After a Los Angeles Superior Court judge rejected Jolie’s attempts to have the case dismissed, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s legal battle over their French vineyard, Château Miraval, is going to trial. Both celebrities are scheduled to testify in the next months as the courtroom drama, which may go until 2026, has become more intense and personal.

In 2008, when the couple was at their happiest, they bought the vineyard with the intention of raising their family in the picturesque surroundings of Provence.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie owned 60% and 40% of the property, respectively, at the time of acquisition. Pitt gave Jolie 10% of his part of the land just before their 2014 wedding, making their ownership split 50/50. However, when they filed for divorce in 2016, the common dream started to fall apart.

When Jolie sold the Stoli Group half of her winery interests, Pitt says this was outside their agreement, and the dispute intensified. He claimed that before any external sale, he had the first chance to purchase her shares. Pitt was driven to sue in order to stop the sale and keep control of the company.

Jolie retaliated by accusing Pitt of trying to impose a stringent non-disclosure agreement that she says would have barred her from discussing suspected prior wrongdoing. Pitt’s legal team contends that his efforts are motivated more by personal grudges than by valid commercial concerns.

Depositions are anticipated for both actors, which might reveal further information about their tense relationship. Originally presented as a simple commercial disagreement, the hearings have become very personal as both sides level increasingly venomous accusations.

Pitt’s attorneys have insisted that the action is still purely business-related, pointing out that the opposing side’s inclusion of personal details has made the case needlessly complex. A hearing to ascertain their participation is set for March 2024. In the meanwhile, the Stoli Group, which purchased Jolie’s shares, has also attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed.

According to legal experts, the trial will probably be further delayed due to the intricacy of the arguments and the entwined personal histories.