Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie winery sale dispute: What’s all this talk about gag orders?

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's legal battle over their French winery, Château Miraval, has taken a new turn, with the focus shifting to non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) or gag orders.

Recently, Jolie's lawyers filed a motion alleging a history of physical abuse by Pitt prior to their 2016 split.

They claimed the abuse used to take place even before the family's September 2016 plane trip from France to Los Angeles, which marked the first time he allegedly turned his physical abuse on the children as well.

The legal document added that this “pattern” had factored into her decision to sell her winery shares.

Jolie's legal team also claims that Pitt had prohibited her from selling her shares in the winery until she signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).

According to legal documents reported on by the Mirror, Angelina said the NDA was "designed to limit [her] freedom to speak" due to its "restrictive language."

Meanwhile, Pitt's representatives have denied the new abuse claims, calling them a "distraction" from the lawsuit's core issue: a breach of agreement.

They argue Jolie violated their initial agreement by selling her shares without Pitt's consent.

Brad Pitt’s lawyers have also reportedly filed a motion in which they said that when the couple were divorcing, Angelina's team had "proposed an even broader, mutual non-disparagement clause."

They also requested details on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) Jolie used with past employees.

Brad Pitt’s lawyers aim to show that the gag order that he had asked for was not more restrictive nor unreasonable compared to the NDAs that Jolie routinely asks other people to sign.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie entered into a relationship in 2005.

They had bought the French winery, Château Miraval, in 2008. It was the venue of their wedding in August 2014.

‘Brangelina’ split up in 2016 and later in 2021 Jolie reportedly sold her shares to a Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler sparking off the litigation between the former couple.