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Lifestyle
A Michigan court has mandated a new deposition after ruling that Stoli Group attorneys improperly blocked testimony in the Château Miraval dispute between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
A Michigan court determined on May 28 that attorneys representing the Stoli Group wrongfully obstructed testimony during a deposition tied to the Château Miraval legal conflict involving Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The court identified 33 questions asked to former Stoli General Counsel Todd Culyba in December that were unjustly prevented.
The judge found that the inquiries regarding Yuri Shelfer, the ultimate beneficial owner of Stoli, related to business matters and did not fall under attorney-client privilege. This decision allows the court to examine these issues further. Consequently, Culyba is required to attend a new deposition to respond to the previously blocked questions as well as any additional questions from the Stoli legal team.
The case centers on the $164 million Château Miraval winery in France, co-owned by Pitt and Jolie. In 2022, Pitt initiated a lawsuit accusing Jolie of breaching their agreement by selling her share to Tenute del Mondo, a Stoli Group subsidiary. Jolie responded with a lawsuit accusing Pitt of conducting a “vindictive war” against her.
Documents show the trial is scheduled for February 1, 2027. Jolie has requested postponing the trial until November 2027, a motion opposed by Pitt, who favors a prompt resolution. Earlier this year, Jolie achieved a partial success when a Los Angeles judge denied Pitt’s motion to compel her to reveal private messages with her attorneys concerning the winery dispute, upholding that such communications are protected by attorney-client privilege.
