Brad Pitt Scores Major Victory in Winery War Against Ex Angelina Jolie as Secretive Vodka Billionaire Who Bought Her Stake Must Face Him in Court
Brad Pitt just scored a legal win in his winery war with Angelina Jolie.
June 25 2026, Published 7:40 p.m. ET
Brad Pitt has chalked up a major win in his bitter legal war with ex-wife Angelina Jolie, paving the way for a face-to-face showdown with the Russian-born businessman who bought her share of their sprawling French winery, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Yuri Shefler claimed he had no significant role in his company's $64 purchase of Jolie's 50 percent share of the wines from Château Miraval, but the California Court of Appeals now says the billionaire head of the Stoli Group can be hauled into a state court and deposed by Pitt's lawyers.
Angelina Jolie Sold Her Share Of Winery to Be 'Spiteful' to Brad Pitt
Pitt sued after Jolie sold her share of their Château Miraval winery to the Stoli Group.
Pitt was initially interested in purchasing Jolie's share of their winery in 2021 following their bitter 2016 split, but talks broke down. In July of that year, a California judge cleared the way for the Wanted actress to sell her stake, and Pitt was furious when he found out who the buyer was.
"Angelina knew Brad didn’t want to sell her share of Miraval to Shefler, and she had agreed with Brad that he would have first right of refusal. So selling to Shefler behind Brad’s back was spiteful," an insider said about the Maleficent star's decision.
"This was payback after the custody dispute," the source claimed, referring to the battle over their former couple's six children following their split in 2016.
"And now Shefler will have to divulge what really happened behind the scenes and how the deal was orchestrated," the insider noted about how the oligarch will have to fess up in court about how much he was involved in the sale.
Yuri Shefler's Actions in Angelina Jolie Sale 'Defied Credulity'
Yuri Shefler allegedly guaranteed Jolie nearly $40 million of his own money in the winery sale.
"It defies credulity that Shefler, a sophisticated businessman, would risk almost $40 million on a transaction about which he knew nothing and with which he had no involvement," the court wrote in its unanimous ruling on June 24, saying that the liquor king "purposefully availed himself" of California jurisdiction.
The lower court had initially sided with Shefler, ruling that because the negotiations took place between European representatives of his company regarding a French vineyard, California courts lacked jurisdiction over him.
The new ruling blew that argument apart, pointing to evidence that Shefler personally guaranteed $39million of his own money to bankroll Jolie's installment payments.
Russian Oligarch Thanks Angelina Jolie for Winery Share Sale
Shefler told the actress that 'Miraval is safe with me' in a correspondence
In one correspondence, Shefler personally assured Jolie "that Miraval is safe with me" and thanked the star for her "trust in me and my company."
"I would also like to thank you for your willingness to assist in resolving potential issues with the remaining shareholders of the company," he added, seemingly pointing to Pitt.
Shefler went on to describe the sale as a "unique transaction, and in certain respects, it is not as straightforward as we would all like it to be."
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's Winery War Still Heading to Trial
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Pitt is seen in a 2023 champagne promotion for Fleur de Miraval.
The Seven actor fired back at the blockbuster sale to Stoli in February 2022, launching legal offensives in both California and France in a bid to unravel Jolie's deal, which began years of legal wranglings.
In 2024, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge shot down Jolie's three attempts to have the case tossed, clearing the path for the bitter winery war to eventually head to trial.
Most recently, Pitt suffered a setback in May after a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled he could not compel Jolie to hand over a cache of private emails tied to their winery war, finding he had "not met the burden" to override her attorney-client privilege.
The case involving the now estimated $164million winery operation is still headed for trial on February 1, 2027, but a mediation session was ordered for this October.
