Brad Pitt is asking a court to grant him access to private messages involving his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, as their legal fight over the French winery Château Miraval continues.
According to recent court documents, the actor has filed a motion requesting that Alexei Oliynik of the Stoli Group turn over his communications with Jolie and agree to sit for a deposition, per Vulture. Pitt's legal team is also asking the court to compel Oliynik’s cooperation.
In the filing, dated June 30, Pitt claims he attempted to resolve the matter directly with Oliynik, but those efforts stalled.
Oliynik, a Swiss national, has allegedly declined to participate, citing legal protections in Switzerland that prevent foreign nationals from being compelled to travel to California for legal proceedings, per PEOPLE.
However, Pitt’s attorneys argue that this reasoning doesn’t apply in this case, as they are only asking for a remote deposition to be conducted in Oliynik’s country of residence.
Jolie and Pitt purchased Château Miraval together during their relationship. But after their split, Jolie sold her stake in the winery, a move Pitt has claimed was meant to spite him during their contentious divorce, Vanity Fair wrote.
In 2022, he sued her over the sale, which transferred her ownership to Tenute del Mondo, a subsidiary of the Stoli Group, according to News.com.au.
Pitt now alleges that Oliynik played a central role in that deal, acting under the direction of his boss, Stoli Group chief Yuri Shefler. In the court filing, Pitt describes Oliynik as a “key operative” in the transaction and “one of this lawsuit’s most important witnesses.” So far, the judge has not ruled on the motion.
A source close to Pitt’s legal team told Page Six that the request goes beyond Oliynik and targets Stoli Group’s broader involvement in what they see as non-compliance.
“This isn’t just about Alexei,” the source said. “It’s about Stoli as a whole.”
Another insider added that Pitt’s legal team felt they had no choice but to escalate the issue: “Stoli has repeatedly avoided or challenged court rulings related to evidence and has failed to follow standard legal procedures.”
No trial date has been scheduled yet in the high-stakes dispute over the winery.
Pitt and Jolie began dating in 2004, marrying in 2014 before separating in 2016. Their divorce was finalized in December 2024 after a protracted eight-year legal battle, per Glamour.
Now in a relationship with jewelry executive Ines de Ramon, ELLE details, Pitt is reportedly still grappling with the fallout of his breakup with Jolie; particularly the strained relationships with their six children: Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 20, Shiloh, 19, and 16-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox.