Random Fuzzy


(Updated Ver CCXCII)


As the FBI FOIA case goes, so apparently goes everything else.


Oct. 17, 2022,  Doe, DOJ-FBI Joint Status Report

The government indicated that the FBI plans to produce responsive documents in two tranches, the first in December 2022 (likely to be comprised of the results of the reprocessing) and the second in January 2023 (likely to be comprised of policies and written procedures).

Various filings since last year have mentioned the Plaintiffs' intention to file a 2nd amended complaint to help explain the delays.  Paul Murphy's Dec 12, 2023 opposition to request for informal discovery conference:

In particular, Pitt has indicated that he may file a further amended complaint which, by stipulation, is due January 9, 2023, and Jolie and the other defendants have filed demurrers that seek to dismiss the case in its entirety, which Jolie contends is not only baseless, but malicious and abusive. What happens on January 9, 2023, and how the Court rules on these demurrers, will have a dramatic impact on the scope of permissible discovery. The Court’s rulings on the motions to quash, which may add or subtract parties, and add or subtract claims and cross-claims, also will impact that scope.

The Jan 6, 2023  Doe, DOJ-FBI Joint Status Report stated

Consistent with the parties’ last joint status report, the FBI reprocessed 136 pages and released 108 pages in full and in part to Plaintiff via Fed-Ex, dated December 28, 2022, which counsel for Plaintiff received on or about January 4, 2023. The FBI anticipates that the second and final release of approximately 167 pages of records will occur no later than January 31, 2023. The parties will continue to confer over any outstanding issues, including Plaintiff’s concerns regarding the adequacy of Defendants’ productions and withholdings. The parties propose filing an update with the Court by February 15, 2023, apprising the Court as to what issues remain

The Motion to Compel vs. Angelina (which replaced the request for IDC) was withdrawn Feb. 3 

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT Plaintiffs William B. Pitt and Mondo Bongo, LLC, upon further correspondence between the parties, hereby withdraw their Motion to Compel Production of Documents and Further Responses to Plaintiffs’ Amended First Set of Requests for the Production of Documents to Defendant Angelina Jolie (the “Motion”) filed on January 31, 2023 and noticed for hearing on February 27, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. in Department 16 of the above captioned court. Plaintiffs have cancelled the February 27, 2023 hearing reservation

On Feb. 15, 2023 Doe-DOJ filed a joint status report that stated:

The parties subsequently met and conferred on outstanding issues, including Plaintiff's concerns regarding the adequacy of Defendants’ searches. The parties are continuing to confer regarding these issues. The parties propose filing an update with the Court by March 29, 2023 apprising the Court as to what issues remain.

On March 20, 2023, an S&O in the Nouvel case stated

WHEREAS, the parties to this litigation are actively engaged in discussions that may narrow or streamline the issues in dispute in this litigation and in other pending litigation in foreign territories; and

In order to conserve judicial resources, the parties shall reschedule their reserved hearings on the following pending motions and demurrers through the Court’s CRS system, without prejudice:

3. The Case Management Conference currently scheduled for April 19, 2023, is continued until May 19, 2023, or as soon thereafter as is convenient for the Court.
4. Pursuant to Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 472(a) and the Order entered by the Court on May 9, 2022, Plaintiffs shall oppose Nouvel’s and Jolie’s demurrers or amend their complaint by May 15, 2023.
5. Plaintiffs shall demur or otherwise respond to Jolie’s Cross-Complaint by May 15, 2023.
6. Pursuant to Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 472(a), Nouvel shall oppose Plaintiffs’ demurrers or amend its Cross-Complaint by June 15, 2023.
7. All other upcoming deadlines set by the Order entered by the Court on January 26, 2023, shall be vacated.
8. All discovery obligations and deadlines, including any deadlines for the filing of a motion to compel or other, similar relief, shall be tolled from the date of filing of this Stipulation and Proposed Order through and until May 1, 2023.

On March 29, 2023, Doe, DOJ filed a joint status report that they would file an update by May 10, 2023. 
On May 10, 2023 the Doe-DOJ joint status report stated:

The parties are continuing to meet and confer regarding outstanding issues. The parties propose filing an update with the court by June 21, 2023, apprising the Court as to what issues remain.

On May 15 2023 they filed an S&O in the Nouvel case

WHEREAS, the parties to this litigation continue to actively engage in discussions that may narrow or streamline the issues in dispute in this litigation and in other pending litigation in foreign territories;
WHEREAS, in light of those ongoing discussions and the parties’ desire to conserve judicial resources, the parties have conferred regarding amendments to certain deadlines entered by the Court on March 20, 2023;
ORDER
The Case Management Conference currently scheduled for May 19, 2023, is continued until (entered by the court) August 2, 2023.
2. Pursuant to Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 472(a), and consistent with the Order entered by the Court on May 9, 2022, Plaintiffs shall oppose Nouvel’s and Jolie’s demurrers or amend their complaint by June 1, 2023.
3. Pursuant to Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 472(a), Nouvel shall oppose Cross-Defendants’ demurrers or amend its cross-complaint by June 23, 2023.
4. Plaintiffs shall demur or otherwise respond to Jolie’s cross-complaint by June 1, 2023.
5. All discovery obligations and deadlines, including any deadlines for the filing of a motion to compel or other, similar relief, shall continue to be tolled from the date of filing of the parties’ Stipulation and Proposed Order on March 7, 2023 through and until June 1, 2023.

The key dates for filings in the Nouvel case have been pushed back 2 weeks, while the next Doe-DOJ joint status report is consistent with the 42-day gap between previous status reports.  They can easily push back their filings but hearings set by the court like on the Order to Show Cause Re: Destruction of Documents Lodged In Support of the Reply Brief remains on June 7, 2023.


Brad is likely shouldering all the costs of everything that arose as a result of September, 2016.  So his lawyers have been doing all the work.  In the Nouvel case, they've dumped numerous, voluminous, superfluous filings.  They provide noise and activity to explain why the case remains "pending" over a year after it was filed, with discovery-related motions stretching to September, 2024.   As when they dragged their feet serving the complaint on Angelina, delay is the operative word.  If they were really trying to reverse Stoli's purchase of Nouvel they would be going in the opposite direction and speeding things up.


The hearing on the motion to compel vs. Alexey Oliynik was moved on Feb 28, the day before it was originally set to be heard on March 1. That has been their practice for everything except Angelina's which they withdrew quickly with a lot of time left.  A more significant difference is Angelina's hearing was completely cancelled, they didn't fool around pretending to postpone as they do with Oliynik.  They did not provide an explanation for withdrawing Angelina's beyond "upon further correspondence." The S&O for Oliynik said a bit more:

the parties to this litigation are actively engaged in discussions that may narrow or streamline the issues in dispute in this litigation and in other pending litigation in foreign territories.

WHEREAS, the parties wish to conserve judicial resources and do not wish to proceed with a hearing that may ultimately prove unnecessary;

The statement applies to all future proceedings.  They repeated it in the S&Os pushing back all the hearings and due dates.  It signals the entire wrangling's eventual, inevitable withdrawal.  And by extension, the false narrative's.


The filings re Oliynik were interesting for other reasons:

02/15/2023 Memorandum of Points & Authorities (-- Hrg. 03/01/23)
Filed by Alexey Oliynik (Defendant)

Defendant Alexey Oliynik respectfully submits this memorandum in opposition to Plaintiffs Brad Pitt and Mondo Bongo LLC’s motion to compel the production of certain documents in response to their requests for production regarding personal jurisdiction (the “Motion”). The Motion should be denied because Mr. Oliynik has agreed to produce all documents in his possession that could remotely relate to the question of whether this Court may exercise personal jurisdiction over him. Plaintiffs’ Motion is a serious overreach—seeking documents far outside the scope of materials that may be considered by the Court in considering jurisdiction—and is grounded on unsound legal theories that are contrary to California law. Moreover, Plaintiffs have already informed Mr. Oliynik that they intend to amend their complaint (for a second time) on March 8, 2023, in response to Defendant Nouvel’s pending demurrer, which will moot Mr. Oliynik’s pending motion to quash for lack of personal jurisdiction. Thus, Plaintiffs’ Motion must be seen for what it is: a fishing expedition designed to extract what they hope will be merits-based evidence to bolster what they implicitly admit is an infirm complaint.

At bottom, Plaintiffs seek to compel Mr. Oliynik to produce documents having nothing to do with whether he is properly subject to this Court’s jurisdiction. This Court should deny Plaintiffs’ attempt to do so.

Brill's reply to Oliynik was "Electronically FILED by Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles on 02/22/2023 08:31 PM David W. Slayton, Executive Officer/Clerk of Court, by J. So,Deputy Clerk."

The Court's submission page contains the following warning:

Attention!! Pressing the SUBMIT button on this screen commits this transaction. You will have no further opportunity to modify this transaction if you continue.

The court has very strict rules on filings

If—and only if—your e-filing mistake involves the unintended disclosure of confidential information, you may file a motion to remove a sensitive e-filed document. The Court views removing an e-filed document as a drastic measure or last resort reserved for documents whose contents are confidential.

Brill's reply brief included documents lodged under seal

Notice of Lodging

TO ALL PARTIES AND THEIR COUNSEL OF RECORD:
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE THAT pursuant to Paragraph 17 of the Protective Order entered in this case on December 9, 2022 and California Rule of Court 2.550(a)(3), Plaintiffs hereby lodge under seal the following documents, which contain materials and information designated as “Confidential” under the Protective Order and which were filed in connection with a discovery motion: Reply Brief in support of Plaintiffs’ Motion to Compel Alexey Oliynik to Produce Documents in Response to Plaintiffs’ First Set of Requests for Production; and Exhibits A and B to the Declaration of Laura W. Brill Filed in support of Reply Brief in support of Plaintiffs’ Motion to Compel.

Declaration of Laura Brill in support of Reply Brief

UNREDACTED VERSION FILED UNDER SEAL PURSUANT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER ¶ 17, FILED ON DEC. 9, 2022, AND CAL. RULE OF COURT 2.550(a)(3)
I, Laura W. Brill, declare as follows:
1. Attached hereto as Exhibit A is a true and correct copy of the Membership Interest Purchase Agreement entered into by Defendant Tenute del Mondo B.V. and Defendant Angelina Jolie.
2. Attached hereto as Exhibit B is a true and correct copy of the Exclusivity Agreement entered into by Defendant Tenute del Mondo B.V. and Defendant Angelina Jolie.
I declare under penalty of perjury under the law of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct.
Executed on this 22nd day of February, 2023, in Los Angeles, California.

The Court's Minute Order filed 03/01/2023,  Proceedings 02/28/2023

NATURE OF PROCEEDINGS: Hearing on Motion to Compel Further Discovery Responses to First Set of Requests for Production to Requests to Deft. Alexey Oliynik Re: Personal Jurisdiction; Filed by Plaintiffs William B. Pitt and Mondo Bongo LLC;

Matters is not held and no appearances required this date.

JOINT STIPULATION TO CONTINUE MOTION TO COMPEL PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS IN RESPONSE TO PLAINTIFFS’ FIRST SET OF REQUESTS FOR PRODUCTION TO DEFENDANT ALEXEY OLIYNIK RE: PERSONAL JURISDICTION; [PROPOSED] ORDER is reviewed by the Court and GRANTED as fully reflected in the JOINT STIPULATION TO CONTINUE MOTION TO COMPEL PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS IN RESPONSE TO PLAINTIFFS’ FIRST SET OF REQUESTS FOR PRODUCTION TO DEFENDANT ALEXEY OLIYNIK RE: PERSONAL JURISDICTION; ORDER as MODIFIED by the Court, e-signed by the Court, and e-filed 02-28-2023. Processed this date. Pursuant to written stipulation, the Hearing on Motion to Compel Further Discovery Responses to First Set of Requests for Production to Requests to Deft. Alexey Oliynik Re: Personal Jurisdiction; Filed by Plaintiffs William B. Pitt and Mondo Bongo LLC; scheduled for 03/01/2023 is continued to 06/07/2023 at 09:00 AM in Department 16 at Stanley Mosk Courthouse.

Pursuant to written stipulation, the Hearing on Motion to Compel Further Discovery Responses to First Set of Requests for Production to Requests to Deft. Alexey Oliynik Re: Personal Jurisdiction; Filed by Plaintiffs William B. Pitt and Mondo Bongo LLC; scheduled for 03/01/2023 is continued to 06/07/2023 at 09:00 AM in Department 16 at Stanley Mosk Courthouse.

Order to Show Cause Re: Destruction of Documents Lodged In Support of the Reply Brief to 03- 01-2023 Motion c/to 06-07-23 is scheduled for 06/07/2023 at 09:00 AM in Department 16 at Stanley Mosk Courthouse.

Telephonic notice is provided on 02-28-2023 by the Judicial Assistant to Plaintiff's counsel the Law Offices of KENDALL BRILL & KELLY LLP in addition to no appearances required this date.

Plaintiffs are to give notice, and e-file proof of notice with the Court

In the matter of the Destruction of Documents Lodged In Support of the Reply Brief, the Minute Order specifically names Brill because evidently she was behind the destruction of the documents.  The Judicial Assistant called her on the phone to give notice that she is ordered to to show cause why sanctions should not be imposed on her.

Brill's reply to Oliynik clearly identified the Exhibits as confidential and lodged them under seal.  There was no unintended disclosure of confidential information.  This seems to be a case of she changed her mind -- or was directed to.  Given that a court motion is required to remove a file, that the documents were lodged under seal, and that her reply was e-filed, how she pulled off the destruction is intriguing to say the least.  She filed them on 02-22 and the Order to show cause was issued 02-28 which means she destroyed the documents almost immediately after she filed them.

On top of the fact that they filed an S&O to postpone Oliynik's hearing just 6 days after her filing and after they had already cancelled Angelina's, it's not clear why Brill had felt it necessary to lodge the agreements in the first place.  The matter at hand is only "Motion to Compel Further Discovery Responses to First Set of Requests for Production to Alexey Oliynik Re: Personal Jurisdiction."  All foreign based defendants including Marc Perrin have filed Motions to Quash for lack of personal jurisdiction but it is only Brad's lawyers who have been busy staging "disputes".  


The destruction of copies lodged with the court is further proof that even though on paper the proceedings were rescheduled and not cancelled, they are not going anywhere.  In destroying the copies of the purchase and exclusivity agreements she had lodged, Brill was protecting Angelina and Tenute since Brad would not be in those specific documents.


This was the 2nd time the Court issued an Order to Show Cause after the earlier

Order to Show Cause Re: Failure to File Proof of Service as to Defendant Angelina Jolie

They only started to attempt service on Angelina after the Order to Show Cause was filed by the Clerk on 03/14/2022, eventually filing on 04/18/2022 proof of service by substituted service to one of her security.  The Court subsequently issued two more Orders to show cause over the failure of Brad's lawyers to file proofs of payment of the pro ha vice renewal fees on time.



The wrangling exists to provide cover for what they need to do to execute the sale of 50% of Miraval Provence while the divorce petition is open.  It only needed to exist.



Perhaps when they are finally satisfied with the FBI's response and have everything else they need to reform the system (by June 1?  June 4? June 21?), all the other cases which have been treading water including the dormant divorce petition which supports the reasons cited in the FBI complaint can be dismissed or withdrawn.  




People, June, 2022

"Mr. Pitt's lawsuit against Ms. Jolie is an extension of a false narrative, and the truth of the situation has still not been made public," an insider now tells PEOPLE.

"It's unfortunate that after she properly and legally exited the business, Mr. Pitt is entangling her in multiple lawsuits."

A source close to Pitt says, "This makes no sense. The best way to retain value for the family would have been for one of their parents to retain ownership of an increasingly valuable asset. He could have bought her out. There's a lot more value in a family owning 100 percent than 40 to 50 percent."

But in fact, Brad was already in the midst of selling 100% of assets of far greater personal value to him -- Plan B and Briarcliff.  At this time, in June, 2022, he took out a mortgage on Briarcliff.  They never owned 100% of Miraval Provence.   The sentence "for one of their parents to retain ownership of an increasingly valuable asset" could also be read as acknowledging they both sold. 


The wording of the S&O to lift the ATROs hinted that while they were all working to quickly facilitate the sale, they knew that some legal action could be necessary and, more significantly, that both Nouvel and Mondo Bongo were selling assets:

The parties agree that the Court in this proceeding does not have jurisdiction over each party's respective separate property interests in real and personal property, and specifically that the Court in this proceeding has no jurisdiction over the disposition of Nouvel LLC and/or Mondo Bongo LLC. By stipulating that the ATROs no longer apply in this proceeding, Respondent is not consenting to the sale of Nouvel LLC or any of the assets thereof‚ and Petitioner is not consenting to the sale of Mondo Bongo LLC or any of the assets thereof. The parties agree that the Court in this proceeding has no jurisdiction over these issues or over these entities and the assets thereof.

Their New Orleans house was purchased by Mondo Bongo Trust.

What exactly the wrangling allows them to do and why it all couldn't wait I'm sure we'll eventually find out.


The false narrative began with the filing of the divorce petition five days after the incident.

Both legal teams supported the false narrative but sources "close to Pitt" tend to give statements that are more pugnacious and stray farther from the truth.


In January, 2017, they issued a statement upon Judge Ouderkirk's appointment:

"The parents are committed to act as a united front to effectuate recovery and reunification."

But the united front was never displayed in public.  I would guess that as part of a compromise agreement, they agreed to work under the petition and maintain the façade of estrangement as a safeguard that there will be no public pressure to rush the children's recovery and they will not be forced to live with Brad before they are ready.  It apparently meant not publicly appearing to work together on anything.  In exchange, no charges were filed by the DCFS or the FBI against Brad even though there were grounds to do so.

In compliance with whatever they agreed to, what they present to the public including but not limited to all the filings in all the court cases, are cut out of whole cloth -- total, complete fabrications.  The false narrative is a collection of made up stories and lies.  Hence Eppur Si Muove, which she explained: "'And yet it moves.' Galileo's reported words at the end of his trial, when he was forced to deny that the Earth moves around the Sun.  Certain truths are undeniable."  Like Galileo they were compelled to deny their relationship, and like Galileo, they've tried to point to the truth through their own words.


Feb. 20

Ever since they went past the initial 6 months to a year estimate, it's been a fool's game predicting when they will emerge from this.  But March has been interesting.





Wrangling


They decided to sell the wine business when he decided, "Don't want to live that way anymore" and "I removed my drinking privileges" and she decided, "we need to move forward in order to heal and focus on where our family comes together, and where we have positive associations."

Brad's First Amended Complaint states:

69. Shefler’s interest in Miraval was, however, longstanding. Shefler, through Tenute del Mondo, seized on news of Pitt and Jolie’s September 2016 divorce filing to make a bid for the property and wine business the next month, in October 2016. At that time, Tenute del Mondo, with Shefler’s backing, formally offered €60 million for Château Miraval S.A. Shefler also offered a bizarre sweetener for Pitt: a €50 million private jet on “very attractive terms,” the discounted price of €23 million. Miraval officials rejected the offer, and negotiations did not continue.

It notes that the initial bid was for the property and the wine business. Château Miraval S.A. was identified distinctly -- not the vague references to the "business" or "company" or just "Miraval" of statements about the actual sale.  Nothing about Quimicum.

They also held talks with LVMH which owns Guerlain. Mediawan also has an LVMH connection -- it was founded by Xavier Niel who is married to Delphine Arnault, the daughter of the founder and CEO of LVMH, Bernard Arnault.

Nouvel's cross-complaint.

Nouvel never consented to the transfer of Château Miraval’s incredibly valuable trademarks to Miraval Provence. Indeed, Pitt and Perrin concealed their true intentions from Nouvel. They told Nouvel that Miraval Provence had undertaken certain limited trademark registrations on a temporary basis because of a potential transaction with luxury goods manufacturer LVMH, but that transaction never actually materialized.

In November, 2019 LVMH acquired Whispering Angel which has consistently been at the top of rosé sales charts.

decanter, December 2019

LVMH’s Moët Hennessy business has acquired 55% of Château d’Esclans, which produces the popular Whispering Angel rosé wine in the Var area of Provence.

Sacha Lichine, president of d’Esclans and who has been instrumental in establishing its reputation, has retained the other 45% stake and will run the estate in partnership with Moët Hennessy, said a joint-statement by both parties.

Whispering Angel is a far bigger prize and without the necessity of sitting through any wrangling. It's hard to imagine that LVMH and Arnault would want to slog through months of messy publicity, something Shefler is better equipped to handle. There is nothing to preclude a Stoli - LVMH deal when the cloud has lifted.

The arrangement with Stoli probably runs along similar lines as that of LVMH's with Château d’Esclans.



The belated complaint vs. the sale filed Feb. 17, 2022 may have been prompted by delays in their other efforts, most notably with the FBI's failure to give an adequate and timely response to the 2020 FOIPA request which led to Jane Doe's FOIA lawsuit filed March 4, 2022, and the California Board of Psychology case vs. Stan Katz which was granted access to court files on April 19, 2022.


They've tried to give different reasons for the belated complaint.  Keith Hummel, co-chair of Cravath, Swaine and Moore's Intellectual property practice, whose involvement is a strong hint of their focus, said in Nouvel's § 1782 application (to produce documents for use in a proceeding in a foreign or international tribunal) :

Indeed, Pitt did not even challenge the sale until well after, and apparently in retaliation for Nouvel's § 1782 application.

?

Angelina's lawyer, Paul Murphy's Jan 30, 2023 email to Jonathan Moses of Wachtell Lipton. offers a different reason:

To date, I have been forthright with you, and there has not been a single instance where I told you we were going to do something and we did not do it. Unlike your side, I have not played games and pretended that words like “engage” actually mean “stay.” This is all the more outrageous given that your client’s claims are totally frivolous and I already put you and your client on notice of my client’s claims for malicious prosecution. Your client stated in writing (italics his) that he did not want a buy/sell, now he claims he always had one. What is clearly going on here is that your client is suing to force my client to agree to a non-disparagement clause. That is bad faith and malicious.

Before the FBI leak, a non-disparagement clause was a possible excuse.  The leak made it moot.  In the real world, a person who committed misdeeds he wants to hide is not in a position to make demands.


Filings in Nouvel's § 1782 application included heavily redacted Oct., 2013 emails among Brad, their managers Warren Grant and Terry Bird, and legal counsel in France and Luxembourg discussing the transfer of 10% of Quimicum from Mondo Bongo to Nouvel.  They had been working on it since at least June, 2012.  The visible portions of the emails touched on the reason for the €1 nominal sale price for what appears to be a post-engagement gift -- because the book value as of Jan., 2013 was negative.  And that while the resulting ownership would be 50:50, the debt Quimicum owes them, representing their investments in Quimicum, would remain 60:40. There was therefore no financial gain for Angelina at the time.  The 2013 agreement was signed by Cynthia Pett-Dante and Terry Bird.

They have agreements between them covering Miraval that were worked on at least as extensively as the transfer of 10% of Quimicum.  They are not cited anywhere because they would reveal the truth.  The purported email that he did not want a buy/sell agreement over their holdings establishes that the claims are without basis -- they wanted that much to be clear -- but actual proof extends well beyond that.


Like almost everything in the false narrative, Brad's transfer of Miraval's trademarks isn't what it's made out to be.

From Nouvel's cross complaint and § 1782 case:

The name recognition of international celebrity owners Pitt and Jolie dramatically boosted the value of Château Miraval’s brands and trademarks. These brands include “Miraval”, “Château Miraval”, “Miraval Côtes de Provence”, and variations of these marks. Château Miraval’s trademarks are now among its most valuable assets, estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of euros.

Because Nouvel has a 50% economic interest in Château Miraval but only a 25% economic interest in Miraval Provence, any registration of Château Miraval’s trademarks by Miraval Provence that purports to effect a change in ownership has the harmful effect of reducing Nouvel’s economic interest in these valuable trademarks by 50%. In order to prevent that from happening, the agreement between Château Miraval and Miraval Provence expressly prohibited Miraval Provence from registering Château Miraval trademarks. But Pitt and Perrin apparently do not believe they are bound by contractual commitments that they no longer view as convenient to their interests.

Pitt and Perrin caused Miraval Provence to interfere with Nouvel’s economic interest in Chateau Miraval by registering the company’s trademarks in the name of Miraval Provence. Pitt and Perrin could do so because of Pitt’s de facto control of Château Miraval and Perrin’s direct control, as President, of Miraval Provence. These actions, in direct breach of the agreement between Château Miraval and Miraval Provence, diverted hundreds of millions of dollars in value to Perrin and from Château Miraval, and by extension Quimicum and Nouvel.

Pitt's usurpation of the governance of Château Miraval has had dire consequences. Dating back to at least 2017, Château Miraval’s directors, without proper authorization, have allowed a different French entity, Miraval Provence, to register as its own Château Miraval’s trademarks, which are among its most valuable assets, apparently for no compensation.

Miraval Provence began its misappropriation of the Miraval marks shortly after Jolie filed for divorce. Château Miraval owns, and had registered, the trademark “Miraval Côtes de Provence”—which is worth as much as €24,500,000. On June 27, 2017, Miraval Provence applied to register the trademark under its own name in the United States. Miraval Provence also applied in Europe to register the trademarks “MIRAVAL The Art of Rose” on April 13, 2017; “MIRAVAL COTEAUX VAROIS EN PROVENCE” and “MIRAVAL COTES DE PROVENCE” on June 21, 2017; and “STUDIO BY MIRAVAL” on April 11, 2018.

The pace of misappropriation has recently accelerated. Since the start of 2020, Miraval Provence has applied to register 13 trademarks in 10 different jurisdictions that were originally registered by Chateau Miraval. On November 30, 2020, Miraval Provence applied to register the word mark “Miraval”, also previously registered to Chateau Miraval, in the United States. Miraval Provence applied to register the same word mark—“Miraval”—in Canada, China, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, the European Union, and India despite Chateau Miraval’s prior registration of the mark in each of those jurisdictions. And on December 17, 2020, Miraval Provence applied in the United States to register the Word and Design mark “Miraval Cotes de Provence Miraval Millisime 2012”, which was already registered to Chateau Miraval.

Miraval Provence has also applied to register new trademarks containing the word “Miraval” or a confusingly similar word. For example, Miraval Provence applied to register the word mark “Mrvl” in the United States on January 18, 2021, and applied to register the logo mark “Fleur de Miraval Exclusivement Rosé” in the United States on March 9, 2021.

What the trademark registrations actually accomplished was combining all the wine business assets together in one company.  The reason for the transfer was so they can sell the business and keep the estate.  Miraval Provence's operations supports production, distribution and marketing -- all of which can easily be absorbed by other outfits, making it neither particularly valuable nor salable.  Prospective buyers including LVMH were interested in the whole business which necessarily meant owning the Miraval wine brands.  Brad's actions in transferring the trademarks enabled the separate sale of their wine business by packaging all of it in Miraval Provence.  It is the most incontrovertible proof that he is the driving force behind the sale and led negotiations with different entities that stretched over several years.

The trademarks "worth hundreds of millions" is a huge asset infusion for Miraval Provence and should result in a major reallocation of its shares.  On Aug. 9, 2021 or 5 weeks after Mannis' June 30 ex parte motion to lift the ATRO to allow the sale, Miraval Provence was converted from a SNC (société en nom collectif) or partnership to a SAS (société par actions simplifiée) or limited liability company.

Stoli's 50% ownership of Miraval Provence cannot be achieved with the sale of Nouvel's share alone.  Nouvel and Mondo Bongo both sold enough of Miraval Provence to give Stoli 50%.  (Recall the wording of the S&O to lift the ATROs re Nouvel and Mondo Bongo.)  If the trademarks gave them 90% of Miraval Provence, the post-sale distribution would be 50:40:10 for Stoli: them: the Perrins.

All this obviously means she did not in fact sell all of Nouvel.  The wrangling over Quimicum and the 10% gift of Quimicum shares was just noise and play acting.  Prospective buyers / strategic partners were not interested in Quimicum and the estate was never for sale.


They both needed to formally agree to the transfer of the trademarks and to a restructuring that will enable Mondo Bongo and Nouvel to own shares directly in the Château estate and in Miraval Provence.  Everything they needed to do makes it obvious that they are working together.  The sale could not have been consummated without all the necessary legal steps already completed even though they may not yet be publicly filed.  And this may be why they couldn't wait.


On March 14, 2023 a court in Luxembourg appointed a provisional administrator for Quimicum tasked with registering a new legal address for the company and filing the annual accounts of the company for the fiscal years for which they have not yet been filed with the Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés de Luxembourg.


In stating that "name recognition of international celebrity owners Pitt and Jolie dramatically boosted the value of Château Miraval’s brands and trademarks," Stoli is pinning the value it attached to the trademarks to its association with them.  That in turn hints that Stoli will want that association to continue.


Mediawan's CEO Pierre-Antoine Capton, told Variety when the deal to purchase Plan B was announced on December 9, 2022:

"The first talks between the Plan B team, Brad, and Mediawan began a year ago, and several meetings took place in Europe and California."

FT, Dec. 2022

Asked whether the recent spate of high-valuation deals had persuaded him to sell, Pitt replied “yes and no”.

“I feel like the gold rush has stagnated to some extent. It has gone the other way,” he said. “So many of those breathtaking deals still have to prove themselves. We wanted of course to be valued fairly. We felt Mediawan did that.”

Neither Plan B nor Mediawan would disclose details of the transaction. But people familiar with the matter told the FT that the deal valued Plan B in excess of $300mn, with Mediawan buying a majority stake in the group now and the rest at a later stage.

The deal with Stoli may have been structured similarly, i. e. partial sale now and they stay associated with the brand, with the rest sold at a later date.


The year-long talks with Mediawan began around December, 2021.  Nouvel's sale to Stoli which is exponentially more complicated than the sale of Plan B, took several times as long to negotiate.


It would also be interesting to see if the acreage devoted to vineyards remains unchanged and how much will reflect the new emphasis on olive oil and lavender.  After the success of their first vintage 2012 rosé, they had greatly expanded the vineyards.  Angelina is not against wine consumption -- she was photographed in British Vogue holding a glass of red on 2020 Election night and the same article noted the DeMille's "vast wine cellar."  But she expressed a desire for "changing it fundamentally into something that would be healthier for our children."

Le Figaro, June, 2019

This acquisition also makes them wine producers. The property, which then extended over 600 hectares (about 1,000 hectares, today) and two appellations, Côtes-de-Provence and Coteaux-Varois-en-Provence, had about fifty hectares planted in Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Rolle, Grenache, Tibouren...  Of course, only 10% of Miraval's labeled production - about 2 million bottles in total - is vinified on site. The rest comes from partner winemakers. All blends and bottlings are made in Orange.

The Château's contribution to Miraval's wine production is principally an image but Stoli would likely want that image association to continue.


The sale of Nouvel was completed and announced on October 5, 2021 after the Judge signed the S&O to lift the ATROs on Sept. 22, 2021.  The S&O was drafted by Spiegel-Kiley and filed by Brad.

WSJ, Oct 6, 2021

Mr. Pitt will keep his stake in the estate, according to a spokeswoman for Stoli Group. ... “We are not aware of any issues related to our purchase of 50% of Miraval nor do we have any concerns,” Stoli Group Global Chief Executive Damian McKinney said in a statement through a spokeswoman.

Aside from making it clear that there are no concerns surrounding the sale, the statement differentiates between the estate and the Miraval that it now owns 50% of.  Other statements made a point to identify what was sold as the business.  They kept the Château Miraval estate and sold the Miraval Provence business.  Transferring ownership of the trademarks from Château Miraval to Miraval Provence made it possible.  


Nouvel's cross complaint described their holding companies.

They purchased the property through holding companies. Pitt’s company, which he wholly owned, was named Mondo Bongo, after the song “Mondo Bongo” that was part of the soundtrack for the Pitt and Jolie movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Jolie’s company, which she wholly owned, was Nouvel.

Why Brad's holding co. was named Mondo Bongo and is still named Mondo Bongo is a very obvious hint.  It also hints that they are all working in concert since this was filed by Stoli's Nouvel which should not have any interest in how Brad chose to name his holding company or in reminding people of its significance.  





Next


The heavily redacted FBI report leaked in August, 2022 giving the first picture of what transpired on the plane, to which Angelina's cross-complaint filed in October added a few more details.  They've repeatedly signaled their intentions to open up -- for the truth of the situation to be made public --and they've left an increasing number of dots that are easy to connect.  As soon as the false narrative can be lifted they are ready to talk and he is ready to face the music.


Variety, August 2022

When Angelina Jolie read Alessandro Baricco’s short novel “Without Blood” — the basis for her next directorial effort — the Italian fable about the brutality of war and healing in its aftermath had an immediate therapeutic effect.

“I read it right as I was going through the beginning of a very dark time in my life. I read it in the month that followed my divorce [from Brad Pitt in 2016],” recalls Jolie, who shot the adaptation at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios. “It had the effect on me that it’s had on so many people,” Jolie says, noting that the blurb on the cover says that the book is about the complexity of the human condition.

“I didn’t understand that when I first read it. I just knew the book had a profound effect on me,” she says. “I think it’s one of those pieces of art, of somebody’s intuition and mind, that puts something forward that has so much truth in it about who we are as people.”

“Without Blood,” which is told in a series of flashbacks, is a more complex work about violence, war and choices. “This film raises different questions; there is no clear good and bad in this film, even though there is clearly bad, horrible, horrific and criminal behavior.”

People who commit "bad, horrible, horrific and criminal behavior" are not necessarily bad people.  It's "the complexity of the human condition",  the "truth in it about who we are as people" and it showed  a clear way forward that had an immediate therapeutic effect

His behavior was horrible, and he faced criminal prosecution (the FBI had prepared a statement of probable cause), but he is not a bad person.  Addressing his problems that led to his behavior offered a path to redemption and reconciliation.  The Brad that she had repeatedly praised as a great father was the Brad the children needed to be back.  His commitment to ensure that it would never happen again by rooting out the external and internal elements that contributed to his behavior enabled her to forgive, heal and support his reconciliation with the children.

Angelina's cross-complaint

Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face. Some of the children pleaded with Pitt to stop. They were all frightened. Many were crying.

Striking a minor in the face is abuse. Choking or strangulation is a felony.


Vanity Fair, July 2017

“It’s just been the hardest time, and we’re just kind of coming up for air. [This house] is a big jump forward for us, and we’re all trying to do our best to heal our family.”

"They’re six very strong-minded, thoughtful, worldly individuals. I’m very proud of them.” Jolie has indicated that, for the sake of the kids, she doesn’t want to talk about the breakup. And yet it seems she wants to get her point across, which calls for a careful choice of words, something of a high-wire act. “They’ve been very brave. They were very brave.”

Brave when?
“In times they needed to be.” Other statements are similarly cryptic. “We’re all just healing from the events that led to the filing . . . They’re not healing from divorce. They’re healing from some . . . from life, from things in life.”

I mention Pitt’s mea culpa in GQ Style. Did it surprise her? “No,” she replies, looking unmoved. I refer to tabloid reports that suggest their communication has improved, and ask if that’s true. There’s a long pause. She looks down, formulates an answer. “We care for each other and care about our family, and we are both working towards the same goal.”

NY Times Sept., 2017

"It took me a few months to realize that I was really going to have to do it. That there was going to have to be another base regardless of everything,” she said, her voice falling quiet and low, as it would each time the subject of the split arose. “That there was going to have to be a home. Another home.”

The new house, a Beaux Arts manse that was once the residence of the legendary filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille, is a beaut, with a library, rolling lawns, cascading fountains that burble into the pool, and a view of the Griffith Observatory. Ms. Jolie had an elaborate treehouse built — “more a parkour treehouse,” she said — and the kids helped decorate and pick out the furniture for the whole house. They have an agreement, Ms. Jolie said, that not everyone can agree on everything, but you have to try to like it if you don’t hate it. If you do hate it, you can overrule.

“It has a lot of moments,” Ms. Jolie said of the home, “It’s happy. Happy and light, and we needed that.”

I asked how everyone is doing now.

“None of it’s easy. It’s very, very difficult, a very painful situation, and I just want my family healthy,” she said quietly.

Are they? “They’re getting better,” she said, her voice approaching inaudibility.

Guardian Sept., 2021

And did she fear for the safety of her children?
This time she answers.
“Yes, for my family. My whole family.

“It’s not that I want to talk about anything really, because I just want my family to heal. And I want everyone to move forward – all of us, including their dad. I want us to heal and be peaceful. We’ll always be a family.” 

People January, 2017

“They keep pointing to him being cleared. While his behavior didn’t amount to anything criminal, that doesn’t mean he didn’t do anything wrong,” says the source. “The kids are traumatized. The mom has been protecting the kids by not revealing what really happened on that plane. Her interest since the outset hasn’t changed: to protect the health and safety of the kids.”

