Years after their high-profile split made headlines around the world, the legal ties between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie remain far from over. While their divorce was finalized in late 2024, disputes connected to their former shared business interests continue to spark fresh courtroom developments across multiple states.
The latest update comes from the long-running battle over Château Miraval, the French winery and estate once jointly owned by the former couple. This time, Pitt has secured a favorable ruling in a case linked directly to Jolie’s controversial sale of her stake in the property.
Michigan Court Orders Key Deposition to Be Redone
According to court documents, a judge in Michigan has officially ordered Todd Culyba, the former General Counsel of the Stoli Group, to return for additional deposition testimony. The decision stems from a deposition conducted in December, during which Culyba reportedly declined to answer 33 separate questions concerning Jolie’s 2021 sale of her ownership stake in Château Miraval to Tenute del Mondo, a subsidiary associated with the Stoli Group.
Pitt’s legal team has been aggressively seeking information about how the transaction was structured and the exact involvement of Yuri Shefler, the Russian billionaire businessman behind the Stoli Group. The judge ruled that attorney-client privilege could not be used to shield answers relating to the purely commercial and business aspects of the deal. As a result, Culyba must appear again to respond to the previously unanswered questions, alongside any relevant follow-ups.
The Winery Dispute Core:
The legal warfare dates back to 2022 when Pitt filed a lawsuit alleging that Jolie sold her interest in Château Miraval without his approval. Pitt claims the duo shared a binding agreement requiring mutual consent before any sale. Jolie has consistently denied that any such agreement existed, labeling the litigation part of a broader personal campaign.
A Mixed Bag of Multi-State Rulings
The Michigan breakthrough comes shortly after Jolie scored a legal victory of her own in California. Earlier this month, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge denied Pitt’s request to gain discovery access to a collection of private emails tied to the winery sale, concluding there was insufficient legal basis to override attorney-client protections.
Following that decision, Jolie’s attorney, Paul Murphy, described the outcome as a significant win, stating that Pitt’s efforts to obtain the documents went beyond acceptable legal boundaries. However, the California ruling was issued without prejudice, meaning Pitt’s lawyers could legally revisit the matter in the future if they present a altered legal argument.
Fresh Trademark Trouble: The “Beau D” Battle
Away from the Miraval dispute, Pitt is simultaneously navigating an entirely separate, unexpected legal challenge involving his cosmetic endeavors. Multiple business filings indicate that Malibu-based skincare brand Beau D noted for its high-end, intimate male grooming products has filed a lawsuit against Pitt over the branding of his luxury skincare label, Beau Domaine.
- The Infringement Claim: Beau D founder Brandon Palas alleges that the branding is too similar to his company’s identity and creates widespread marketplace confusion.
- The Rebrand Catalyst: The dispute surfaced after Pitt’s vineyard-inspired skincare venture transitioned its name from its original moniker, Le Domaine, to Beau Domaine.
- The Demands: Seeking more than $75,000 in damages, the lawsuit requests an immediate injunction to prevent Pitt’s company from using the name moving forward.
Children Distance Themselves From Pitt Surname
As the legal entanglements intensify, public attention has increasingly shifted toward the former couple’s children, several of whom have taken active steps to distance themselves from the Pitt surname:
- Maddox Chivan: Has filed official paperwork seeking to legally change his name to Maddox Chivan Jolie.
- Shiloh: Legally dropped “Pitt” from her surname immediately after turning 18.
- Vivienne & Zahara: Vivienne was recently credited as Vivienne Jolie in Broadway promotional materials for The Outsiders, while Zahara publicly introduced herself solely by her mother’s maiden name during a university event.