Angelina Jolie Scores Win in Winery Lawsuit Connected to Alleged Brad Pitt Abuse: She 'Never Wanted Any of This'

11/26/2024 05:54 PM

Brad Pitt, who recently scored a legal victory of his own, must produce documents Angelina Jolie's lawyer calls "crucial evidence."

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's winery battle continues with a move that could delve deeper into claims that Pitt was abusive.

In a decision made Monday, Nov. 25, a judge ruled that Pitt, 60, must disclose documents that Paul Murphy, a lawyer for Jolie, 49, says will prove "communications concerning abuse, lies to authorities, and years of cover up" on Pitt's part.

These include emails, texts and other written communications, but nothing between him and his attorneys or therapists.

Pitt's legal team previously sought for her motion to be denied, calling the actress' requests "wide-ranging and intrusive," as well as a "sensationalist fishing expedition."

Murphy claims the documentation they're seeking to bring to light is "crucial evidence" that Pitt has "fought for years to hide." He adds in a statement Nov. 26, "His actions harmed Angelina and their children and are central to this case."

"But I want to again emphasize that Angelina never wanted any of this," continued Murphy. "She never pressed charges, she left all their properties, and she is the one who tried to sell him the business in the first place. To this day, Mr. Pitt has never been held accountable for his actions and has at all times controlled Miraval and the winery, yet he still demands more. She wants this to end, the children want this to end, and Mr. Pitt should focus on healing their family, not pursuing lawsuits."

Related: Angelina Jolie 'Moving Beyond the Past' After Dropping Legal Pursuit of Alleged Brad Pitt Plane Incident (Exclusive Source)

"If he does not," the lawyer added, "Angelina will defend herself in court by presenting the evidence necessary to demonstrate that Pitt's allegations are demonstrably false."

Reps for Pitt did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

This legal dispute, brought by Pitt, is in regards to Jolie selling her half of their winery estate Château Miraval to Tenute del Mondo, the wine division of the Stoli Group, in 2022, allegedly breaking an agreement they had to not sell without the other's approval.

Earlier this month, Pitt scored an important victory in the winery battle, inching the case closer to trial with potential proof that there was a written agreement between the former couple as well about selling. A Pitt source said of the judge siding with him that time, "This is a clear victory for Brad which demonstrates the legitimacy of his claims and demonstrates yet again the other side's talk is not backed up with substance."

Related: Brad Pitt's Kids Haven't Spent 'Extensive Time' with His Parents in Years, as Source Says Angelina Jolie Hasn't 'Blocked' Them

Jolie previously argued that she tried selling it back to Pitt, but he required an NDA as part of the deal, which she rejected.

In the winery saga, a judge ruled in May that Jolie must produce eight years' worth of non-disclosure agreements she has made. By having her disclose her history of using NDA's, Pitt's team hopes to illustrate that it's a normal business practice. Jolie's team, however, claimed Pitt's NDA offer was wide-ranging and would have contractually bound her to "silence" about his alleged abuse.

In July, Murphy said in a statement that Jolie wants Pitt to "end the fighting" by dropping this lawsuit.

Pitt, in his past offer to buy Jolie's stake in the winery, "tried to punish and control Angelina by demanding a newly expanded NDA to cover his personal misconduct and abuse," Murphy said at the time, adding, "Those actions are central to these proceedings. We are not at all surprised Mr. Pitt is afraid to turn over the documents demonstrating these facts."

However, Pitt's lawyers claimed Jolie wants these documents "as part of her efforts to turn this business dispute into a re-litigation of the former couple's divorce case."

Jolie filed for divorce days after a Sept. 14, 2016 flight on a private plane on which Pitt allegedly became abusive while drunk in front of the kids. Pitt, who has since become sober, has denied being abusive and was cleared by authorities after investigations at the time. (Jolie's lawyers claimed in a previous winery filing that Pitt's "history of physical abuse of Jolie started well before" the plane incident.)

Pitt and Jolie, who were declared legally single by a judge in 2019, share six kids: Maddox, 23, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and 16-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox. Several of the kids have dropped Pitt from their last name and have little contact with Pitt and his side of the family.

Separately, Jolie and Pitt are slowly approaching a divorce settlement over eight years after their breakup. "Both sides are still talking," a source close to the couple told PEOPLE in July of remaining issues in the divorce negotiations, "but it's not done yet." Added an insider at the time, "All the bitterness is partly why the divorce has dragged on for so many years. Neither will let it go."