British Vogue, March 2021

Angelina Jolie – actor, film-maker, humanitarian – had invited us to spend two days with her, to let us into her world. To say the home she shares with her six children – Maddox, 19, Pax, then 16, Zahara, then 15, Shiloh, 14, and 12-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox – is full of life would be an understatement. Laughter, chatter, food, rabbits, dogs, lizards, political debate, music appreciation, impromptu haircuts and Zoom meetings are all part of the day-to-day. (The children ended up jumping into the photos, too.) As has been the way of late, I joined remotely from London to style the shoot. Angelina, who wears her clothes until they’re completely worn out and has a love for vintage, shared a few of her own treasured pieces.

Today, DeMille and Chaplin’s lots have been divided once again into separate residences, with Jolie and her family living in DeMille’s former home, set on 2.1 acres. In addition to the 7,500-foot main house, the compound includes a tea house, studio, and pool house. The gardens, which are studded with jacaranda trees and feature a rose garden, slope down to a pool capped by arched fountains. Tucked away in the basement, meanwhile, is a vast wine cellar – a necessary amenity considering Jolie’s sizeable Provençal vineyards. Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the house, however, are the views. Visible from the private terrace off the master bedroom? The Griffith Observatory itself. If any house is fit for a Hollywood icon, it’s this one.

How have the past few months been for you? I know you’ve been at home in Los Angeles with your children.
"I think that like most families, we have had this bigger thing happening with the pandemic... But birthdays go on, and I think that for many people, it’s made us all feel very human together. There’s something beautiful about that."

There definitely is. We had the great pleasure of photographing you at your home, which also happens to be the former estate of Cecil B DeMille. How wonderful…
"I wanted it to be close to their dad, who is only five minutes away. I felt a little pressure moving in. Like I had snuck into where DeMille and Chaplin would hang out. I love most that there is no entertainment room, but lots of pathways and places to walk and think. I feel very fortunate we have that at this time."

Do you feel as if you’re at a happy stage in your life?
"I don’t know. The past few years have been pretty hard. I’ve been focusing on healing our family. It’s slowly coming back, like the ice melting and the blood returning to my body."

It’s a journey…
"But I’m not there. I’m not there yet. But I hope to be. I’m planning on it. I do like being older. I feel much more comfortable in my forties than I did when I was younger. Maybe because… I don’t know… maybe because my mom didn’t live very long, so there’s something about age that feels like a victory instead of a sadness for me.

Absolutely.
"So I like it. I’m looking forward to my fifties – I feel that I’m gonna hit my stride in my fifties. Though we were on the trampoline the other day, and the children said, “No, Mom, don’t do that. You’ll hurt yourself.” And I thought, “God, isn’t that funny?” There was a day I was an action star, and now the kids are telling me to get off the trampoline because I’ll hurt myself.

I love that. Kids will always tell you how it is.
"Even at their young age they know that what matters is to feel safe and loved and stable. To not see those you love harmed. To know your own mind and truth and not to live a lie.

It was wonderful to see on the shoot, the kids were all having so much fun with clothes. They all seem to have such distinct styles.
"I couldn’t force anything on anybody, which is part of the fun. They are all very different.

How have you found the changing shape of motherhood, as the children have grown up, say, from the beginning to now?
"I was best friends with my mom. I loved having babies, but I love sitting up at night and talking to my kids. I like the teenage years. I like the older years. I love hanging out with them.

Do they challenge your opinions, sometimes?
[Laughs] "Oh, yeah… They think that I’m a bit ridiculous, as they should. And they all know me in different ways. You know, they’ve all crossed into that moment when they realise that there’s nothing special about me. I’m just older. I don’t have all the secrets. I just mean well."

The interview was conducted by British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful before news of the sale of Nouvel but he knew not to mention Miraval or rosé: "a vast wine cellar – Jolie's sizeable Provençal vineyards" -- a more obvious choice would have been highly-rated Miraval rosé.  She still has the vineyards.



Brad expressed his thoughts on his alcohol induced behavior thru his art pieces including "Slave to Our Vices" and "Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound to the House."  It serves as a prologue to his mea culpa once they are free to talk about it.


yle, Sept. 17, 2022 video

What do you want to say? Against violence?

"No again it's called... I don't...to me it's all about self reflection. It's about how, how...again where have I gotten it wrong in my relationships, where have I misstepped. Where am I complicit?

It's really, for me it's borne out of ownership of really what I call a radical inventory of self. Getting really brutally honest with me and where...taking account of those I may have hurt and those I, you know, moments I have just gotten wrong."

His emotional response reflects the depth of his guilt and remorse rekindled by the FBI leak the month before.


As a former alcoholic "who hasn’t had a drink" since September, 2016, remaining in the wine business was untenable.  Selling the business was a necessity and may have removed the negative association the children had with Miraval, which may in turn have allowed them to return to the chateau last Spring. (Not Fall which was when they were there last when the highlight is the grape harvest).

It brings them back to what attracted them to Chateau Miraval in the first place, before the creation of Miraval Provence.

Le Figaro, June, 2019

En 2011, Angelina Jolie et Brad Pitt achètent pour une somme évaluée à 35 millions d’euros le domaine à l’homme d’affaires américain Tom Bove. Les deux célébrités en quête de tranquillité sont tombées sous le charme des lieux dès 2008 et ont obtenu un bail locatif de trois ans avec option d’achat.

Vogue, Sept., 2022

"But listen, when we first got here, I mean, I never thought about having a winery either! I just wanted a beautiful base in this area and it happened to have a winery."

The work he put into establishing and promoting the Miraval wine business pale next to the what he put into Plan B and Briarcliff and his attachment to them.  After September, 2016 any "passion" he may have had for the business was replaced by remorse and regret at what being a "slave to our vices" and "boozing too much" did to his family life -- a "self-inflicted gun shot wound to the house."  Plan B brought in Awards and nominations but selling "the first place I bought when I made some money in ’94" and his home for almost 2 decades was perhaps the most difficult.  These would be the last two he would want to part with -- as was indeed the case.

Even setting aside his problem with co-owning an alcohol business, the sale of Plan B and Briarcliff reveal a pattern of major divestment consistent with the sale to Stoli.


There have been other hints of a shift of focus away from wine.  Miraval Studios' Instagram posts have directed attention to Miraval's olive trees and olive oil production.  The Le Domaine press junket was held in an area surrounded by olive trees, some newly planted, even though Le Domaine claims its exclusive active ingredients are "made from a combination of grape varieties carefully selected from the Perrins’ vineyards."  Tellingly, Miraval Studios has not mentioned Le Domaine at all.   Miraval Studios itself has been booked by a few artists since its launch, mostly from France.  

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A greater emphasis on olives and lavender, and art and music, would be in keeping with Angelina's wishes in her purported letter. 

"
... changing it fundamentally into something that would be healthier for our children.

What might be best for our whole family would be an outright sale. I would completely support you in seeking to sell the company and move away from this hard and painful chapter in our lives.

....I believe we need to move forward in order to heal and focus on where our family comes together, and where we have positive associations. 

GQ, 2022

A scented candle perfumes the kitchen where he cheerfully offers me a beverage...
I want to see into his fridge: barely anything in there, just the cool bluish glare of the electric light.
“Is there anyone else in this house?” I ask him.
“Nah,” he says quickly.
In the fireplace, there’s a barely smoldering log.

“This was the first place I bought when I made some money in ’94,” he says. “It was really run-down and dilapidated,” Pitt tells me of his arrival. “I lived here for a few years, then I bounced around everywhere, just let friends crash here, and then somewhere in the aughts I fixed it up. Been pretty much hiding out here.”

Pitt has a number of properties in and outside of L.A.—a beach house near Santa Barbara, a modernist glass-and-steel residence also in the Hollywood Hills—but it’s this Craftsman home, which has been a fixture in his life throughout his tenure as a movie star, where he’s been holed up for much of the pandemic. Inside, the walls are a caramel shade of cedar, and the ground floor rooms are appointed with vintage furniture and tasteful art. There are no obvious family photos on display, and no flourishes of luxury to the place, apart from the simple fineness of the home, perfect in its adherence to its early-20th-century aesthetic.

Lately, he’s been rising early to play his guitar, a pursuit he took up toward the beginning of the pandemic. He’ll come down to the living room, where he’ll light a fire and strum a bit. He feels at ease here, he says, but is also happy to get out of town, often taking drives up the coast to his beach house—a trip just long enough to seem like an escape. “I drive out and I just feel like I’m taking off a cloak or something,” he says. When he’s heading back into town, he says he can feel the weight of the place. “As soon as you turn in past Santa Barbara, I feel it coming. The shoulders start getting a little higher, and I feel it. I’m not quite sure what that is and how to contend with it just yet. Other than getting out and traveling a lot.”

Perhaps the most renowned of Pitt’s creative sidelines is the wine that he’s been producing at his estate in Provence, Château Miraval. In 2008, he and Jolie bought the thousand--acre property, which produces a world-class rosé that has become a multimillion--dollar business; in 2014 the two were married there. More recently, the estate popped up in the press when Jolie sold her stake in the business. Before the legal wrangling that has since ensued, Pitt received an interesting bit of information about the property.

“I consider myself on my last leg,” he says to me, “this last semester or trimester. What is this section gonna be? And how do I wanna design that?”

“I’m one of those creatures that speaks through art,” Pitt explains. “I just want to always make. If I’m not making, I’m dying in some way.”

