Pitt’s legal attorney says, “Brad has assumed complete responsibility for everything he has been held accountable for since the beginning, unlike Angelina, and he has no intention of assuming any further responsibility.”
According to a source close to Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt’s ongoing legal action against their winery resulted from her unwillingness to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
According to a source on Pitt’s side, including a non-disparagement clause in the contract was a common condition of their business relationship.
Pitt, 59, filed a lawsuit against Jolie this week over the sale of her part in Château Miraval, a French firm that includes a residence and vineyard in the southern area of France where they married in 2014.
Pitt’s recently updated complaint questions Jolie’s sale of her stake. He claims that after their divorce, Jolie, 47, “purposefully concealed the sale of her stake in their family wine business to a Russian oligarch” and that her association with the buyer poses an “existential threat to the business.”
Court filings state that the couple purchased “the château as a shared residence for their children and the vineyard as a family business.” Furthermore, “Jolie, despite supporting Pitt’s endeavors for the sake of the family, did not contribute to Miraval’s success.”
In court documents, Pitt’s legal team underlined that “the alleged sale disrupts Pitt’s right to enjoy the home he established for his family.”
According to a source familiar with the matter, Pitt’s decision to pursue legal action over the sale resulted from Jolie’s unwillingness to sign an NDA, which would have banned her from discussing earlier allegations of domestic abuse.
According to a person close to Pitt, “There was a non-disparagement clause in the contract, which is completely standard for transactions of this nature.”
“Brad requested a mutual NDA and non-disparagement specifically about Miraval due to concerns over sensitive financial information and brand safeguarding, which is standard practice in such transactions,” the insider stated. It had nothing to do with the divorce or their children.”
Anne Kiley of Elkins Kalt Weintraub Reuben Gartside LLP, Pitt’s attorney, remarked, “Brad has taken complete responsibility for everything he is accountable for since day one, unlike Angelina.” “He has dealt with every agency, professional, and two court hearings she has initiated,” she continued, “and we stand by the outcomes.”
Court filings made public last year revealed Jolie’s earlier allegations. These allegations revolved around an incident on a flight with their six children in 2016, prompting her to file for divorce a few days later.
Mr. Pitt “cannot evade the fact that he assaulted both physically and verbally Ms. Jolie and the kids, even going as far as choking one of the children and striking another,” according to the insider, no matter how frequently he modifies his charges.
According to the insider, Mr. Pitt has never publicly repudiated these occurrences, even seven years after the tragic plane crash.
Mr. Pitt’s assertion that he is suing his former wife to safeguard his family is odd, given that he is fully aware that the children have not been welcome at the French property for nearly seven years due to the reasons outlined by Ms. Jolie in her divorce filing.
“The truth is that Pitt declined to close the Miraval sale with Jolie until she agreed to remain silent about the abuse,” one insider told the publication. He ordered the withholding of $8.5 million as coercion to keep her silent.” The insider stated that “Ms. Jolie had no intention of discussing what had happened.” In reality, she has never attempted it.
Instead, she has dedicated her life to campaigning for reforms in the country’s shamefully insufficient response to domestic abuse and assisting children in their healing journey. Mr. Pitt decided to sue her for breaching their agreement to remain silent, which is why this information is now public.”
A source close to Pitt told PEOPLE, “It is incredibly disheartening that she persists in rehashing, modifying, and embellishing her account of an incident that happened, including the inclusion of completely false information, all to garner additional attention for herself at the expense of their family.”
Jolie’s legal team brought the 2016 plane incident allegations in a response filed during the winery case. Jolie was allowed to disclose information to law enforcement officials, who eventually decided not to charge her.
Despite this, she returns to the same issue monthly, bringing new but false information to meet her personal goals.
The FBI and the Los Angeles Department of Child and Family Services began investigations after claims of a drunken altercation between Pitt and Jolie. The incident happened on a private jet flight from France to their home in Los Angeles.
According to a source at the time, Pitt engaged in “verbal aggression” and “physical” behavior toward one of their children. Pitt vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Similarly, the Department of Child and Family Services concluded its investigation, finding no evidence of mistreatment.
Jolie revealed her divorce in a 2021 interview with The Guardian, saying, “I’m not the type of person who makes decisions like the ones I had to make lightly.”
It took a lot to conclude that I needed to sever my relationship with my children’s father.”
At the time, Jolie said she was “broken” by her experiences and wished for her family, “including their dad,” to find a way forward. “There’s a lot I can’t say,” she added.