Brad Pitt accuses Angelina Jolie of wanting to 'harm' him by selling his vineyard to a Russian oligarch

In mid-February a new legal confrontation between Hollywood's most famous ex-couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, was reported in the international press when the actress sold part of a property without her ex-husband's knowledge to a Russian oligarch.

This act annoyed the star of "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" and he decided to take a legal action against his former partner for the sale of his stake in the company, which they had agreed to despite the divorce.

People magazine released a series of documents and statements from Brad Pitt's legal team, which state that Jolie "tried to inflict harm" on her ex-husband by selling 50% of their co-owned vineyard to Russian businessman Yuri Shefler.

Lawyers for the multi-award-winning actor said that under their client's direction, the business had become a "multi-million dollar international success story."

Because of the high commercial value of the Château Miraval vineyard, estimated to be worth 164 million dollars, Pitt's legal team questioned the actions of Jolie, who allegedly sought to damage the image of her ex-husband. "Through the alleged sale, Jolie sought to cause damage," said the lawyers hired by the Hollywood star.

The allegations also directly linked the Russian oligarch and his team for meddling in an illegal sale for which there was already a prior agreement. "Jolie knew and intended that Shefler and his affiliates would attempt to control the business that Pitt had built and undermine Pitt's investment in Miraval," they said.

On the other hand, Brad Pitt's legal representatives argue that Yuri Shefler "has gained notoriety through vicious business tactics and dubious professional associations," and the association with him "jeopardizes the reputation of the brand that Pitt so carefully built." 

"In violation of the parties' agreement, Jolie has attempted to force Pitt to associate with a stranger and, worse, a stranger with poisonous associations and intentions," they added.

Finally, Pitt's lawyers, who have requested a new jury trial, condemned the actions of the actress. "All of this is the direct result of Jolie's unlawful and tortuous conduct," said the document presented by the defense of the 58-year-old American actor.

Last July that the actress of “Maleficent” accused Pitt of blocking the sale of Château Miraval. However, before the end of the relationship and so that there would be no misunderstandings, Angelina and Brad agreed to ask each other's permission if, at any time, one of them wanted to sell their part. In addition to that, they were obliged to offer them to each other as a first option before looking for buyers.

According to court documents, Miraval is owned by Quimicum, a company in which Pitt originally held a 60% stake through his company Mondo Bongo, while Jolie held 40% through her company Nouvel.

But three years before they split up, in 2016, Pitt transferred 10% ownership of Mondo Bongo to Nouvel from Jolie, making them equal shareholders. Pitt and Jolie agreed to ask each other's permission if they ever wanted to sell their shares.