Tuesday 6 September 2022 11:29 PM Angelina Jolie's former company sues Brad Pitt for $250MILLION, claiming he ... trends now
Angelina Jolie's former company is suing Brad Pitt for $250million for allegedly stealing their wine business from her.
A cross-complaint filed today by Nouvel LLC is a legal clap-back after Pitt sued Jolie claiming she illegally sold her stake in Chateau Miraval, a French castle and wine brand.
Jolie held her shares of the wine company through her firm, Nouvel, but sold it to beverage giant Stoli last year.
Nouvel's filing claims Pitt tried to 'secretly move assets' from their co-owned business to his friends and other companies, spent 'millions on vanity projects' including $1million on a swimming pool and more on a recording studio, and gave away half the company's trademarks to a friend for free.
The lawsuit seeks damages of at least $250million.
Jolie's former company claims Pitt's alleged scheme meant she would 'never see a dime' of Chateau Miraval's 'tens of millions of dollars in profits.'
A company sold by Angelina Jolie last year has sued Brad Pitt for allegedly stealing their wine business and French castle, Chateau Miraval, from her
Jolie's former company Nouvel LLC filed the lawsuit today after Pitt sued her claiming she illegally sold her stake in Chateau Miraval
'In retaliation for the divorce and custody proceedings, Pitt embarked on a multi-faceted, years-long campaign to seize control of Chateau Miraval and appropriate the company's assets for his benefit and that of his own companies and friends,' the lawsuit says.
'Appointing himself the rightful owner of Chateau Miraval, his twin objectives were to usurp the value of Jolie's company, Nouvel, and to obtain sole ownership of Chateau Miraval.'
The couple stayed business partners despite their divorce, until last year when Jolie sold her stake in October 2021 to Tenute del Mondo, the wine division of Stoli Group
Nouvel's lawsuit claims that 'Ever since his former wife, Angelina Jolie, filed for divorce from him in 2016, Brad Pitt has been waging a vindictive war against her' and says the lawsuit aims to 'seek redress for the illegal and malicious actions of Pitt and his allies to injure Nouvel by devaluing its investments'.
The suit says that she wanted to sell her half to him when they split, but Pitt allegedly tried to add gag clauses about their fights in the contract.
'Pitt knew that much of Jolie's wealth and liquidity were tied up in Nouvel and used that fact to try to force Jolie to agree to his unreasonable terms,' it says.
She eventually sold Nouvel, including her wine company stake, to international beverage company Stoli Group.
The lawsuit claims Pitt refused to work with the new co-owner and spread 'lies' that its owner, Yuri Shefler' is 'an ally of Vladimir Putin' – when in fact the company has sued the Russian government and Shefler was allegedly the subject of a kidnap attempt orchestrated by the Kremlin.
The lawsuit adds that Pitt's scheme to hive off the wine company 'was aided by his allies, including Chateau Miraval directors Gary Bradbury, Roland Venturini, and Warren Grant, and his business partners, Marc Perrin, Familles Perrin, and Miraval Provence.'
Pitt's business associates are also the subject of a criminal complaint filed by Nouvel in France, according to the cross-complaint.
'Nouvel filed a criminal complaint in France against Bradbury and Venturini for putting Chateau Miraval's assets to a use that they know is against the interest of the corporation, in bad faith,' the document says.
Jolie and Pitt bought the chateau together in 2008 and used it as their 2014 wedding venue. The southern French castle has 35 rooms and 1,300 acres of grounds and vineyards. The couple bought it for $25million in 2008 by purchasing the Luxembourg company, Quimicum, in which it is held
