Brad Pitt's request to unseal Angelina Jolie's messages granted, judge rules
- - Brad Pitt's request to unseal Angelina Jolie's messages granted, judge rules
Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY December 18, 2025 at 1:37 PM
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A judge has delivered a victory to Brad Pitt in his ongoing legal battle against ex-wife Angelina Jolie after he doubled down on releasing her private communications.
In an Oct. 29 Los Angeles Superior Court filing, obtained by USA TODAY, Pitt's lawyers filed a compendium of evidence in support of his request for Jolie's emails. The emails concerned the actress' legal strategy over selling her shares of the Château Miraval winery in 2021. The couple once co-owned the winery.
The 286-page filing included both redacted and unredacted exchanges between Jolie and her counsel, dating back as far as 2008, which Jolie had recently turned over to the court.
Over a month later, in court documents obtained by USA TODAY on Wednesday, Dec. 17, Judge Lia Martin granted Pitt's motion to compel against Jolie, meaning she must produce non-redacted versions of her communications discussing legal strategy.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on Nov. 5, 2015 in Hollywood.
The communications were allegedly with "non-attorney" individuals, according to Us Weekly and People.
Jolie's lawyers have 45 days to produce said communications, which the 50-year-old actress and philanthropist fought to keep under sanctions.
In a statement to USA TODAY on Thursday, Jolie's attorney, Paul Murphy, said they were "disappointed by the court's interpretation of California's privilege law."
"The court's ruling violates that law, undermines Ms. Jolie's fundamental right to a fair trial, and represents yet another manifestation of Mr. Pitt's years-long effort to harass and control her," the statement continued. "We will appeal."
USA TODAY has reached out to Pitt's representatives for comment.
The decision arrives three years into the power couple's contentious legal dispute over their French winery, which they once owned and where they married in 2014. In their ongoing tug of war, the situation has turned ugly as Jolie has accused Pitt of physical abuse and "looting" assets.
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The trial over Pitt's allegations of Jolie's breach of contract is scheduled to begin Feb. 1, 2027, more than five years after he filed his lawsuit in February 2022.
Pitt and Jolie reached a divorce settlement in December 2024 after splitting in 2016. The couple originally married in 2014 following a near-decade-long relationship.
They first met on the "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" set in 2005, quickly becoming a couple and instant tabloid fodder following the actor's recent divorce from Jennifer Aniston. The dissolution of their marriage shocked Hollywood, having established themselves as a power couple in philanthropy and entertainment alike.
Contributing: KiMi Robinson, Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Judge grants Brad Pitt win in legal battle with Angelina Jolie
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