Brad Pitt REFUSES to drop lawsuit against Angelina Jolie after she 'painted herself as a peacemaker' in desperate bid to have him end bitter legal battle over Chateau Miraval
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- Published on Saturday, 20 July 2024 15:23
- Written by Daily mail
Brad Pitt will not drop his lawsuit against ex-wife Angelina Jolie after she tried to paint herself as a ‘victim’ in a desperate bid to get him to end their bitter legal battle over Chateau Miraval, insiders have claimed. Pitt, 60, and Jolie, 49, have been embroiled in a dispute over their co-ownership of the idyllic French winery, which they purchased in 2008, with the actor suing his ex-wife for selling her half without his consent for $67 million in October 2021. They later entered into an acrimonious mudslinging over NDA's, which have become a key battleground in their fight.Jolie is now asking Pitt to 'end the fighting' and drop the lawsuit against her to allow their family to 'heal.' But sources have exclusively told DailyMail.com that the Fight Club star 'has no intention' of dropping it - alleging that Jolie only made the plea after realizing that she does not have as strong a case as she previously thought. ‘Brad is not going to drop this lawsuit – why would he? This was a very standard business dispute but unfortunately, Angelina has consistently introduced personal elements that are meant for a divorce court,' an insider said. ‘Angelina is asking him to put an end to the fighting as if she is a peacemaker. This is nothing more than to paint herself as the victim. This is not a fight. This is a business dispute over the sale of property that was ultimately going to be for their kids. It was their inheritance, and she knows this. ‘She is realizing that she does not have a strong case anymore and she also knows that she may likely have to shell out the money by order of the courts. ‘Bringing very personal issues into a business lawsuit is backfiring on her. It has exposed the weaknesses in her case and has complicated matters for both parties. She didn’t need to do this.’ A separate source close to the matter refuted claims it is a 'simple business dispute,' and added: 'Pitt is the one suing Angelina yet he somehow thinks he can say she’s fighting him. She’s the one out there saying they should focus on healing their family and he should drop his relentless attacks on her, but he’s refusing. 'Suing her for 67 million dollars because she refused to sign an NDA covering up his abuse is not a “simple business dispute”. 'All Angelina wants is peace, but he is determined to continue fighting her and blaming everyone but himself for the situation he’s now in.'
The estranged couple, who met in 2004 while filming Mr. And Mrs. Smith before tying the knot in 2014, share six children together: sons Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, and Knox, 16, and daughters Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and Vivienne, 16. They filed for divorce in September 2016.Pitt accused Jolie of breaching their purchase agreement to not sell to a third party without offering the other the right of first refusal when she sold her 50 per cent stake in Chateau Miraval to Russian oligarch, Yuri Shefler, in 2021.The actor, who is now dating model Ines de Ramon, requested the sale be made void and sought monetary damages and legal fees, but it went through on October 5, 2021. When the then couple bought the 1200 acre winemaking enterprise and estate, Pitt took a 60 per cent stake while Jolie took 40 per cent.Pitt poured millions into the estate, riding the rosé wave, and expanding the business in an effort that saw sales grow 300 percent.Soon the estate they purchased for an estimated $60million was worth closer to $164million.By the time of their wedding, Jolie had 'stopped investing,' according to previously filed court records – something that she has denied.Still, Pitt transferred 10 percent of his share to her by way of a wedding gift in December 2013 'for the sum of 1Euro [never paid]' so that by the time of their marriage in August 2014, they were 50/50 equal partners. Jolie claims she backed out of their agreement because Pitt asked her to sign an NDA as part of their business deal, which allegedly would prevent her from speaking out about the abuse allegations, including the September 2016 incident onboard the private jet. Her team described this as an 'unconscionable' attempt by her ex-partner to 'control her' after their split.A source close to Pitt, later told People: 'Brad requested a mutual NDA and non-disparagement strictly related to Miraval over concerns around sensitive financial information and protecting the brand, which is standard with these types of transactions.' His legal team claimed that Jolie 'weaponized' NDAs, and asked for Pitt to sign a broader NDA just six months later as part of their divorce settlement talks.In a ruling made public back in May, Judge Lia Martin ordered the actress to produce all NDAs she proposed, or that were proposed to her by others, regardless of whether they were finalized or agreed.Earlier this week Jolie's lawyer, Paul Murphy, said: 'When Angelina again asks Mr. Pitt to end the fighting and finally put their family on a clear path toward healing, unless Mr. Pitt withdraws his lawsuit, Angelina has no choice but to obtain the evidence necessary to prove his allegations wrong.'
