Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie battle over French vineyard
Legal experts May Mailman and Bryan Rotella weigh in on the 'Brangelina' feud over the sale of French vineyard stakes involving a Russian oligarch on 'Fox News @ Night.'
Angelina Jolie's former company has accused the actress' ex, Brad Pitt, of "looting" and stripping the couple's former French vineyard of assets in new court documents.
Nouvel claimed Pitt has been the mastermind of a "vindictive campaign" to "loot" the profitable business since she first filed for divorce in 2016, according to documents filed Monday and obtained by Fox News Digital.
Nouvel accused Pitt of "hijacking" Château Miraval and "wasting" the company's assets on unnecessary renovation projects, including spending $1 million on swimming pool renovations, according to the court documents.
A source familiar with the litigation told Fox News Digital Pitt has "poured millions" into the business in the last decade and labeled the "looter" accusation thrown by Nouvel's legal team as "absurd."
Angelina Jolie's former company has accused Brad Pitt of "hijacking" control of the couple's former French Vineyard and "looting" the profitable business of assets. (Getty Images)
The "Girl, Interrupted" actress' former company also slammed Pitt's claim he "built" the wine business into a profitable company.
"Pitt is an actor, not a winemaker," the documents say. "He deals in illusions, not dirt and grapes. During the years that he allegedly 'built' the business, he filmed and appeared in dozens of movies, not to mention making countless promotional appearances, jetting-setting around the world for movie premieres, and attending Hollywood parties. While he no doubt visited the vineyards to admire the work of the French laborers who actually made the business successful, Pitt is no vigneron."
A general view of Château Miraval in France. (Michel Gangne/AFP )
Jolie and Pitt bought a controlling stake in Château Miraval in 2008 and spent time at the home throughout their relationship. Their agreement at the time gave each 50%, an equal split.
Pitt has maintained Jolie intentionally sought to "inflict harm" on him by selling her interest in the former couple's vineyard in an amended complaint previously obtained by Fox News Digital. The "Moneyball" actor claimed Jolie sold her interest in the vineyard without his consent, something they had previously agreed was a requirement.
Pitt, who originally filed the lawsuit in February 2022, said he did not find out about the sale of Miraval until it hit the news. He accused Jolie of collaborating "in secret" to keep him "in the dark" about the sale.
WATCH: BRAD PITT AND ANGELINA JOLIE BATTLE OVER FRENCH VINEYARD
ANGLEINA JOLIE ACCUSES BRAD PITT OF CHOKING ONE OF THEIR KIDS OUT IN EXPLOSIVE CROSS-COMPLAINT
However, a source close to Jolie previously told Fox News Digital Pitt was given the opportunity to buy her stake in Château Miraval.
"The reality is that Pitt refused to complete the Miraval sale with Jolie unless she agreed to being silenced about the abuse as he demanded that $8.5 million be held back to force her to keep quiet," the insider said. "Ms. Jolie had no interest in speaking about what happened.
"In fact, she has not done so even once, and instead she devoted her life to helping the children heal and to advocating to fix the very broken domestic violence response system in America. The only reason any of this has come out now is because Mr. Pitt decided to sue her for not agreeing to keep quiet."
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend the premiere of "By the Sea" in Hollywood in 2015. (Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic via Getty)
Jolie first accused Pitt of physically abusing her and the couple's children in a complaint filed in the ongoing lawsuit.
During a 2016 fight, Pitt allegedly "choked one of the children and struck another in the face" and "grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her." He then poured "beer and red wine" on her and their six children. "Some of the children pleaded with Pitt to stop," according to the documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
"They were all frightened. Many were crying." Jolie filed for divorce shortly after the alleged altercation.
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Brad Pitt first sued Angelina Jolie regarding the French vineyard in February 2022. (Getty Images)
After being investigated by the FBI, a probable cause statement was provided to the U.S. attorney's office.
"After reviewing the document, [a] representative of the United States Attorney’s Office discussed the merits of this investigation with the case agent," the FBI report said. "It was agreed by all parties that criminal charges in this case would not be pursued due to several factors."
A source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital the claims made by Jolie were false.
"She continues to rehash, revise and re-imagine her description of an event that happened six years ago by adding completely untrue information each time she fails to get what she wants," the source said.
Angelina Jolie filed for divorce in 2016. (Getty Images)
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Pitt and Jolie were married for two years before the actress filed for divorce in 2016, effectively ending their 12-year relationship. The two became legally single in 2019. The former couple shares six kids: Maddox, 20; Pax, 17; Zahara, 16; Shiloh, 15; and 13-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox.
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