Brad Pitt Hires Private Eye To Find Russian Oligarch Who He Claims Purchased Ex Angelina Jolie’s Share In $164M French Château
July 5 2022, Published 5:48 p.m. ET
Brad Pitt hired a private investigator to track down a Russian oligarch as part of his efforts to move his bitter lawsuit with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie forward, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Earlier this year, the actor sued his ex-wife after she sold her stake in their winery. Brad said the sale was invalid because they had agreed never to sell without the other’s approval.
The former couple purchased Chateau Miraval S.A. — a home and vineyard in the south of France — in 2008. Brad said he envisioned it as a family business for their children.
The Seven star said he poured money and sweat into the business and it grew into a multimillion-dollar global business.
After Angelina filed for divorce in 2016, Brad said his ex proposed paying him a substantial fee for his “day-to-day” management of the business. The negotiations over what to do with Miraval stalled after Brad said Angelina made “an unreasonable demand.”
In 2021, the talks resumed after Angelina said she wanted out of the business due to her personal objections to owning an alcohol company.
In his lawsuit, Brad said his ex said they could jointly sell off Miraval or have her shares purchased by a third-party. The Hollywood star said they started working on a deal but things turned sour after a decision came down in their custody battle.
Brad said after the court ruled in his favor Angelina and her team ceased negotiations over the vineyard. He claimed Angelina went back his back and sold her interest in Miraval to a company called Tenute del Mondo.
Tenute del Mondo is “indirectly owned and controlled” by a Russian oligarch named Yuri Shefler. Brad said he believed his ex sold it to Yuri to undermine his investment in the company.
Brad said Yuri and his team have attempted a hostile takeover of the business and even made various threats against him.
In a newly filed motion, Brad asked the judge for extra time to serve Yuri with the legal paperwork. He said the Russian oligarch lives in the United Kingdom which makes service difficult.
Brad said his team asked Tenute del Mondo’s lawyer for an address to serve Yuri but they have failed to hand one over. The actor revealed he hired a team of investigators to find the man with ties to Putin.
The motion said Brad is “diligently working to serve Defendants, including by working with investigators to determine Defendants’ addresses and with foreign law firms to facilitate service through the Hague Convention.”
A judge has yet to rule.
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As RadarOnline.com previously reported, sources close to Angelina accused Brad of creating a "false narrative" about his ex and said the "truth" behind the winery sale had yet to be made public.
