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- Brad Pitt has filed a new lawsuit against ex-wife Angelina Jolie over the sale of their share of their vineyard.
- Last October, Jolie reportedly sold her stake to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler, who owns the Stoli vodka brand.
- Stoli, renamed from Stolichnaya, was previously boycotted to protest the war in Ukraine.
Brad Pitt has accused his ex-wife Angelina Jolie of wanting to “do harm” after she sold her stake in their couple’s French winery to a Russian oligarch, according to a new lawsuit.
Last week, Pitt filed an amended complaint against his ex-wife after he sold their stake in their joint winery, Château Miraval, in February 2017 to a subsidiary of vodka brand Stoli, owned by Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler, without her knowledge ex-husband.
In the follow-up lawsuit, filed June 3, 2022 in Los Angeles, Pitt repeated his earlier allegations from the February complaint, alleging that Jolie “secretly pursued and then consummated the alleged sale, intentionally kept Pitt in the dark, and knowingly violated Pitt’s contractual rights.” .”
By allegedly selling her stake in Tenute del Mondo, a Stoli subsidiary controlled by Shefler, last October, the lawsuit accused Jolie of “profits she did not earn and proceeds from an investment she did not make.” had to confiscate” and “to harm Pitt,” according to the 54-page lawsuit, seen by Insider.
“Jolie knew and intended that Shefler and his partners would seek to control the business Pitt had built and undermine Pitt’s investment in Miraval,” the lawsuit continued. “And just as Jolie envisioned, Shefler did just that.”
Pitt further invoked Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, saying Shefler’s “connections and reputation” as a Russian-born billionaire and founder of the Stoli vodka brand could pose a commercial risk to Miraval.
“Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Miraval’s insurer has sought assurances that Shefler is not aligned with Putin and that affiliation with Stoli would not pose a commercial risk,” the lawsuit reads. “This investigation comes as no surprise. After the Russian invasion, the dumping of bottles of Stolichnaya vodka, the trademark of Stoli, has become a show of solidarity with Ukraine, and the boycott of Stoli-related products has become widespread.”
“Longtime distributors of the wine business have expressed concern about Miraval’s ties to Shefler and questioned their continued commitment to the distribution of Miraval Rosé,” the lawsuit reads. “And a newly launched sanctions advocacy project, developed and sponsored by the Ukrainian government in response to Russia’s aggression, has publicly called for sanctions against Shefler.”
In March, Shefler rebranded Stoli vodka, formerly known as Stolichnaya vodka, as “a direct response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.” Shefler also said he has been banned from Russia since 2000 after Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to “take control” of the vodka brand.
In addition to Shefler’s Russian connections, Pitt’s lawsuit also mentions that her winery’s reputation is at risk because of the Russian tycoon’s “notoriety,” which he has achieved through “cutthroat business tactics and dubious professional associations.”
“In violation of the parties’ agreement, Jolie attempted to coerce Pitt into a partnership with a stranger, and worse, a stranger with toxic associations and intentions,” the lawsuit states.
A Pitt representative declined to comment. Representatives for Tenute del Mondo and Jolie did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