Recent documents filed on behalf of Pitt in objection to Jolie's latest request list the pieces of evidence she would obtain. These include 'any therapy in which [he] voluntarily agreed to engage from September 14, 2016 through December 31, 2018, his consumption of alcohol from 2008 through 2021, his random drug and alcohol testing following the flight, communications with various government agencies about the flight, and confidential filings from the parties’ divorce case.''These requests are not designed to discover relevant evidence but rather to embarrass Pitt and/or to prejudice the trier of fact, which is not permitted by California’s discovery statutes,' the documents read.The estranged couples' eight-year divorce, which has had them at war over custody of their children, has not been finalized. They are legally single.
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source : Daily mail 
Angelina Jolie wants ex husband Brad Pitt to 'end the fighting' by dropping lawsuit against her for selling her stake of their winery - amid eight years long divorce
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- Published on Thursday, 18 July 2024 19:12
- Written by Daily mail
Angelina Jolie wants ex-husband Brad Pitt to drop his lawsuit against her regarding the center of their legal drama - Chateau Miraval winery - via her lawyer Paul Murphy.The actress, 49, wants him to 'end the fighting,' after he sued her for selling her half of the winery in October 2021 for $67 million, according to People magazine.Angelina asked that Brad, 60, disclose any third-party communication he had after théier private plane ride in 2016 - during which she said he allegedly became violent and abusive, which he has vehemently denied and was cleared of - leading to the demise of their marriage.During the plane ride, it was alleged that he had an argument with son Maddox - and the FBI investigated the matter and cleared Brad of any wrongdoing. Brad's lawyer said her request was 'intrusive' and a 'sensationalist fishing expedition,' per the outlet.His lawyer asked the judge to deny it.In February 2022, Brad sued Angelina for selling their Chateau Miraval Winery, their French winery and the place they tied the knot.They had 50/50 ownership, and Angelina sold her portion to Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler. The holding company in control of her Miraval share is called Nouvel.He requested the sale to be voided and sought monetary damages and legal fees however the sale went through on October 5, 2021.In June 2023, Brad filed an amended complaint regarding her sale of her share of the winery.His lawsuit for the sale of her portion of the winery is still ongoing.Brad claims that Angelina went against their verbal agreement about their winery, but she claims that didn't let him buy her out because she didn't want sign his NDA - which was part of the deal, according to People.Her lawyer, Paul Murphy, claims that Brad 'tried to punish and control Angelina by demanding a newly expanded NDA to cover his personal misconduct and abuse.' per the outlet. 'Those actions are central to the proceedings. We are not at all surprised Mr. Pitt is afraid to turn over the documents demonstrating these facts,' Murphy said. 'When Angelina again asks Mr. Pitt to end the fighting and finally put their family on a clear path toward healing, unless Mr. Pitt withdraws his lawsuit, Angelina has no choice but to obtain the evidence necessary to prove his allegations wrong,' Murphy said in the paperwork, per People.
The movie stars, who met in 2004 while filming Mr. And Mrs. Smith, share six children together: sons Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, and Knox, 16, and daughters Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and Vivienne, 16.Jolie adopted Maddox in 2002, then Zahara in 2005, a year after she'd met Pitt while the pair filmed Mr and Mrs Smith. He was married to Jennifer Aniston at the time.They then adopted Pax together in 2007, and had biological kids Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne afterwards. Pitt adopted all of the kids before they got married in 2014.They married in August 2014 after 10 years together but Angelina filed for divorce in September 2016.At the time, Angelina chose to file 'for the health of the family,' according to the Associated Press, and asked for physical custody of the children.Jolie filed for sole custody after filing for divorce following the alleged incident on the couple's private plane.By the end of September 2016, she was granted the full physical custody according to a judge, with Brad having visitation rights.Two months later, Brad filed his response, requesting joint and physical custody of the children.By December 2016, Brad filed - but was later denied - a request to seal the custody related documents.In January 2017, they released a joint statement revealing that they signed an agreement to keep their court documents confidential.The judge ordered Angelina to help repair Brad's relationship with their children and he was given more time with them.However, in August 2018, Angelina accused Brad of not paying any 'meaningful child support, with Brad's lawyers filing a response one day later, claiming he's paid her $9 million since their split.A judge granted them both legal single status on April 12, 2019, while the couple continued to finalize their divorce.Brad was granted joint custody by private Judge John Ouderkirk in May 2021 but Angelina challenged it.