He explains that he quit smoking during the pandemic after realizing that simply cutting back on cigarettes wasn’t going to suffice—he had to cut them out. “I don’t have that ability to do just one or two a day,” he says. “It’s not in my makeup. I’m all in. And I’m going to drive into the ground. I’ve lost my privileges.”

It’s one of several radical changes he’s made to his health over the past few years.

After Jolie filed for divorce, in 2016, he got sober and spent a year and a half attending Alcoholics Anonymous.

He’s also a guy who, hidden under his shirt, has a line from a Rumi poem inked across his right bicep: “There exists a field, beyond all notions of right and wrong. I will meet you there.” It’s a deeply romantic idea, but does it also hint at a certain solitude? “I always felt very alone in my life,” he explains, “alone growing up as a kid, alone even out here, and it’s really not till recently that I have had a greater embrace of my friends and family. What’s that line, it was either Rilke or Einstein, believe it or not, but it was something about when you can walk with the paradox, when you carry real pain and real joy simultaneously, this is maturity, this is growth.”

“I was always moving with the currents, drifting in a way, and onto the next. I think I spent years with a low-grade depression, and it’s not until coming to terms with that, trying to embrace all sides of self—the beauty and the ugly—that I’ve been able to catch those moments of joy.”

FT Oct., 2022

Pitt and Cave have known each other for decades; they were both cast in the 1991 film Johnny Suede, but Pitt and Houseago were only brought together six years ago, at a New Year’s Eve party. Houseago was struggling with his mental health and Pitt had recently separated from his second wife, Angelina Jolie. “Our mutual misery became comic,” says Pitt, who began hanging out at the sculptor’s studio on a regular basis, finding an artistic outlet. “And out of this misery came a flame of joy in my life. I always wanted to be a sculptor; I’d always wanted to try it.”

The trio’s concept of “we” delivers a “simple but strong message of love, hope, friendship and forgiveness, celebrating creativity over destructive forces,” says Sara Hildén’s chief curator, Sarianne Soikkonen.

Pitt’s work feels harder to place. His lockdown love of ceramics has been widely reported. His larger-scale sculptural works are more disturbing: a relief plaster panel imprinted with his own body to depict a filmic gunfight (but also, he suggests, “an inner conflict”) and a number of simplified house-shaped silicone structures that have each been shot at – titled Self-inflicted Gunshot Wound to the House – draw parallels about the destruction of his home life that are all too plain to see. “It’s all about self-reflection,” he explains. “I was looking at my own life and really concentrating on owning my own shit: where was I complicit in failures in my relationships, where have I mis-stepped. For me, it was born out of ownership of what I call a radical inventory of self, getting really brutally honest with me, and taking account of those I may have hurt.”

Eating a sandwich later in the café, Pitt seems relieved to have put this out there.  “It’s just exhausting to be anything but who you are,” he says. “You have to understand, at least where I grew up, we’re more the Clint Eastwood character; you hold everything within, you’re capable, you can deal with anything, you don’t show weakness. I see that in my dad and the older generations of actors, and, man, it’s exhausting. As I get older, I find such a comfort in friendships where you can be [completely yourself], and I want that to extend in the outer world. What people make of it: I’m fine. I feel safe here because there’s a focus on our struggles as human beings, because it’s fraught with peril. And joy as well.” 

GQ, 2017

He mentioned his estranged wife's name only once, when referencing her Cambodia movie, First They Killed My Father, telling me, “You should see Angie's film.”

"I don't really care about protecting the narrative. I know the people who love me know me. And that's enough for me."

"I mean I stopped everything except boozing when I started my family. But even this last year, you know—things I wasn't dealing with. I was boozing too much. It's just become a problem. And I'm really happy it's been half a year now, which is bittersweet, but I've got my feelings in my fingertips again. I think that's part of the human challenge: You either deny them all of your life or you answer them and evolve."

How about alcohol—you don't miss it?
"I mean, we have a winery. I enjoy wine very, very much, but I just ran it to the ground. I had to step away for a minute. And truthfully I could drink a Russian under the table with his own vodka. I was a professional. I was good."

So how do you just drop it like that?
"Don't want to live that way anymore."

What do you replace it with?
"Cranberry juice and fizzy water. I've got the cleanest urinary tract in all of L.A., I guarantee you! But the terrible thing is I tend to run things into the ground. That's why I've got to make something so calamitous. I've got to run it off a cliff."

That's the thing about becoming un-numb. You have to stare down everything that matters to you.
"That's it! Sitting with those horrible feelings, and needing to understand them, and putting them into place. In the end, you find: I am those things I don't like. That is a part of me. I can't deny that. I have to accept that. And in fact, I have to embrace that. I need to face that and take care of that. Because by denying it, I deny myself. I am those mistakes. For me every misstep has been a step toward epiphany, understanding, some kind of joy. Yeah, the avoidance of pain is a real mistake. It's the real missing out on life. It's those very things that shape us, those very things that offer growth, that make the world a better place, oddly enough, ironically. That make us better."

"I don't really think of myself much as an actor anymore. Film feels like a cheap pass for me, It doesn't work anymore, especially being a dad....."

"Family first. People on their deathbeds don't talk about what they obtained or were awarded. They talk about their loved ones or their regrets—that seems to be the menu. I say that as someone who's let the work take me away. Kids are so delicate. They absorb everything. They need to have their hand held and things explained. They need to be listened to. When I get in that busy work mode, I'm not hearing. I want to be better at that.

"It's a different world, too. We know more, we're more focused on psychology. I come from a place where, you know, it's strength if we get a bruise or cut or ailment we don't discuss it, we just deal with it. We just go on. The downside of that is it's the same with our emotion. I'm personally very retarded when it comes to taking inventory of my emotions. I'm much better at covering up. I grew up with a Father-knows-best/war mentality—the father is all-powerful, super strong—instead of really knowing the man and his own self-doubt and struggles. And it's hit me smack in the face with our divorce: I gotta be more. I gotta be more for them. I have to show them. And I haven't been great at it.

Ad Astra promo Sept. 2019 various

"You get older and you just get tired of protecting yourself or having any secrets. You want to get on with it and we wanted to get on with it in this film in a way. We all carry great pains, great regrets. We've all experienced loss, we've all experienced great loneliness at times. And we're good at packing that away and not dealing with it. Some of us are good at getting through it and coming out the other side with a more well-rounded, a more confident and loving human being. We just wanted, no holds barred, let's just go, let's get it out there."

"I mean a man who owns his own flaws and is aware of them and open about it. And vulnerable, with real feelings, rather than being this macho, trying-to-be-tough guy."

"I’m realizing, as a real act of forgiveness for myself for all the choices that I’ve made that I’m not proud of, that I value those missteps, because they led to some wisdom, which led to something else. You can’t have one without the other."

NY Times Sept. 4, 2019

In early 2017, when Pitt committed to starring in “Ad Astra,” he was still reeling from his recent split from Angelina Jolie, with whom he has six children. “He definitely used the stimuli from his life,” Gray said. “Now, I didn’t get personal with him about it at all — I don’t think it’s my business, or even my job — but he investigated the essence of the character through himself.”

When I asked Pitt about that period of time in his life, he at first curtailed the inquiry. “I had family stuff going on,” he said. “We’ll leave it at that.”

Was “Ad Astra” a way to work through some of the loneliness he may have been experiencing? “The fact is, we all carry pain, grief and loss,” he said. “We spend most of our time hiding it, but it’s there, it’s in you. So you open up those boxes.”

Now, Pitt is committed to his sobriety. “I had taken things as far as I could take it, so I removed my drinking privileges,” he told me. After she filed for divorce, Pitt spent a year and a half in Alcoholics Anonymous.

For most of our conversation, Pitt was both penitent and private, as though he were toggling between the person giving confession and the priest receiving it.

“I grew up with that be-capable, be-strong, don’t-show-weakness thing,” Pitt told me. He was raised in Springfield, Mo., the eldest of three children, his father the owner of a trucking company. Now, at 55, he’s reached a point where he sees his dad in every performance he gives. “In some ways, I’m copying him,” Pitt said. “He had grown up in extreme hardship and poverty, always dead set on giving me a better life than he had — and he did it. But he came from that stoic ilk.”

That lineage has served Pitt better onscreen than off, and in a year in which he has delivered two major performances, he’s giving hard thought to the person he’s become. “I’m grateful that there was such an emphasis on being capable and doing things on your own with humility, but what’s lacking about that is taking inventory of yourself,” he said, hunching over in his chair. “It’s almost a denial of this other part of you that is weak and goes through self-doubts, even though those are human things we all experience. Certainly, it’s my belief that you can’t really know yourself until you identify and accept those things.”

James Gray on Brad's Ad Astra voiceovers Variety Oct., 2022 and Vulture, Nov. 2022

"Also, with a film that is quite personal, people sometimes see themselves in it and will argue that other things are better. I did not have final cut" ...And when people start coming up to you and saying, “Why’d you do all that stupid voice-over?” and you didn’t do it, that’s a very frustrating experience."

Brad's voiceovers

So many times in my life, I've screwed up.
I've talked when I should have listened.
I've been harsh when I should have been tender."
I made a promise to always be truthful, but I wasn't.
I'm selfish. I'm selfish. I've let so many people down. I'm just a selfish person.
A self-destructive side
I am looking forward to the day my solitude ends, and I'm home.
I'm unsure of the future, but I'm not concerned. I will rely on those closest to me, and will share their burdens, as they share mine.
I will live, and love.

