Celebrity couples have a way of staying in the headlines long after the romance fades. Just look at Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez or Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. That’s the case with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, whose years-long legal battle keeps dragging on even after finalizing their divorce in 2024. Now the ongoing fight over their French winery is back in the spotlight, and somehow, even the lawyers are catching a little shrapnel along the way.
Per a report from TMZ, the newest batch of filings isn’t just about the winery itself, but about when this case should actually go to trial. And that’s where things start to get a little sharp. Pitt’s team argues that time is a factor, noting that some witnesses are aging and that one has already passed away. They even go so far as to mention that one of Jolie’s attorneys has been practicing law since 1972.
That part, in particular, reads a little unnecessarily like a jab. I guess it’s the legal equivalent of catching a stray, where the focus briefly shifts from the case itself to how long the proceedings have been going on and how, let’s say, advanced in years Jolie’s legal team is.
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For those who may need a quick refresher, the dispute centers on Château Miraval, the $164 million French estate and winery the former couple once co-owned. Pitt sued Jolie in 2022, alleging she sold her stake in the property to a third party without his approval, which he claims disrupted a business he spent years building. Jolie, on the other hand, maintains she had every right to move forward with the sale.
Pitt is pushing for the trial to happen sooner rather than later, arguing that the ongoing dispute has prevented him from fully enjoying the property. In court filings, he claims he’s been deprived of the “quiet enjoyment” of the estate, which, considering the price tag and history attached to Miraval, is not exactly a small complaint.
Jolie’s side isn’t buying it, as her legal team argues there’s no real urgency here, and that moving the trial from the 2026 calendar schedule to slightly later, into September 2027, is more than reasonable. According to her filing, Pitt hasn’t presented concrete evidence showing that the legal situation is actually interfering with his ability to use the estate.
The Changeling actress’s response doesn’t directly engage with the comments about her legal team’s age. Still, her team does push back on another claim from Pitt’s side, specifically the idea that a later trial date would conflict with Jewish High Holidays. According to Jolie’s filing, Pitt didn’t actually identify any of his attorneys who would be affected, which undercuts the argument a bit.
A judge still hasn’t ruled on the competing timelines, and until that happens, the case continues to inch forward at its current pace. Meanwhile, the broader dispute over Miraval, and what happens next with the winery, remains unresolved. If the latest filings are any indication, this fight isn’t wrapping up anytime soon.