Judge Upholds Privilege for Jolie's 22 Emails in Pitt Case

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled this week that Angelina Jolie does not have to disclose 22 emails related to her sale of a stake in the French winery Chateau Miraval, which she co-owned with ex-husband Brad Pitt, upholding claims of attorney-client privilege.

The decision by Judge Cindy Panuco overturned a prior order and followed an appellate court ruling. Pitt had sought the communications, which involved Jolie's business manager Terry Bird, British publicists Chloe Dalton and Arminka Helic, and two financial consultants. The judge found that Pitt had not met the burden to prove the emails fell outside privilege protections, though the ruling was issued without prejudice, allowing him to raise the issue again with additional evidence. The court also denied Jolie's request for $33,692.50 in sanctions against Pitt's team, stating his motion had substantial justification.

Jolie's lawyer, Paul Murphy, described the outcome in a statement as "an important victory for Ms. Jolie." He noted that Pitt initially sought 126 documents before narrowing the request to 22, adding, "now Mr. Pitt is getting nothing, zero."

The dispute stems from Jolie's 2021 sale of her half interest...