Chateau Miraval.’
Tenute accuses Pitt and his company of concealing financial activity while hindering their involvement in the winery.
‘Pitt and Mondo Bongo have turned Chateau Miraval into their personal piggy bank. They have entered into a series of transactions using Chateau Miraval’s funds that have deprived Tenute of the profits and loan repayments to which it is entitled.’
They’re claiming Brad has made their involvement with the winery nearly impossible as he continues to battle it out with Jolie in court.
Tenute — the wine-making arm of the international beverage company, Stoli Group — is asking for major damages.
Meanwhile sources close to Brad told TMZ Tenute’s interest in the Chateau Miraval wine business stemmed from ‘his name-recognition’, which they’re now attempting to ‘smear.’
The insiders assert that Chateau Miraval’s success is directly attributable to Pitt’s leadership, and the accusations of fund misuse are false, as they would undermine the winery’s value.
Last month Jolie turned up the heat on Pitt as their war over Chateau Miraval got even uglier as her lawyers have called his request for NDAs ‘abusive’ just days after she had accused him of trying to ‘bleed her dry’ in their ongoing bitter legal battle.
Now Pitt has been hit with a countersuit by Tenute del Mondo, after he previously sued the company claiming they did not have the right to receive Jolie’s shares in the winery; seen in 2014
Tenute alleges Pitt and his company, Mondo Bongo, have been using Chateau Miraval like a ‘personal piggy bank’ to fund their projects for years; seen in 2024
One such project is a swimming pool only used by Pitt, which Tenute claims the actor spent more than $1 million in renovations on. Other ventures include a recording studio, a cosmetics line and a gin brand; the actor seen at the winery
Pitt had recently filed a motion asking to see Jolie’s NDAs with any third parties and now her lawyers have called the move ‘expensive,’ ‘wasteful,’ ‘unreasonable,’ and ‘abusive’ according to court documents obtained by Page Six on Friday.
The publication reports that Jolie had argued in court documents that her ex had asked her to sign an expansive NDA in their ‘scuttled’ deal for the winery because he was trying to silence her from talking about allegations that he was abusive to she and her children including on a flight from France to California in 2016.
Earlier last month Jolie’s claims via her lawyers had been reported: ‘While Pitt’s history of physical abuse of Jolie started well before the family’s September 2016 plane trip from France to Los Angeles, this flight marked the first time he turned his physical abuse on the children as well.’
Now, according to Page Six, the actress is claiming in new court documents that turning over the other NDAs that she had signed would be an invasion of privacy to other parties – which the publication notes are presumably movie studios, brands and employees – as it reveals ‘contracts that include Jolie’s compensation or compensation she paid to third parties.’
Jolie’s side has also claimed Pitt wanted her to sign an unfairly ‘onerous’ and ‘expansive’ NDA, ‘covering Pitt’s personal misconduct, whether related to Miraval or not,’ in exchange for her to sell her stake to him.
Their deal had ultimately fell through as Jolie claims that it was due to the NDA and the actress proceeded to sell her shares to a Stoli Group subsidiary. Pitt has responded by opposing the Stoli deal while alleging that she had unfairly sold the stake out from under him.
DailyMail.com exclusively reported that the ongoing legal battle – dubbed ‘the war of the rosés’ – saw Jolie accusing ‘controlling’ ex Pitt of ‘financially draining her,’ through the protracted legal battle over the winery that’s dogged the couple since their split in 2016.
But while she seeks to claim her ex is ‘bleeding her dry,’ DailyMail.com can reveal that since their ten-year relationship ended in divorce after a two-year marriage, her fortunes have soared.
They’re claiming Brad has made their involvement with the winery nearly impossible as he continues to battle it out with Jolie in court. Tenute is asking for major damages
Pitt was blindsided when Jolie sold her share of Chateau Miraval, a 35-room estate and celebrated vineyard in the south of France that Pitt and Jolie bought in 2008. The 1,000-acre estate – now valued at $164million – is where the couple tied the knot in 2014
Far from causing her funds to dwindle, a DailyMail.com investigation reveals that Jolie’s relationship with Pitt has helped enrich her by close to $100million.
That money has come through loans, child support, gifts and the millions she garnered from the sale of her 50 percent share in the property at the heart of the dispute – Chateau Miraval – ten percent of which was a gift from Pitt.
The couple’s former French home, a stunning 1,200 acre estate and vineyard was worth $60million when they bought it in 2008. Now, thanks to Pitt’s effort and investment in the business, it’s worth a staggering $164million.
And, while Jolie appears to be crying poverty in her latest court filings, sources close to Pitt point out that the Tomb raider star had sufficient funds to sign a recent deal to take over 57 Great Jones Street, a unique Manhattan space once owned by Andy Warhol and previously rented for $60,000 a month.
Jolie has signed an eight-year lease for the 6,600 square-foot property to use as a store to promote her fashion label, Atelier Jolie.
Pitt had originally sought to buy Jolie out himself, to keep the winery ‘in the family’ should she want to opt out. But the deal collapsed amid acrimony.
Pitt accused Jolie of breaching their purchase agreement when she sold her 50 percent stake in Chateau Miraval to Russian oligarch, Yuri Shefler, in 2021, without her ex-husband’s consent.
According to Jolie the earlier offer to sell it to Pitt for $54million imploded due to his demands.
When the then couple bought Miraval in 2008, Pitt took a 60 percent stake in the winemaking enterprise and estate while Jolie took 40 percent.
Earlier last month DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that Jolie had accused ex Pitt of trying to ‘control and financially drain her’ throughout their ongoing legal battle since their 2016 split, filings had revealed
Brad and Angelina married in August 2014 after 10 years together but Angelina filed for divorce in September 2016; seen in 2006
Pitt poured millions into the estate, riding the rosé wave, and expanding the business in an effort that saw sales grow 300 percent.
Soon the estate that they purchased for an estimated $60million was worth closer to $164million.
By the time of their wedding Jolie had ‘stopped investing’ according to previously filed court records – something that she has denied.
Still, Pitt transferred 10 percent of his share to her by way of a wedding gift in December 2013 ‘for the sum of 1Euro [never paid]’ so that by the time of their marriage in August 2014, they were 50/50 equal partners.
Meanwhile, as the war over the sale of the winery plods on, Pitt has landed several legal victories in recent months including a key judgement in Luxembourg which handed him back control of Chateau Miraval’s award-winning vineyard pending further hearings.
Just last month he scored another win when LA Superior Court rejected Jolie’s allegations that his suit was, ‘frivolous, malicious, and part of a problematic pattern.’