Judge Orders Messages Unsealed in Pitt-Jolie Case
Brad Pitt has secured a significant procedural victory in his long-running legal battle with ex-wife Angelina Jolie, after a Los Angeles judge ruled that previously sealed private messages tied to their Château Miraval dispute must be fully disclosed.
In a ruling delivered this week, Judge Lia Martin granted Pitt’s request to unseal unredacted emails and messages connected to Jolie’s legal strategy surrounding her 2021 sale of her stake in the French winery. The decision marks a notable development in the bitter legal fight that has dragged on for more than three years.
Court filings reveal that Pitt’s legal team argued the communications were improperly protected, despite involving non-attorney parties and therefore falling outside traditional legal privilege. Judge Martin agreed, ordering Jolie to produce the complete, unredacted versions of the messages.
The documents reportedly span several years, with some communications dating back as far as 2008. They were submitted quietly to the court over recent months but had remained partially blacked out until now. Under the ruling, Jolie’s legal team has 45 days to comply and hand over the full records.
Efforts to keep the documents sealed — including requests for protective sanctions — ultimately failed.
A Winery Dispute Turned Legal War
The ruling comes more than three years into the high-profile legal conflict over Château Miraval, the French estate once jointly owned by Pitt and Jolie and the site of their 2014 wedding. What began as a business disagreement has since escalated into a complex legal battle involving allegations of contract breaches, financial misconduct, and deeply personal claims.
At the heart of the case is Pitt’s assertion that Jolie violated an agreement between them by selling her ownership stake without his consent. Jolie has denied wrongdoing and has pushed back with her own legal claims.
Despite the recent ruling, the broader lawsuit is far from over. The case is not scheduled to go to trial until February 2027, leaving years of litigation still ahead.
Divorce Finalized, Legal Fallout Continues
Although Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie finalized their divorce in late 2024, their legal entanglements continue to reverberate through the courts. Once celebrated as one of Hollywood’s most influential power couples, the former spouses remain locked in a courtroom battle with no immediate resolution in sight.
As newly unsealed communications come into play, the outcome of the Miraval dispute could shift — potentially reshaping one of the most closely watched celebrity legal fights in recent years.
