According to People , citing California court documents, a judge has approved Brad Pitt's request to compel key members of the Stoli Group beverage conglomerate to testify. The actor argues that these investors possessed direct information about Jolie's secret sale of her estate stake to Tenute del Mondo (a Stoli subsidiary) in 2021.
Previously, the confrontation escalated when Alexey Oliynik, a senior executive at Stoli, refused to provide documents and cooperate with the questioning, citing his residence in Switzerland . However, the latest ruling requires Oliynik and representatives from Nouvel (Jolie's former company) to appear in London by September 30th to fulfill their legal obligations.
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Brad Pitt has won the legal battle with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie over the Château Miraval castle. Photo: The Standard . |
Notably, the California Court of Appeals also reversed a previous decision concerning Yuri Shefler, the Russian -born billionaire who heads the Stoli Group. Although Shefler maintained he played only a "minimal role" in the transaction, the court stated: "It is absurd for a shrewd businessman like Shefler to risk nearly $40 million on a deal in which he knew nothing and had no involvement."
The hearing to compel the billionaire to give testimony will take place on July 8th.
A source close to Brad Pitt shared: "This victory is a big step towards transparency. Shefler was the partner Jolie chose, even though she knew Brad would never want him involved in the business." The source added that Jolie had initially agreed to give Pitt "first-mover rights," but ultimately secretly sold it to a third party.
Conversely, Angelina Jolie's lawyers stated that the new ruling "does not affect the core of the case." The actress is now simply looking forward to her court date next year to end all disputes and allow her children to focus on healing from their trauma.
The Maleficent actress countered that she chose Stoli purely because they were an excellent global distribution partner, helping to develop her children's future inheritance. "The truth is, Brad Pitt's ego and obsession with control got in the way. Brad refused to partner with Stoli simply because Angie chose them, not him," a source close to Jolie emphasized.
Back in December 2024, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt ended their two-year marriage and eight-year legal battle. In June 2016, Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt. Throughout this period, the two stars were constantly in dispute. Business Insider estimated that each of them spent more than $1 million on this battle, including legal fees, consultant fees, media coverage, and the complex procedures related to property disputes.
Source: https://znews.vn/brad-pitt-thang-angelina-jolie-post1663283.html