A California appeals court disqualified the judge in July 2021, agreeing with Jolie in that the judge, Judge John Ouderkirk, did not sufficiently disclose business relationships with Pitt's attorneys.Lawyers for the star filed a petition for review with the California Supreme Court after the disqualification of Judge John Ouderkirk effectively voided the joint custody ruling, according to People.In Pitt's petition, lawyers claim that elimination of Ouderkirk 'effectively upended the constitutionally authorized temporary judging system in California' and subsequently 'throws open the door to disqualification challenges at any point during a case, even if the party raising the motion has long been on notice about the alleged grounds for disqualification.' In addition, lawyers for the actor allege that Jolie was 'made aware of Judge Ouderkirk's significant professional history with Pitt's counsel from the very start,' yet did not seek disqualification until years later.The joint custody ruling was then vacated after his removal.Brad is currently romantically involved with Ines de Ramon, the ex-wife of actor Paul Wesley.
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source : Daily mail
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are STILL hashing out their divorce after eight years
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- Published on Wednesday, 17 July 2024 15:59
- Written by Daily mail
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are still finalizing their divorce after eight years. The former couple, who were one of Hollywood's most iconic couples before calling it quits in September 2016, are reportedly 'slowly approaching a divorce settlement.' Still, a source told People that 'both sides are still talking' and their divorce negotiations are 'not done yet.' The former Mr. and Mrs. Smith costars, who share six children, were declared legally single by a judge back in 2019 as they continue their legal battle over Château Miraval and custody of their kids, who are legally adults, except their twins Knox and Vivienne, who will turn 16 on Friday. The exes are also parents to Maddox, 22, Zahara, 19, Pax, 20, Shiloh, 18. DailyMail.com has contacted both Pitt and Jolie's respective representatives for comment. Earlier this week, a source revealed to People that Pitt has 'virtually no contact' with his older children. 'He has virtually no contact with the adult kids. His engagement with the younger kids is more limited in recent months because of his filming schedule,' the insider shared. The source noted that the couple's custody agreement allows for visitation rights with the two minor kids. '[Angelina] has the kids most of the time, but per their agreement, he has visitation with the younger kids,' the insider added. The actor is on location in Europe filming his new racing movie F1, while Jolie lives in Los Angeles with their younger children. In June it was reported that Pitt is 'upset and aware' that his daughter Shiloh filed to drop his last name from her own on her 18th birthday. A source close to the Oscar winner said his erasure from his daughter's life is just another indication that he has 'lost his children,' according to People. 'He's aware and upset that Shiloh dropped his last name,' the source claimed. 'He’s never felt more joy than when she was born. He always wanted a daughter.' Notably, Pitt was already in the process of legally adopting a daughter who had been a part of his life for months before he and his then-partner Angelina had announced she was pregnant with Shiloh in January 2006.
