The bitter battle between Hollywood exes Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie over their $500 million French winery has taken an unexpected turn. The dispute now hinges on a mere $1, or 1 euro to be exact. This seemingly insignificant sum was the amount Pitt transferred to Jolie when he gave her an additional 10% of the vineyard just before they got married in 2014, making them equal 50/50 partners.
However, Pitt’s lawyers are now arguing that Jolie never paid the 1 euro bill, and they also claim that it did not reflect the fair market value of the property. As a result, they are requesting the court to invalidate Jolie’s sale of her half of the vineyard to the wine division of Stoli Group. The disputed shares are currently tied up in escrow while an outside party reviews the debts.
Interestingly, selling a property for $1 is not uncommon and is often seen as a symbolic transfer of ownership, especially within families. For tax purposes, such transactions are usually considered gifts. Jolie’s team is perplexed by Pitt’s legal tactic, questioning whether the payment was even made and suggesting that it is irrelevant.
In the ongoing legal battle between the exes, Jolie has filed a motion in California, asking for documents related to an alleged nondisclosure agreement that Pitt demanded. She claims that this agreement prevented her from selling her shares in the winery to him. Pitt, on the other hand, asserts that Jolie reneged on their exclusive buyout negotiations and sold her shares to Stoli without his consent.
The $1 euro question remains unresolved, and it is expected that the Luxembourg proceedings will take about a year before a ruling is made. Jolie’s recent filing also brings up abuse allegations against Pitt, stating that he turned his physical abuse on their children during a plane trip in 2016, leading to their separation.
Pitt’s side has dismissed Jolie’s claims as attempts to distract from legal losses and has emphasized that the nondisclosure clause is standard. Pitt himself has denied the abuse allegations in the past. The battle over their winery continues, with millions of dollars and their reputations at stake. Only time will reveal the final outcome of this high-stakes dispute.
