In a significant turn of events, Angelina Jolie has been ordered by the Los Angeles Superior Court to hand over all non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) she has signed over the past eight years. This development is part of the ongoing legal conflict with Angelina Jolie’s ex-husband Brad Pitt, centering around the ownership of their $500 million French winery, Chateau Miraval.
The court’s decision requires Jolie, known for her role in “Maleficent,” to produce all non-privileged documents within the next month. These documents, which are under her possession, custody, or control, are in response to requests from Pitt’s legal team.
A source close to Pitt described the ruling as a significant setback for Jolie. She had previously argued that providing the NDAs would be expensive, wasteful, and unreasonable, as well as an invasion of privacy for the third parties involved.
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The documents in question are believed to include NDAs related to Hollywood employers, brands, and personal staff, potentially revealing sensitive information about Jolie’s compensation and contractual agreements.
Additionally, the court has instructed Jolie to compile a list of any documents she deems privileged, allowing Pitt’s team to assess her privilege claims.
The legal dispute between the Oscar-winning couple has extended beyond their divorce, with particular focus on the Chateau Miraval winery. Jolie’s legal team has accused Pitt of trying to exert control over her through an extensive NDA, which she claims was meant to conceal Pitt’s personal misconduct unrelated to the winery.
This conflict reportedly disrupted a potential agreement for Angelina Jolie to sell her stake in the winery to Brad Pitt, leading her to instead sell her shares to a subsidiary of the Stoli Group. Pitt has contested this sale, alleging that Jolie acted unfairly by finalizing the deal without his consent.
A source aligned with Pitt suggested that this ruling represents another pre-trial victory for him. However, Jolie’s attorney, Paul Murphy, offered a different perspective, stating that common NDAs are not comparable to what he described as Pitt’s last-minute demand to cover up his personal misconduct.
Murphy emphasized that the court’s recognition of the NDAs’ potential relevance to the case is crucial and hinted at broader implications regarding Pitt’s conduct. He stated, “We welcome that transparency in all parties’ discovery responses, including Mr. Pitt’s. 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.”
According to a source close to Jolie, the NDAs are unlikely to be revealed during the trial, suggesting that this legal battle is far from over.