Angelina Jolie’s company files £250m lawsuit against Brad Pitt over French vineyard

Suit claims Pitt attempted to ‘seize control’ of the 1,300-acre property in ‘retaliation’

A company founded by Angelina Jolie has filed a $250m (£217m) lawsuit against the actor’s ex-husband Brad Pitt.

Since announcing their separation in 2016, Jolie and Pitt have been embroiled in divorce proceedings concerning child custody and property disagreements.

The lawsuit pertains to the French winery the former couple purchased together during their relationship.

Court papers filed on Tuesday (6 September) and seen by Page Six allege that Pitt attempted to “seize control” of the 1,300-acre estate “in retaliation” for the “divorce and custody proceedings”.

The suit claims that the pair, who were married in 2014,  both invested tens of millions of dollars to improve Chateau Miraval SA, an estate in the South of France.

The site was purchased by the actors in 2012 for around 25 million euros (£20,875,500), though they had it leased for years prior.

(AFP/Getty Images)

The suit goes on to allege that Pitt squandered millions of the company’s money on “vanity projects” including more than a million dollars on a swimming pool.

Pitt is yet to address the lawsuit himself. A source close to the actor, however, told Us Weekly: “Sadly, this is yet another rehash and repackaging of old material to try and distract from the other party’s own behaviour.”

The Independent has contacted a representative of Pitt’s for comment.

(Berry Bros and Rudd)

The dispute over the winery began last year when Pitt filed legal papers accusing Jolie of “systematic obstruction” of his management in the winery and of selling her part of a stake in the vineyard without offering him the chance to buy it first.

In June this year, lawyers on behalf of the Fight Club star said under his stewardship, the business had grown into a “multimillion-dollar international success story” but that Jolie had “contributed nothing”.

According to the lawsuit, Jolie sold her stake to a Luxembourg-based spirits manufacturer controlled by Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler, without Pitt’s knowledge.

“Through the purported sale, Jolie sought to inflict harm on Pitt,” documents filed last week and obtained by the PA news agency said.

The actors share six children together, Maddox, Zahara, Pax, Shiloh, Vivienne and Knox.