Bullet Train interviews  (he gave far fewer for Babylon) July - August, 2022:

"I'm over that hump of middle age and so I'm looking at that last leg... how do I want to spend that time? At my age, you've made enough mistakes... now there's a comfort in applying that kind of wisdom."

GMA: What's the secret to surviving the kind of thing Benito (Bad Bunny) is talking about?
BP "Well, it's, one, it's being surrounded by people you love, and respect. And it's just following what interests you.

"I would say I eat well, but I don't. I would say I meditate, but not really. I would say I've got a lot of lovely people in my life, and I stay creative."

The 2017 GQ interview conducted around March 30 noted signs of the children's presence on the property -- their bikes and a dragon floatie in the pool -- and their bulldog Jacques keeping him company.  He seemed to believe the children would one day take over Briarcliff.

Brad Pitt is making matcha green tea on a cool morning in his old Craftsman in the Hollywood Hills, where he's lived since 1994. There have been other properties in other places—including a château in France and homes in New Orleans and New York City—but this has always been his kids' “childhood home,” he says. And even though they're not here now, he's decided it's important that he is. Today the place is deeply silent, except for the snoring of his bulldog, Jacques.

Pitt wears a flannel shirt and skinny jeans that hang loose on his frame. Invisible to the eye is that sculpted bulk we've seen on film for a quarter-century. He looks like an L.A. dad on a juice cleanse, gearing up to do house projects. On the counter sit some plated goodies from Starbucks, which he doesn't touch, and some coffee, which he does.

Serenity, balance, order: That's the vibe, at least. That's what you think you're feeling in the kitchen of Brad Pitt's perfectly constructed, awesomely decorated abode. Outside, children's bikes are lined up in the rack; a blown-up dragon floatie bobs on the pool through the window. From the sideboard, with its exquisite inlay, to the vase on the mantel, the house exudes care and intention.

"I try to put these things in front of them, hoping they'll absorb it and that it will mean something to them later.  Even in this place, they won't give a shit about that little bust over there or that light. They won't give a shit about that inlay, but somewhere down the road it will mean something—I hope that it will soak in."

In the GQ, June, 2022 interview that was conducted late April or early May, there was little sign that anyone was really living in Briarcliff.  No sign of a dog around.  The lighted scented candle in the kitchen (not noted in other interviews) was probably to mask the stale air.  In June, 2022 Cynthia Pett Dante in her capacity as trustee of Briarcliff Trust, signed a "deed of trust and assignment of rents" with City National Bank (CNB).  It included a $17.5million "Home Equity Line of Credit Agreement."  It likely served as a bridge loan for the purchase of Seaward which was made public in August.  Not long after the GQ interview, what was left of their personal stuff was quietly moved from Briarcliff and it was offered for sale.



Also in June, 2022, he had an interview with Gwyneth for goop wherein he obliquely talked about his parenting philosophy, slightly modified from what is was in 2015.  He used Gwyneth's father, whom he didn't know at all when Gwyneth was growing up, as a proxy

Telegraph, November, 2015 for By the Sea

Is Pitt the disciplinarian in the family? 'I am with the boys.’ He smiles. 'Girls do no wrong so I don’t have to be. I feel like my job is to show ’em around, help them find what they want to do with their life, put as many things in front of them, and pull them back when they get out of line, so they know who they are.’

June, 2022

"One of the many things I loved about Bruce—because he did have a profound effect on me and is someone I still think about—was he really fostered your voice, your independence. He carved the way for you guys to be who you are. And I think that’s so important to parenting, you know? So the child is free to find out who they are and what they love and what they don’t. You guys were just so free in your conversations. And witty. And intelligent. And funny as f*ck.

He could be tough if he needed to be, but it would be rare—only if someone was out of line. And it would come with…not a slap on the wrist but a little drop of wisdom, and he’d let you make the choice. That seemed to be his way. Just to offer you this wisdom and let you figure it out. And knowing to have that faith in your child—they’ll get there when they get there."

The most obvious difference after he went on an abusive rampage on the plane is instead of "pull them back when they get out of line", he now just offers "a little drop of wisdom" -- which is as much as his relationship with the kids can probably now accommodate.


Richie, his head of security, owns a house adjoining the compound.  Is he moving as well?


He's had 5+ years to warm up to the DeMille. 


The April 2017, $24.5M purchase of the DeMille had a similar $17.15 million mortgage from Comerica Bank.  Angelina signed the mortgage and Brad provided the entire initial owner's equity (via a loan that as of Laurent Shummer's purported 6 April 2021 letter was outstanding in full.)  It's their house.  It's also a short walk to David Fincher's house.


Ad Astra Whimn Aus, 2019:

Having lived all over the world, where does he call his favourite place?
“I’ve been thinking about that because I’ve been thinking about death, just in terms of, ‘Where do you want to spend that last leg of your life? We settle in places or get sucked into a place sometimes because of a job or for family, speaking of which, my kids have probably eight more years of school to keep us relatively in one spot. But then comes a time where you think about where you want to spend that last period. For me, it would be somewhere in the mountains.”

Harpers Bazaar Nov. 2019

AJ:  "I would love to live abroad and will do so as soon as my children are 18. Right now I’m having to base where their father chooses to live."

Vogue, Sept., 2022 in Miraval.

"This past spring was special. We had a good five or six weeks out here. The stories you hear about Provence in the spring, why people come here. Well, it’s real. And I can’t quite describe it, other than the freshness in the air, the light, the… I don’t know, it’s just a real feeling of peace and harmony and the nights are so soothing. In summer you get the symphony of frogs, they lull you to sleep."

What’s the future looking like for you?
"The older I get the more I think about quality of life, and time expenditure, and I sure would like to point it more in this direction. I think after lockdown it seemed to be on a lot of people’s minds, like, how are we spending our time, why are we grinding so much, what are we dedicating our lives to? And I think that family and friends at the end of the day is all that matters."

TF1 (France) January, 2023

"I got to spend a couple of months here last year that were sublime. I mean, it's certainly a reason to just want to be here. So I have this idea of spending half of my year over here. That sounds really exciting to me."

The System


They could have publicly ended their odyssey in early 2021 at the four and a half year mark, they were privately ready by mid 2020 after three and a half.  But their attention shifted to tackling the system.  (Coincidentally or by design, Samantha Bley filed her statement of disqualification against Judge Ouderkirk on August 7, 2020.)

In 2020, at about the time the experts were ready to testify, they filed an FOIA request with the FBI.  The incident and the resulting divorce petition provides the ostensive rationale for the FOIA request and the subsequent lawsuit.  They also needed to grant the California Board of Psychology access to court files relating to Stan Katz. 

Peter Harvey, a lawyer for Jolie who is close to the case but not directly involved, ...told The Associated Press “Ms. Jolie has been working privately for four and a half years to both heal her family and to fight for improvements to the system to ensure that other families do not experience what hers has endured,” said Harvey, a former attorney general of New Jersey who has been working with Jolie on policy issues.

Guardian, Sept., 2021, while promoting her book Know Your Rights and Claim Them,  A guide for Youth

"It has been so horrific that I almost have to see it as a godsend to be in a position to be able to fight this system."

While advocating for the reauthorization of VAWA in Sept., 2021 she said:

It's about keeping families together and focusing on protection

It is a health crisis, what is happening, and it is going to be solved if we look at it as helping families,

I was on Capitol Hill this week, engaging with Senators on the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization and FBI reforms, including better protections for abused children, non-biased forensic evidence collection, trauma care, and judicial training."

NBC, March, 2022

“I think once you’re exposed to this system, whoever you are, once you’re exposed to it and you realize how unbelievably broken this system is, you have to do something to improve it,” Jolie said.
“My children’s health is my priority at this moment,” she added. “And my focus for the last few years has been to help my family and … to focus on helping change laws to protect other families and other women and focus on their stories.”

After two years of trying to obtain the FOIPA info from the FBI, Jane Doe filed a complaint vs the FBI and DOJ on March 4, 2022.

The investigative file on the incident gets all the attention but as the status report shows, it is the FBI's policies and written procedures that they really wanted.

Joint Status Report Oct. 17, 2022

The government indicated that the FBI plans to produce responsive documents in two tranches, the first in December 2022 (likely to be comprised of the results of the reprocessing) and the second in January 2023 (likely to be comprised of policies and written procedures).

Plaintiff requested that the government (1) ensure that the collection of potentially responsive documents is complete because, in Plaintiff’s assessment, the prior disclosure appeared to contain material drawn from the investigative file only; ...

The parties respectfully set forth individual positions relating to government counsel’s October 6 statements regarding the FBI’s handling of Plaintiff’s requests for policies and written procedures in the 2020 FOIPA Request. Plaintiff’s position, supported by two attorneys’ contemporaneous notes, is that counsel for the government stated, in sum and substance, that the FBI did not respond to the Plaintiff’s requests for policies and written procedures in the 2020 FOIPA Request, and that counsel for the government did not know the reason those materials had not been processed and reviewed. After the October 6 meet and confer, counsel for the government stated by email, in relevant part, “The FBI can’t say with certainty that the policies were not previously reviewed.”

