The legal war between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt over their French winery, Château Miraval, has intensified. The latest dispute centers on a demand from Pitt for Jolie’s personal tax records from the years immediately following their split.

Pitt has requested that Jolie hand over her tax returns and financial documents from 2017 to 2019. He argues these records are crucial to the case because of claims Jolie has made regarding her financial situation and the reasons behind her sale of the winery.

Jolie Refuses to Hand Over Records

Jolie is pushing back against this demand. Her legal team has filed documents asking the court to reject Pitt’s request, accusing him of taking her previous statements out of context. They argue that Pitt is misrepresenting her words to support his case.

The core of the dispute lies in Jolie’s statement that she sold her share of Château Miraval to achieve "financial independence." Pitt’s lawyers claim this statement makes her financial condition a key issue in the lawsuit. However, Jolie’s team clarifies she was talking about separating her money and life from her ex-husband, not a general financial struggle.

"In this context, 'financial independence' was simply about untangling her life from Brad’s," a legal source familiar with the case explained. "She was looking to separate her finances, not suggesting she was in dire straits."

The Battle Over Château Miraval

The fight over tax records is just the latest chapter in the ex-couple’s long-running legal battle over the French estate and winery they once co-owned. Pitt first filed the lawsuit in 2022 after Jolie sold her stake in the winery to Yuri Shefler, a Russian billionaire.

Pitt claims the couple had an agreement that neither would sell their share without the other's permission. He contends Jolie broke that pact when she sold to Shefler without his approval. Jolie has denied this claim, stating she did not need Pitt's consent for the sale.

Arguments Over Financial Motives

Pitt’s legal team argues that Jolie’s tax records from 2017-2019 are vital to test her claim that she had no other financial choice but to sell her share of the winery. They point to her reported $33 million earnings for the film Maleficent, which made her one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood that year, as evidence that her claims of limited options should be scrutinized.

Jolie’s lawyers have countered by offering to share her tax records from 2020 and 2021 instead. They argue that providing documents from the earlier period is an unnecessary invasion of her privacy and that Pitt's team is attempting to create a misleading narrative. A judge has yet to decide on the matter, and the case is expected to head to trial next year. The divorce was finalized in December 2024, but this property dispute continues to keep the former couple in court.