Angelina Jolie is reflecting on the painful period that led to her separation from Brad Pitt.
In court documents filed on Monday (Oct. 6) and reviewed by E! News, the actress opened up about why she and the six children she shares with Pitt haven’t returned to their former family home, Château Miraval, since their 2016 split. The revelation came amid the ongoing lawsuit Pitt filed against her in 2022 over the French winery they once co-owned.
“The events that led to my need to separate from my ex-husband were emotionally difficult for me and our children,” Jolie wrote in a declaration submitted to a California court. “When I filed for divorce, I left him control (and full residency) of our family homes in Los Angeles and at Miraval, without compensation, hoping it would make him calmer in his dealings with me after such a difficult and traumatic time.”
She continued, “To this day, the children and I have never returned to the property, as it’s tied to the painful events that led to the divorce.”
While Jolie didn’t go into detail about those events in her new filing, E! News noted that her original 2016 divorce filing alleged that Pitt had verbally and physically assaulted her and one of their children — claims Pitt has denied.
The former couple’s legal battle centers on Miraval, the French estate and winery they once shared. Jolie explained that in early 2017, she and Pitt engaged in “on-again, off-again discussions” about him buying her shares.
“These discussions were always difficult for me, given my deep emotional attachment to our family home and the way our relationship ended,” she shared. “Miraval was one of the first major investments we made together and became the heart of our family life. We were married there; I spent part of my pregnancy there, and it’s where I brought our twins home from the hospital.”
She added, “Having to abruptly let go of that home and those memories was painful, and it was especially hard on the children, whose lives were deeply disrupted.”
According to Jolie, Pitt later agreed to buy her shares only if she signed an expanded non-disclosure agreement that would prevent her from speaking about the events surrounding their separation.
“As the mother of our children and as an advocate for victims of violence worldwide, I found his demand extremely painful,” she stated, adding that she refused the condition.
Jolie eventually notified Pitt of her intent to sell her stake to a third party and finalized the sale with Stoli Group’s Tenute del Mondo in 2021. Pitt sued her the following year, claiming she sold her portion without his consent. Jolie countersued, and the legal fight continues.
As part of the case, the Fight Club actor has requested access to Jolie’s private messages, alleging they would prove she acted “with malice” in selling her shares. Jolie has pushed back, maintaining that those communications are protected under attorney-client privilege.
“I understand that Brad has filed a motion seeking to force me to hand over emails and documents that involve legal advice or strategy from my attorneys,” she wrote. “These were meant to be confidential communications.”
