Brad Pitt won a pivotal court judgment against ex-wife Angelina Jolie in an ongoing battle surrounding their Chateau Miraval winery.
A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge ruled that Jolie must “produce … all non-privileged documents in her possession, custody, or control” to Pitt’s legal team, forcing the “Maleficent” star to show non-disclosure agreements she has signed in the past eight years, according to Page Six. NDAs became the key source of conflict in the lawsuit initially filed by Pitt. He claimed Jolie sold her half of the winery to Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler after previously agreeing to sell it to him. Pitt owns the other half of the business. Jolie’s legal team claimed she backed out of her agreement with Pitt after his team requested she sign an NDA as part of the sale deal.
CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 21: Actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie depart the premiere for the film “A Mighty Heart” at the Palais des Festivals during the 60th International Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2007 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
The winery’s estimated value is $500 million, according to Page Six.
This latest ruling is considered a pre-trial ‘win’ for Pitt. A source close to the famous actor declared this shift a “crushing blow” to Jolie. Her legal team previously argued that turning over her past NDAs would be “expensive,” “wasteful,” “unreasonable,” and “abusive,” according to Page Six. They also claimed the turnover of NDAs would invade the privacy of the other parties involved.
DEAUVILLE, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 03: U.S actors Brad Pitt and his wife Angelina Jolie arrive for the premiere of “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” during the 33rd Deauville American Film Festival on September 03, 2007 in Deauville , France. (Photo by Francois Durand/Getty Images)
The NDAs are believed to have been signed with Hollywood employers, brands and employees, and could reveal “contracts that include Jolie’s compensation or compensation she paid to third parties,” her team asserted, according to Page Six.
The new judge’s order also demanded Jolie provide a list of any documents she deems as privileged in the case so that Pitt’s team can have the opportunity to “evaluate the merits of Jolie’s assertions of privilege,” according to Page Six.
Pitt maintains that Jolie unfairly sold the stake from under him. His attorneys filed a motion in April asking Jolie to reveal how many NDAs her staffers signed and she hit back by saying he was overreaching in an attempt to “control,” her.
Jolie’s attorney issued a comment suggesting this was a win for his client.
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 08: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie attend a private reception as costumes and props from Disney’s “Maleficent” are exhibited in support of Great Ormond Street Hospital at Kensington Palace on May 8, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)
“Common NDAs are simply not comparable to Mr. Pitt’s last-second demand to try and cover up his personal misconduct,” Paul Murphy told Page Six. “We are more than happy to turn them over and we are gratified that the Court acknowledged that the only potential relevance is to the unconscionability of Mr. Pitt’s conduct, a now confirmed key issue in this case.”
“We welcome that transparency in all parties’ discovery responses, including Mr. Pitt’s. Angelina looks forward to the eventual end of this litigation with its false narratives that continue to hurt the family and interfere with their ability to heal,” he said, according to Page Six. (RELATED: New Lawsuit Accuses Angelina Jolie Of Attempting To Intervene In Her Children’s Relationship With Brad Pitt)
An individual close to Jolie shared a different perspective, saying, the NDAs will “never see the light of day at trial,” according to Page Six.
