Russian Oligarch Makes Bid to Escape Brad Pitt’s Lawsuit Against Ex-Wife Angelina Over $164 Million French Winery
Aug. 29 2023, Published 12:30 p.m. ET
The alleged Russian Oligarch being sued by Brad Pitt as part of the actor’s war with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie said he was never served — and claimed he has no responsibility to respond to a case being fought in America, RadarOnline.com has learned.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, Yuri Shefler has informed a Los Angeles Superior Court judge that he has no plans to respond to Pitt’s suit.
As we previously reported, last year, Pitt sued Jolie, Shefler, and his company Stoli Group. The actor claimed Jolie went behind his back and sold her stake in a $164 million French estate named Chateau Miraval — which he claimed broke an agreement they had to not sell their own separate interest without both parties approving of the deal.
The exes purchased the estate while married with the plan to pass it down to their kids. Pitt said he spent a substantial amount of time and money in turning the property into a successful wine business.
Chateau Miraval
The legal drama started in 2021 when Jolie came to her ex-husband and informed him, she wanted out of the alcohol business. She suggested they sell off the entire estate or her stake be bought out. The two negotiated a deal where Jolie would be paid $54 million. She claimed Pitt backed out of the deal after their custody battle turned nasty.
Jolie then sold her stake in Miraval to Stoli, which Pitt said was run by “Russian Oligarch” Shefler. He accused his ex of picking the company that had ties with Putin to tarnish the reputation of the business.
In addition, he claimed that Shefler and his team attempted a hostile takeover of the company. He demanded the sale be voided.
Jolie’s stake in the estate was held in a company named Nouvel. She sold Nouvel to Stoli. In response to the lawsuit, Nouvel filed a $250 million countersuit which accused Pitt and his team of misusing company assets.
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In addition, it accused Pitt of attempting to block Nouvel and Jolie from obtaining information about the company.
Nouvel also denied Shefler has ever had ties to Putin. The company argued the businessman had opposed the brutual leader for years.
Nouvel accused Pitt of making the false claims about Shelfer in an attempt to distract from his own public controversies.
Now, Shefler has filed a series of motions demanding to be excused from the suit. He argued he has no ties to California — where Pitt filed the case.
He said he is a resident of Switzerland. Further, the oligarch said he had “no direct involvement in negotiating the acquisition of Nouvel or in undertaking any of the actions that are alleged to form the basis for Plaintiff’s claims.”
Shefler said Pitt had a process server show up to a property he owns in London and serve him with the legal papers. Shefler said the service was “ineffective because” he doesn’t live at the home and service has to be done at a parties main residence.
The oligarch said Pitt’s “allegations against Shefler concern conduct in or directed toward Europe, not California, purportedly in violation of Luxembourg law and contractual obligations.”
As a result, Shefler argued he has never been served and has no duty to engage with the suit. A judge has yet to rule.
As RadarOnline.com first reported, Jolie wrote an emotional note to Pitt in 2021 when she made the decision to exit the business.
“I am putting this in writing so as not to get emotional,” she wrote. “I have reached a painful decision, with a heavy heart, that I want to share with you. You know how much I wanted to buy Miraval, as a family business, as a place for us to visit together, and as a place to hold diplomatic and humanitarian meetings. Above all, it is the place we brought the twins home to, and where we were married over a plaque in my mother’s memory. A place that held the promise of what could be and where I thought I would grow old. Even now impossible to write this without crying. I will treasure my memories of what it was a decade ago.”