Campari Pressured to Disclose Involvement in ‘Scheme to Plunder’ Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s Winery

Campari bottle is seen in Milan, Italy on May 20, 2024. (Photo:  Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via AP)

Italian spirits giant Campari has been dragged into court to testify on its relationship with Chateau Miraval, the French winery at the center of a bitter legal dispute between ex-husband and wife Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

In a motion filed Monday, Nouvel LLC — through which Jolie previously owned her stake in the estate — pressured Campari to disclose its exclusive distribution agreement with the wine brand.

The complexities of the arrangement date back to 2014, when Pitt and Jolie inked a 50/50 ownership split over the Chateau in which they’d gotten married. Following the announcement of their divorce, Jolie sold her stake in the winery to Stoli Group, an alcohol firm headed by Russian-born billionaire Yuri Shefler.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at the New York Premiere of In The Land of Blood and Honey at the SVA Theater in New York City. December 5, 2011. (Photo: Dennis Van Tine/MediaPunch /IPX)

In the ensuing multimillion-dollar legal battle, Jolie has been accused of selling her stake without Pitt’s consent. Pitt, in turn, has been accused by Stoli Group of illegally using the winery as a personal piggy bank for unrelated ventures. A steady stream of insults has been lobbed by both sides; Pitt has been labeled a “petulant child,” while his lawyers allege Jolie “contributed nothing” to the business.

Campari entered the picture in 2023 when it signed on as the exclusive distributor of Miraval’s products in the U.S. and France, the two largest markets for rosé wines. In addition to its namesake aperitif, Campari Group is best known for brands including Aperol, Wild Turkey, Espolon Tequila and Grand Marnier.

Lawyers for Stoli Group and Nouvel are now pressuring Campari to appear in court. Claiming that it was “wrongfully frozen out of Chateau Miraval by Pitt and his allies,” Nouvel is seeking information regarding Campari’s contract and the negotiations leading to its signing. In a news release, Nouvel speculated on Campari’s involvement in Pitt’s so-called “scheme”:

“Nouvel also seeks information that will illuminate how, in the midst of the legal dispute between Pitt and Nouvel, Campari was permitted to secure the right to be the sole distributor of one of the world’s most successful rosés. Nouvel further seeks information regarding any potential involvement by Campari in Pitt’s scheme to plunder Chateau Miraval’s assets and value.”

Chateau Miraval’s value has been pegged between $167 million and $500 million since the onset of legal proceedings. In February, a court in Luxembourg stripped Stoli Group of 10% of its Miraval shares, granting Pitt majority ownership over the estate until future details are negotiated in court.

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