Jolie had traveled to Ethiopia to adopt her first daughter Zahara in July 2005, and Pitt had come with her on the trip. He was reported to be in the process of becoming Zahara's adopted father in December 2005, a month before he and Jolie announced her pregnancy. 'The reminders that he’s lost his children, is of course not easy for Brad,' the source continued. 'He loves his children and misses them. It’s very sad.' They added that the distance between Pitt and his six children 'pains him.' However, they noted that 'he’s still happy with Ines [de Ramon],' his current girlfriend. Another source described as close to Pitt told the publication that the Tree Of Life star 'still loves all of his kids tremendously.' 'This whole process has been very hard for the whole family,' they added. If Shiloh's request is granted — and there is no indication that it would not be — she will subsequently go simply by 'Shiloh Jolie,' rather than her original full name, 'Shiloh Jolie-Pitt.' People previously reported that Pitt's youngest daughter Vivienne — who served as her mother's assistant when she produced the Broadways musical adaptation of The Outsiders — had listed her name as 'Vivienne Jolie' in the Playbill for the show. It is unclear if Vivienne has legally changed her name, but the minor would likely need either parental consent or extenuating circumstances to be allowed to do so before turning 18. Last month, Shiloh filed to drop Pitt from her last name. Meanwhile, their big sister, Zahara, previously introduced herself as 'Zahara Marley Jolie' when she joined the Mu Pi chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at Spelman College late last year. Pitt and Jolie's oldest sons, Maddox and Pax, have reportedly not publicly used their father's last name in years, and both have been openly antagonistic toward him. Pitt and Jolie began dating publicly shortly after he and his then-wife Jennifer Aniston announced their divorce in 2005. The Mr. And Mrs. Smith costars remained unmarried for years despite having multiple adopted and biological children together, but they got engaged in 2012 and finally tied the knot in 2014. However, it was only around two years later when the Maleficent actress filed for divorce in 2016. She and Pitt were declared legally single in 2019. However, the two A-listers have been embroiled in an ongoing divorce battle over assets and custody for years since. A central issue seems to be a notorious private jet confrontation in 2016. An FBI report on the incident, which was published in 2022, saw Jolie accuse Pitt of physical assault while flying to California in 2016. She claimed that he was intoxicated and that he grabbed her by the head and shook her, and later pushed her down, as part of a confrontation allegedly related to their children. Jolie told the FBI that Pitt told the children that she was 'f***ing up this family,' and she said he punched the ceiling of the airplane four times. She claimed that at one point he poured beer on her and a blanket she was under with multiple children. Sources close to Pitt later claimed that he never hit any of the children, though they admitted that he had been drinking.
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source : Daily mail
Angelina Jolie is ordered to turn over every NDA she signed with a third party from 2014 to 2022 after she claimed she walked out of Miraval sale due to Brad Pitt's 'cruel' gag order
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- Published on Thursday, 23 May 2024 03:32
- Written by Daily mail
Angelina Jolie has been hit with another legal blow in her bitter battle with Brad Pitt over their Chateau Miraval estate, DailyMail.com can reveal.The Tomb Raider actress, 48, has been ordered by a judge in LA Superior Court to produce every NDA agreement that she signed with a third-party over an eight-year period from 2014 - the year they married - to 2022.Documents detailing the judge's decision were made public as part of the ongoing 'War of the Roses', with the A-List couple stuck in an acrimonious battle over her rights to sell their French vineyard and home.Jolie sold her $62million stake to Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler in 2021, which Pitt argues went against their agreement to offer the other the right of first refusal.NDA's have become a key battleground in the dispute over Chateau Miraval after Jolie claims she backed out of their agreement because Pitt, 60, asked her to sign a one as part of their business deal.She claims that it was an 'unconscionable' attempt by her ex-partner to 'control her' after their split in April 2019, with his lawyers asking LA Superior Court to unwind the sale because of their agreement to not sell to a third party.But Pitts attorneys have argued that Jolie's NDA objection was really just a cover story which she cooked-up to 'rationalize' her betrayal of Pitt by deciding to sell her stake behind his back.The Fight Club star's attorneys also claim that Jolie herself 'weaponized' NDAs, and asked for Pitt to sign a broader NDA just six months later as part of their divorce ttlement talks. Pitt's legal team asked in previous filings that she come clean about NDAs she entered into with third parties including staff.In a ruling made public on Wednesday, Judge Lia Martin dismissed Jolie's objections that her own NDAs had 'no relevance', agreeing with the motion filed by Pitt's team.She ordered the actress to produce all NDAs she proposed, or that were proposed to her by others, regardless of whether they were finalized or agreed.The ruling also obliges Jolie to produce NDAs entered into by companies she controls, as well as documents reflecting the reasons that she or her companies asked for the agreements within 60 days.Paul Murphy, one of Jolie's attorney's, told DailyMail.com the judge's order also opens the window for the actress to demand documents related to Pitt's alleged abuses.'Common NDAs are simply not comparable to Mr. Pitt’s last-second demand to try and cover up his personal misconduct,' Murphy said. 'We are more than happy to turn them over and we are gratified that the Court acknowledged that the only potential relevance is to the unconscionability of Mr. Pitt’s conduct, a now confirmed key issue in this case.'He continued, 'The judge’s ruling completely opens the door to discovery on all issues related to Pitt’s abuse. We welcome that transparency in all parties’ discovery responses, including Mr. Pitt’s. Angelina looks forward to the eventual end of this litigation with its false narratives that continue to hurt the family and interfere with their ability to heal.'
