Brad Pitt sues Angelina Jolie for selling interest in winery to a Russian oligarch

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are battling in court once again, this time over the sale of her interest their winery.

Pitt is suing his ex-wife, Jolie, for allegedly secretly selling her interest in a winery they owned together to a Russian oligarch, TMZ reports. Pitt and Jolie bought the Chateau Miraval winery in France, where they were married, in 2008, and Pitt reportedly says they had an understanding they wouldn't sell their interests in it without one another's consent.

But Pitt alleges Jolie didn't seek his consent before selling her interest to Tenute del Mondo, a company controlled by Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler, and he's seeking for the deal to be undone.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"She sold her interest with the knowledge and intention that Shefler and his affiliates would seek to control the business to which Pitt had devoted himself and to undermine Pitt's investment in Miraval," the lawsuit alleges, BBC News reports. A source close to Pitt also claimed to TMZ that Jolie "violated the rights of the only person who poured money and sweat equity into the success of the business by purporting to sell both the business and family home to a third-party competitor."

The lawsuit comes amid Pitt and Jolie's years-long custody battle. Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in 2016, and they've been fighting in court over custody of their children. Last year, Pitt was granted joint custody of the children, only for the case to essentially start over after the judge who made that decision was disqualified from the case.