Brad Pitt has criticized Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler over his bid to buy Angelina Jolie's share of their Chateau Miravel winery.
Pitt, 60, nearing divorce from Jolie, 48, contested the sale of her stake to Shefler for $64 million in 2021, sparking a legal battle over the French vineyard located in southeastern France.
In legal documents obtained by The Sun, the actor claims he felt threatened to cooperate in a partnership with Stoli vodka billionaire Shefler over the winery.
Pitt alleges Shefler "secretly" bought into the business and announced a "partnership" with him.
"Shefler personally took action to foster his supposed partnership with Pitt after the transaction closed, writing Pitt repeatedly to bully him into going along," the legal documents state.
"Since acquiring Nouvel, Shefler has suggested a meeting between himself and Pitt to ‘discuss the way forward," the legal filing noted.
"At times, Shefler expressed his fervent desire to work with Pitt. At others, he threatened Pitt based on drummed-up charges of mismanagement at Miraval."
Pitt's lawyers outlined these claims in a filing at the Los Angeles Superior Court earlier this month. He asserted Jolie's 2021 deal violated her prior agreement to give him the opportunity to buy her stake first.
In February 2022, Pitt filed a lawsuit against Jolie regarding the sale of Nouvel and its 50% share in Chateau Miraval to a Shefler-controlled business group. In September of the same year, Nouvel countered with a cross-complaint against Pitt, seeking $350 million in damages.
Shefler, whose business empire includes the Stolichnaya vodka brand, sought to profit from the star's "Hollywood celebrity" by acquiring his stake in the winery, according to Pitt's legal team.
The new court documents allege the businessman wanted to "elbow his way into a partnership between Pitt and Jolie — two California-based celebrities — in order to profit from Pitt’s fame."
Shefler argued the California court lacks jurisdiction to conduct a full trial on the matter.