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Angelina Jolie has opened up about the "emotionally difficult" period surrounding her divorce from Brad Pitt and the ongoing legal dispute over their shared French winery, Château Miraval. In a personal declaration submitted to a California court on October 9, Jolie revealed that she and her six children—Maddox, 24; Pax, 21; Zahara, 20; Shiloh, 19; and twins Vivienne and Knox, 17—"have never again set foot on the property, given its connection to the painful events leading to the divorce."
Jolie, 50, explained that upon filing for divorce in 2016, she left Pitt control "(and full residency) of our family homes in Los Angeles and at Miraval, without compensation, which I hoped would make him calmer in his dealings with me after a difficult and traumatic period." She described the divorce as a "traumatic period" and said the separation disrupted her children's lives.
The actress recounted that post-separation she sought a new home for herself and her children, initially renting while looking for a stable solution. She also explained that much of her savings were invested in Miraval and that she had not requested alimony or any other financial assistance from Pitt.
In 2017, Jolie and Pitt engaged in intermittent discussions about him purchasing her shares in Château Miraval. Jolie found these talks emotionally challenging because of her strong connection to the family home and the way their relationship had ended. The winery had been one of their first major joint investments and held significant family memories, including their marriage, part of her pregnancy, and bringing their twins home from the hospital.
Jolie said Pitt eventually offered to purchase her shares on the condition that she agree to an "expanded NDA," which she alleged would "silence" her from speaking about the events leading to their divorce. "As the mother of our children, as well as an advocate for victims of violence around the world, I found his demand extremely painful. I could not agree to this coercive demand," Jolie wrote, and she subsequently sold her shares to Stoli Group's Tenute del Mondo in 2021.
The legal dispute continues, with Pitt filing a lawsuit claiming Jolie sold her interest without his permission, while she filed a countersuit. Jolie is also seeking over $33,000 in legal fees after Pitt requested, she turn over private communications related to their dispute.
