In a significant legal development, Angelina Jolie has been ordered by a Los Angeles Superior Court to turn over all non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) she has signed in the past eight years. This ruling is a major twist in her ongoing legal dispute with Brad Pitt over their $500 million French winery, Chateau Miraval, as reported by Page Six.
The court’s decision requires Jolie to produce all non-privileged documents in her possession, custody, or control within the next month, responding to requests from Pitt’s legal team. A source close to Pitt described this ruling as a “crushing blow” to Jolie, who had argued that providing the NDAs would be “expensive,” “wasteful,” and “unreasonable,” as well as an “invasion of privacy” for third parties involved.
The documents likely include NDAs related to Hollywood employers, brands, and personal staff, potentially containing sensitive information about Jolie’s compensation and contracts. The court’s order also mandates that Jolie provide a list of any documents she considers privileged, allowing Pitt’s team to evaluate her claims of privilege.
The legal battle between the Oscar-winning couple has extended beyond their divorce, particularly focusing on the Chateau Miraval winery. Jolie’s legal team has accused Pitt of trying to control her through an overreaching NDA, which she claimed was intended to cover Pitt’s personal misconduct unrelated to the winery. This dispute reportedly prevented an agreement for Jolie to sell her stake in the winery to Pitt, leading her to sell her shares to a subsidiary of the Stoli Group instead. Pitt has contested this sale, alleging that Jolie acted unfairly by finalizing the deal without his consent.
A source aligned with Pitt noted that this ruling represents another pre-trial victory for him. However, Jolie’s attorney, Paul Murphy, viewed the decision differently, stating, “Common NDAs are simply not comparable to Mr. Pitt’s last-second demand to try and cover up his personal misconduct.” He emphasized the significance of the court’s acknowledgment of the NDAs’ potential relevance to the case, hinting at broader implications for Pitt’s conduct.
Murphy added, “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.”
Despite the court’s order, a source close to Jolie assured that the NDAs are unlikely to be exposed during the trial.
