Angelina Jolie is said to be trying to harm her business with ex-husband Brad Pitt by selling shares of the Chateau Miraval vineyard to rival company Tenute del Mondo.
It is known, last October, Jolie sold her shares to Tenute del Mondo, a subsidiary of the Stoli Group owned by Russian-born conglomerate Yuri Shefler.
As a result, she was sued by Brad Pitt in February, marking the latest chapter in a bitter legal battle between the former couple who had filed for divorce in 2016.
Chateau Miraval is a home and winery located in the south of France. Chateau Miraval was bought by Pitt and Jolie when they were still a couple, and the location was even used as a place for the two to get married.
Brad Pitt said they had agreed never to sell their business without each other's consent and accused Jolie of seeking unseen profits.
In the lawsuit, Pitt's attorneys argued that Jolie attempted to harm Pitt through the sale of the shares and described Shefler as "a stranger with toxic associations and intentions".
Documents received by a Los Angeles court on Friday also accused Shefler of having personal and professional relationships with people in Vladimir Putin's circle.
Shefler is known as a vocal critic of Putin and the Latvia-based conglomerate Stoli Group.
"Since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, insurance company Miraval has asked for assurances that Shefler is not allied with Putin and that affiliation with Stoli will not pose a commercial risk," the document said.
In fact, in March or after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Shelfer had issued a statement that he had been exiled from Russia since 2002 for his opposition to Putin and changed the name of his company to "solidarity with Ukraine".
In addition, Pitt's recent lawsuit claims Stoli vodka is synonymous with Russia. /Between
