Brad Pitt, the Hollywood actor, has accused Angelina Jolie, his ex-wife, of damaging the reputation of their joint wine business.
The actor made the allegation through a fresh court filing in a battle with his celebrity ex-wife over the sale of her stake in their co-owned vineyard Miraval to a Russian oligarch.
According to People, the document was filed on Friday at the Los Angeles county superior court.
Pitt and Jolie previously co-owned Miraval but Jolie was said to have sold her half to the Russian oligarch Pitt described as a “stranger”.
In Pitt’s latest court filing, he claimed the actress “intentionally” sought to inflict harm on him by selling her interests.
The actor said they had agreed to never sell their respective interests in the business without the other’s consent.
He said Jolie planned to sell her interests in October to Tenute del Mondo, a firm he said is “bent on taking control of Miraval” and is “indirectly owned and controlled by Yuri Shefler, the Russian billionaire who controls the Stoli Group.”
“Jolie pursued and then consummated the purported sale in secret, purposely keeping Pitt in the dark, and knowingly violating Pitt’s contractual rights,” the filing from Pitt’s legal team was quoted as reading in part.
Pitt’s legal team further said Jolie’s business Nouvel owed Pitt’s company Mondo Bongo the right of first refusal.
He said the sale infringed on that right.
Pitt’s team said Shefler launched a hostile takeover of Miraval and is trying to get ahold of “confidential and proprietary information for the benefit of his competing enterprise.”
The filing also accused Shefler of having “cutthroat business tactics” that jeopardizes the reputation of Miraval.
“Jolie has sought to force Pitt into partnership with a stranger, and worse yet, a stranger with poisonous associations and intentions,” the filing further read.
It is understood that Pitt is seeking damages in an undisclosed amount and the nullification of the sale by Jolie.
Jolie, who filed for divorce in 2016, was previously cleared to sell her share of their estate last September.
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