Angelina Jolie Must Produce Years’ Worth of NDAs, Judge Rules in Brad Pitt Winery Court Case

Brad Pitt called the ruling a “significant blow” to Jolie’s reputation and her lawyers said they were “delighted” to hand over the documents.

Angelina Jolie; Brad Pitt.

 NDA Dispute Erupts in Jolie-Pitt Winery Battle

A recent court ruling has ignited a new wrinkle in the ongoing legal battle between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt over their co-owned French winery, Château Miraval. Judge Lia Martin of the Los Angeles Superior Court has ordered Jolie to produce eight years’ worth of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) as part of Pitt’s legal challenge.

According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Pitt’s legal team believes these NDAs are “highly relevant” to Jolie’s justifications for selling her shares in the winery. They argue that disclosure of these agreements will shed light on the validity of her claims.

A source close to Pitt views the ruling as a significant victory, calling it “a strong statement challenging” Jolie’s arguments and demanding “actual facts” to support her position. This source further claims that Jolie and her team have unnecessarily personalized a business dispute and are now facing consequences for their actions.

However, Jolie’s attorney, Paul Murphy, maintains a confident stance. He emphasizes their willingness to comply with the court order and downplays the significance of the NDAs. Murphy argues that these are standard agreements, unlike the “last-minute” NDA Pitt allegedly requested “to try and cover up his personal misconduct.” He finds satisfaction in the court acknowledging the potential relevance of these documents to the “unconscionability” of Pitt’s actions, which Murphy highlights as a key issue in the case.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt; Château Miraval.

JASON LAVERIS/FILMMAGIC, MICHEL GANGNE/AFP VIA GETTY

Murphy says the ruling “opens the door to discovery on all issues related to Pitt’s abuse” and “we welcome that transparency in all parties’ discovery responses.”

“Angelina looks forward to the eventual end of this litigation with its false narratives that continue to hurt the family and interfere with their ability to heal,” concludes Murphy.

In his previous action, Pitt’s legal team accused Jolie, 48, of having “refused to produce any documents other than those (if any) concerning such an agreement between” herself and Pitt, 60. The request also included “any NDA between Jolie and any third party with whom she is in a relationship or who has assisted with the care of the couple’s children.”

The Thursday order document reads, “The production is limited in scope of time to calendar years 2014 through February 17, 2022 (when this action was filed),” with Martin dismissing Jolie’s objections that her own NDAs had no relevance.

The order comes amid the exes’ ongoing legal battle over Château Miraval. Lawyers for Pitt recently submitted to L.A. Superior Court a declaration from security company owner Tony Webb, who worked for Jolie, from 2000 to 2020; he claims he was fired by Jolie, but still currently works for Pitt.

In his 12-page statement, Webb claimed a Jolie aide named Michael Vieira called him and tried to enlist his help to dissuade two bodyguard who’d worked for Jolie via Webb’s company SRS Global from testifying in her separate custody battle with Pitt over their children, half of whom have now reached legal age.

Brad Pitt; Angelina Jolie.MIKE MARSLAND/WIREIMAGE; MIKE MARSLAND/WIREIMAGE

Murphy, Jolie’s attorney, said in a previous statement, “Mr. Pitt’s continued attempt to equate common NDAs for security personnel and housekeepers covering confidential information employees learn at work, with him demanding an expanded NDA to ensure the continued coverup of his deplorable actions remains shameful.”

“This case is not about NDAs in general, but about power and control,” continued Murphy at the time. “All Angelina has ever wanted was separation and health, with positive relationships between all members of their family, including Mr. Pitt. She looks forward to the day when he is finally able to let her go.”

Pitt’s lawyers submitted the declaration from Webb in an effort to illustrate that Jolie herself used the kind of NDAs that she objected to sign when the Bullet Train actor was ready to buy her out of the wine business in 2021.

“Her hook is to allege that she was justified in terminating an imminent deal for Pitt to purchase her interest in Château Miraval, and in doing so breach her obligations not to sell to a stranger without his consent, because Pitt’s lawyers asked for an NDA to be included in the deal papers,” his lawyers wrote.

They added, “The extent of Jolie’s reliance on NDAs will help establish that Jolie was experienced with NDAs and understood their legitimate business purposes and undermine Jolie’s claim that Pitt and Perrin’s proposal of a standard NDA with a broad carve-out for legal proceedings was ‘unconscionable’ and ‘against public policy.'”