Brad Pitt is pushing to have Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler legally questioned as part of his ongoing legal dispute with ex-wife Angelina Jolie over the French winery Chateau Miraval. According to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail, the 62-year-old actor has asked a judge to compel Shefler to appear for a remote deposition.
Pitt and Jolie, 50, have been embroiled in a dispute since 2022 when Pitt sued Jolie for selling her half of the winery, which they purchased jointly in 2008, without his consent. Jolie sold her stake to Shefler, the owner of Stoli's parent company, for $67 million in 2021, a move Pitt argues violated their agreement that neither would sell without the other's approval.
In the new filing, Pitt claims Shefler has refused to sit for a deposition but alleges he has 'learned that the transaction was orchestrated by, and closed at the behest of' Shefler. Pitt's legal team argues that emails show direct contact between Shefler and Jolie regarding the purchase, making his knowledge relevant to the case. Shefler has reportedly resisted the request on grounds of being a Swiss resident.
This development follows a significant legal victory for Pitt in December 2025, when a Los Angeles judge ordered Jolie to hand over 22 documents, including emails and texts with her aides concerning the sale. The judge gave Jolie 45 days to comply, rejecting her claims that the documents were covered by non-disclosure agreements. A source close to Pitt said the emails would prove Jolie had been 'disingenuous since the start' regarding the sale.
The bitter legal battle over Chateau Miraval, a 1,000-acre estate valued at $164 million where the couple married in 2014, continues to escalate as both sides seek to uncover evidence in the dispute.
