Brad Pitt Scores Legal Win in Long-Running Winery Battle With Ex-Wife Angelina Jolie

Actor Brad Pitt and his now ex-wife actress Angelina Jolie arrive to attend the French premiere of “Megamind” on Nov. 29, 2010, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Brad Pitt has secured another legal victory in the years-long battle over Château Miraval, the French winery at the center of his bitter dispute with his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie.

An appeals court has ruled that Stoli Group founder Yuri Shefler cannot avoid being named in the lawsuit over Jolie’s 2021 sale of her stake in the famed Provence estate, reversing an earlier decision that had dismissed him from the case.

According to court documents cited by TMZ, Shefler argued he had little direct involvement in Stoli’s purchase of Jolie’s ownership interest. The appeals court rejected that argument, writing that it “defies credulity” that a sophisticated businessman would invest nearly $40 million in a transaction without knowing about or participating in it.

Stoli filed for bankruptcy in the U.S.  in 2024.

The ruling marks Pitt’s second courtroom victory this month as the Château Miraval litigation continues to build toward a trial expected in early 2027.

Earlier in June, a judge also ordered Stoli Group executive Alexey Oliynik to sit for a deposition by Sept. 30, another procedural win for Pitt.

The dispute dates back to 2021, when Jolie sold her stake in Château Miraval to Tenute del Mondo, the wine division of Stoli Group controlled by Shefler. Pitt sued in 2022, alleging the former couple had agreed neither would sell their interest without the other’s consent and claiming Jolie’s sale was intended to inflict harm during their contentious divorce.

Since then, the legal fight has expanded far beyond the original breach-of-contract claims. Both sides have traded accusations over control of the multimillion-dollar wine business, while related litigation has drawn in Stoli executives and even Italian spirits giant Campari over its distribution agreement with Miraval.

Jolie has denied Pitt’s allegations and previously sought to delay the trial, while Pitt has pushed to keep the current schedule.

The latest appellate decision ensures Shefler will remain a defendant as one of the spirits industry’s highest-profile legal battles moves closer to trial.