Process


Wasser - Spiegel November, 2016 emails:

I understand that Brad is frustrated but feel that it is incumbent upon us to help this family achieve their long-term reunification goals in a smooth and expeditious manner. Litigation absolutely does not effectuate that goal. Is it not the end goal that within the next 6-12 months Brad is enjoying frequent and continuous contact with all of the children on a joint custodial basis?

In 2020, after 3 1/2 years of a therapeutic process that was only supposed to take 6 months to a year, the mental health experts working with the family were ready to testify that the family had healed. The reason for the longer than expected process can be gleaned from the witness list info.

On June l9, 2020, Respondent served his Request for Evidentiary Hearing and Witness List Pursuant to Family Code Section 217 and California Rule of Court 5.1 l3. .... hearing in this proceeding scheduled to commence October 5, 2020.

The mental health experts named in the witness lists

Oren Boxer, MD.  Dr. Boxer is expected to testify about his work with the children and Dr. Katz over the course of his work with this family. - Neurocognitive deficiency
Bren Chasse, LMFT.  Ms. Chasse is expected to testify about her work with the children, including their current psychological functioning and what interventions are necessary to address their respective needs. - Trauma psychotherapy and family reunification
Alyce LaViolette, MS, MFT.  Ms. LaViolette is expected to testify about her individual work with Respondent as well as the children and interactions with Dr. Katz over the course of her work with this family. -  Anger Management and Domestic Violence Counseling for Survivors and Perpetrators
Stan Katz, Ph.D.  Dr. Katz is expected to testify about his work with this family as both an evaluator and a Parenting Coordinator, his interactions and communications with the parties, the children, other professionals and third parties, the recommendations stemming therefrom and the basis for his recommendations, and consistent with his deposition taken March 3, August 10 and September 8, 2020.
Fred Luskin, PhD.  Dr. Luskin is expected to testify about his individual work with the Petitioner and Respondent as well as the children and interactions with Dr. Katz over the course of his work with this family. - Forgiveness
Melissa Brymer, PhD.  Dr. Bryrner is expected to testify regarding her interactions and communications with the parties, the children, Dr. Katz, other professionals and third parties regarding the parties and the children. - Children's trauma
Allan Yellin, PhD.  Dr. Yellin is expected to testify regarding his interactions and communications with the parties, the children, Dr. Katz, other professionals and third parties regarding the parties and the children.  - Psychodynamic and cognitive behavior therapy
Robin Deutsch, PhD.  Dr. Deutsche will be called to testify as set forth on Respondent's Expert Witness Designation dated August l4, 2020. Overcoming Parent-Child Contact Problems

Their request to proceed with the October hearings was denied on September 18, 2020 due to pandemic restrictions on all court activity.  The hearings were instead indicated to take place over several days starting Dec. 18, 2020 (a birthday gift for Brad) and then continuing in Jan. and Feb. 2021:

The hearings for Respondent's pending RFO shall take place by Zoom from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on December 18, 2020, January 15, 2021, January 19, 2021, January 20, 2021, January 21, 2021 and January 22, 2021.

By close of business on November 23, 2020, Petitioner's counsel shall advise of her availability for additional dates in February, 2021, including February 1, 3 and 15-19.

On Oct. 27, 2021 the CA Supreme Court denied the petition for review of the Appellate Court's decision ordering Judge Ouderkirk's disqualification and a request for a stay of the decision. The decision became final.

Jolie's attorney (Robert Olson) tells PEOPLE, "Ms. Jolie is focused on her family and pleased that her children's wellbeing will not be guided by unethical behavior.  As reinforced by California's appellate courts, our judiciary prioritizes ethics and children's best interests, and won't tolerate judicial misconduct to reward the interests of a party. Ms. Jolie is glad for the family to now move forward cooperatively."

A representative for Pitt tells PEOPLE that the appeals court's previous decision "was based on a technical procedural issue and the Supreme Court's decision not to review that procedural issue does not change the extraordinary amount of factual evidence which led the trial judge — and the many experts who testified — to reach their clear conclusion about what is in the children's best interests. We will continue to do everything that's legally necessary based on the detailed findings of the independent experts."

The experts' testimonies delivered under oath in court was the only thing that really mattered which is why they proceeded with the exhaustive hearings because it didn't matter if any orders from Judge Ouderkirk would be vacated if he was disqualified.  All orders and judgements were in service of helping the family get to the point where the experts could agree that the family had healed.  None were intended to stand --  including the leaked May 30, 2018 order and the Judgement on Status.  They used whatever means was at their disposal within the limits of the the petition in aid of advancing towards their reunification goal.


The leaked May 30, 2018 order was drafted by Anne Kiley after a 7-day hearing and is mainly a Summer schedule of visits between Brad and the children. It was timed to start after Angelina started filming Maleficent MoE in the UK and finish by the time she had wrapped up and was ready to go back to L.A.  The Order contained the Court's reassurance to the children that they are safe with their father and an admonition that not having a relationship with him was harmful to them.  It required Angelina to inform the children of "the parties' mutual desire and support for the Court's Orders as set forth herein."  It most notably included the threat that

"if the minor children remain closed down to their father and depending on the circumstances surrounding this condition, it may result in a reduction of the time they spend with Petitioner and may result in the Court ordering primary physical custody to Respondent."

One thing we know with even greater certainty after the FBI leak is that this was an outrageous lie.  A sign of desperation as they tried court intervention and subterfuge to nudge the children to open up to and have a relationship with Brad.  It led to their big public fight in August, 2018 as the Summer schedule was winding down.  It also led to Bley replacing Wasser.

You can easily surmise that Angelina had objections to the order which both Brad and Wasser apparently championed.  She may have supported the schedule but she likely objected to lying to the children.  By August, 2018, the summer schedule evidently did not produce the desired results and there was likely finger-pointing on who was to blame.  The Aug. 8 and 9, 2018 court filings between them which revealed that Brad had not paid his share of the children's expenses and that he had contributed $8M for the purchase of the DeMille via a loan are indicative of how big the blow up between them was.  The reasons given for the choice of Bley Dejean point to the key underlying issue between Angelina and Wasser: she did not feel Wasser was sufficiently protecting the children and their best interests.

People, Aug. 27, 2018

“Angelina has decided to change counsel to Samantha Bley Dejean, as Samantha’s expertise is the protection and best interest of children,” Mindy Nyby, a spokesperson for the 43-year-old mother of six, tells PEOPLE. “Angelina appreciates Laura’s cooperation in transitioning the case over the past several weeks.”

“Angelina decided to put Samantha in charge of her case,” a source close to Jolie and Pitt’s contentious custody battle tells PEOPLE. “She put her in the lead a month ago, and over the past month, the case has been fully transitioned to Samantha.”

Adds the insider: “She has come to rely on Samantha’s counsel and thought it best that she take the lead.”

“Angelina remains focused on healing her family,” the source says. “She continues to support the reconciliation of the children with Brad.”

08/29/2018 Substitution of Attorney
Filed by Petitioner

08/08/2018 Response
Filed by Respondent

08/07/2018 Request (for case management conf )
Filed by Petitioner

By the time Angelina arrived back in L.A. a week later they had made up and she was beaming. 

Three months later they filed the Judgement on Custody and Visitation.

11/21/2018 Notice - Entry of Judgment (*Sealed Document* *Judgment on bifurcated issue of child custody and visitation. Jurisidcation is reserved over termination of marital status and over all financial issues. )
Filed by Respondent

“A custody arrangement was agreed to weeks ago, and has been signed by both parties and the judge,” Samantha Bley DeJean said in a statement to Reuters and ET.
“The agreement, which is based on the recommendations of the child custody evaluator, eliminates the need for a trial. The filing and details of the agreement are confidential to protect the best interests of the children.”

A source close to Jolie said that she “is very pleased to be entering the next stage and relieved with progress for the health of their family.”

A source tells PEOPLE, “It is not permanent but rather a temporary agreement in place, for now, to keep things moving along in the right direction.”

The Judgement on Status which typically only requires a routine filing, was tellingly sealed.  Only matters relating to the children are allowed to be sealed.

04/12/2019 Judgment - Status - only (Sealed Copy )
Filed by Petitioner

04/12/2019 Judgment - Status - only (Per Court order of 4-12-19, attachments to Judgment - Staus only are sealed (4 pages). Termination Date 04-12-19 )
Filed by Petitioner

Their only statement then was "Both parents are focused on what’s best for the kids.”

If the May 30, 2018 order was the stick, the judgement on status may have provided a carrot.  Their Mom can again have their surname when the family has healed.


With the experts' conclusions formally on record by early 2021, the divorce petition had completed its purpose in providing the safeguards that DCFS wanted put in place to allow the children to heal.

The only activity in the divorce case since the CA Supreme Court's October, 2021 decision made Judge Ouderkirk's disqualification final was the California Board of Psychology's request for files so it can investigate their complaint vs. Stan Katz -- filed November 24, 2021 and belatedly granted on April 19, 2022.

The only activity that directly involved them since the Jan - Feb 2021 hearings was the S&O to lift the ATROs signed September, 2021 without which the sale of Nouvel could not proceed.




The announcement of the sale of Plan B ("why are we grinding so much, what are we dedicating our lives to? And I think that family and friends at the end of the day is all that matters) and Briarcliff  ("I am looking forward to the day my solitude ends, and I'm home) suggests it is almost time.  The March developments further hint that it is close.


And after: De Mille is their L.A. base, Seaward their other weekend home, Chateau Miraval where they will retire.