A source close to Brad, however, said Jolie's decision to use the NDA as a strategy 'as backfired spectacularly.''Her defense has been exposed as a house of cards, and she will now have to provide details of all the NDAs she demanded of third parties.'There is no question that this is a huge setback for her. There’s a long way to go, but in the context of the case so far, this is a hugely important and far reaching ruling which will be problematic for her defense,' the source added. It comes less than two weeks after Jolie was accused of trying to drive a wedge between her estranged husband and their six kids in the aftermath of their split, according to court filings lodged at LA Superior Court.In an explosive declaration seen by DailyMail.com, a former bodyguard for the couple was informed by his own contractors that Jolie was pushing for her children to avoid Pitt when she had custody of them.Former British SAS solider Tony Webb worked for the family for more than 20 years, starting in 2000, but claims that Jolie fired him after two of his security personnel sided with Pitt after the split.According to documents lodged by Pitt's lawyers in May, Webb claims that the two colleagues were told by Jolie's personal assistant that she 'would sue' after it emerged that they might give evidence in the couple's custody battle.Documents submitted to the court, seen by DailyMail.com, state Webb's colleague told him he overheard Jolie 'encouraging the children to avoid spending time with Pitt during custody visits.'His declaration accuses Jolie of repeating her threat to sue the bodyguards in a follow up email, with Pitt's lawyers using the claims as part of their motion to force the actress to reveal her use of NDA's.NDAs are not typically used to gag witnesses coming forward to testify in court proceedings, though despite the threats Webb told the hearing that both his colleagues testified under subpoena.His comments make up part of the motion Pitt's team has now won, where Jolie is called a 'hypocrite' for claiming he wanted to use an NDA in the sale of their French vineyard to 'control' her – despite regularly gagging her own staff with similar contracts.Pitt's team argues that Jolie is 'using NDA's in an 'improper manner'. In a separate previous legal filing, Pitt's attorney John Berlinski argued that Webb's evidence shows that Jolie has 'weaponized' NDAs in a bid to keep the couple's 'family issues' under wraps.He added: 'The very thing that Jolie claims was so sacred to her that Pitt's proposed NDA caused her to renege on her deal to sell to him.'Jolie's use of NDAs to silence her security detail and attempt to prevent them from testifying truthfully in court about what actually happened behind closed doors bears a striking resemblance to Jolie's (false) allegations in this case that Pitt improperly used an NDA to 'silence' her.
'The only reason this motion is even before the Court is because of Jolie's ploy to turn this business dispute into a sideshow about family court matters.'In short, establishing that NDAs are a commonplace feature of Jolie's personal and professional life, and entirely routine for her, goes directly to the credibility of her defense— regardless of the precise terms or subject matter of any one particular NDA.'He went on to accuse Jolie of using the NDA proposal to 'introduce into this case the unfortunate circumstances related to the dissolution of the couple's marriage, claiming that the proposal engendered an 'emotionally devastating' reaction in her.'Berlinski added that her timeline 'does not work', claiming that the confidentiality agreement suggested by Pitt was provided after she 'opened negotiations' with the Russian billionaire.The arguments come after Pitt has landed several legal victories in the battle for the winery including a key judgement in Luxembourg which handed him back control of the award-winning vineyard pending further hearings.In March, LA Superior court rejected the allegations that his suit was 'frivolous, malicious, and part of a problematic pattern.'A source close to Angelia, however, said Brad only fought to obtain the NDAs as further retribution against the actress.'Pitt and his team know that these NDAs are never going to see the light of day at trial,' a source told DailyMail.com.'They also know that this will force Angie to spend resources tracking all of this information down, which is just another way to drain her resources and punish her for leaving.'
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source : Daily mail 
Angelina Jolie could be ordered to hand over staff NDAs as judge indicates she may side with Brad Pitt in Miraval wine court battle
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- Published on Friday, 17 May 2024 05:22
- Written by Daily mail
Brad Pitt is poised to take a big win in court in his ongoing battle with ex Angelina Jolie after a judge said she would grant the actor’s request to force Jolie to turn over nondisclosure agreements she has entered into – including those signed by her staff.The pair continue to fight over her decision to sell her shares of the $500million business to a Russian businessman. Pitt maintains that they agreed, as part of their divorce, not to sell any shares in the company without the other's agreement. In court on Thursday, Pitt’s attorneys argued the NDAs would be ‘highly probative’. Jolie sold her shares in the French winery to a Russian billionaire who controls the Stoli Group.Judge Lia Martin said she was ‘inclined to’ grant Pitt’s motion, which would mean Jolie has to turn over all the NDAs she has entered into with various third parties since 2014 - the year the former Hollywood power couple were married. Judge Lia Martin said the NDAs might help her determine what is or isn't a reasonable non-disclosure request. ‘I don’t see this as a character question,’ Judge Martin said to attorneys on both sides in a Downtown Los Angeles court on Thursday. ‘There maybe agreements that [Jolie] entered into with people that may have terms similar or not. The court is not making any findings today about admissibility of the documents.’ The judge said she could render her final order as soon as Thursday afternoon.Jolie’s attorneys disagreed with the judge’s tentative ruling and said Pitt’s demands for the NDA’s is being weaponized against the actress.Paul Murphy, one of Jolie’s attorneys, said Pitt is seeking access to the NDAs as a tactic to hide ‘years of abuse’ the actor inflicted against his client and their six children.Jolie has made explosive claims that Pitt physically abused her outside of the 2016 flight when their children were present. Her attorneys said Pitt made Jolie sign an NDA as part of an ‘unconscionable’ attempt to control her and her interests in Miraval.
In court documents, Jolie said their Miraval deal was scrapped after Pitt asked her to sign an NDA that barred her from publicly speaking out about the abuse allegations, including the September 2016 incident on a private jet where Pitt allegedly slapped one of their children and choked another.Five days after the flight Jolie filed for divorce, and in September 2021 she sold her stake in the French winery she co-owned with Pitt. 'She has gone to great lengths to try to shield their children from reliving the pain Pitt inflicted on the family that day,' Jolie's lawyers wrote in an affidavit obtained by DailyMail.com. 'But when Pitt filed this lawsuit seeking to reassert control over Jolie's financial life and compel her to rejoin her ex-husband as a frozen-out business partner, Pitt forced Jolie to publicly defend herself on these issues for the first time.'The years of abuse was the reason why Jolie refused to sell her shares of Miraval to Pitt and instead sold her stake to Russian billionaire Yuri Shefler in 2021, her attorneys have said in court filings.‘He wanted to cover up his conduct because he could not stomach what he is covering up,’ Murphy said in court on Thursday. ‘Mr. Pitt’s abuse, his cover-up and actions, gaslighting his children - that is what changed.’Murphy asked the judge to consider several factors if she approves Pitt’s request, including to limit the release of NDAs signed by Jolie from 2014 to 2021, and not agreements related to her companies.Murphy also argued Jolie should not be forced to turn over drafts of the NDAs because it would be 'a bridge way too far' and would keep the case from 'blowing up' into 'different sideshows.'Pitt’s attorney, John Berlinski, said they should be allowed to view Jolie’s NDAs related to all of her businesses since actors often use their company names when signing agreements.Berlinski also argued the NDAs would be relevant to the Miraval case since Jolie allegedly made others, including her staff, sign ‘gag orders’ to prevent them from talking about what they witnessed while they were employed at her home, including her treatment of Pitt and their children. ‘She was the one who weaponized the NDA and threatened to sue security guards simply if they testified,’ Berlinski said during Thursday’s hearing. ‘That’s significant.’
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source : Daily mail
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