Angelina Jolie Must Produce Years' Worth of NDAs, Judge Rules in Brad Pitt Winery Court Case

A Pitt source called the ruling a "significant blow" to Jolie's credibility, and her lawyer says they are "more than happy" to turn over the documents

Angelina Jolie; Brad Pitt
Angelina Jolie; Brad Pitt

A judge has ruled that Angelina Jolie must produce eight years' worth of non-disclosure agreements in her legal battle with Brad Pitt over their French winery, Château Miraval.

On Thursday, May 16, Judge Lia Martin ruled in Los Angeles Superior Court that the actress must "produce, within 60 calendar days of this Order, all non-privileged documents in her possession, custody or control that are responsive to" Pitt's requests in a previously filed action, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE.

Pitt's lawyers are calling for the disclosure of her NDAs since they feel it is "highly relevant" to Jolie's "purported justifications for refusing to adhere to her contractual obligations to Pitt" when she sold her winery shares.

A source close to Pitt calls the ruling a "significant blow to the credibility" of Jolie's claims and a "strong statement challenging them to match their rhetoric with actual facts, which they consistently have been not been able to do."

“This is a business dispute that they have made unnecessarily personal and they are now being held accountable," said that source.

About the history of NDAs, Jolie's attorney Paul Murphy says, however, that they are "more than happy to turn them over."

“Common NDAs are simply not comparable to Mr. Pitt’s last-second demand to try and cover up his personal misconduct," says Murphy, adding that they 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."

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<p>Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic, MICHEL GANGNE/AFP via Getty</p> Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt; Château Miraval

Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic, MICHEL GANGNE/AFP via Getty

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt; Château Miraval

Related: Angelina Jolie Source Says Brad Pitt Sued Her for 'Not Agreeing to Keep Quiet' as His Lawyer Responds

Murphy says the ruling "opens the door to discovery on all issues related to Pitt’s abuse" and "we welcome that transparency in all parties’ discovery responses."

"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," concludes Murphy.

In his previous action, Pitt's legal team accused Jolie, 48, of having "refused to produce any documents other than those (if any) concerning such an agreement between" herself and Pitt, 60. The request also included "any NDA between Jolie and any third party with whom she is in a relationship or who has assisted with the care of the couple’s children."

The Thursday order document reads, "The production is limited in scope of time to calendar years 2014 through February 17, 2022 (when this action was filed)," with Martin dismissing Jolie’s objections that her own NDAs had no relevance.

The order comes amid the exes’ ongoing legal battle over Château Miraval. Lawyers for Pitt recently submitted to L.A. Superior Court a declaration from security company owner Tony Webb, who worked for Jolie, from 2000 to 2020; he claims he was fired by Jolie, but still currently works for Pitt.

In his 12-page statement, Webb claimed a Jolie aide named Michael Vieira called him and tried to enlist his help to dissuade two bodyguard who'd worked for Jolie via Webb’s company SRS Global from testifying in her separate custody battle with Pitt over their children, half of whom have now reached legal age.

<p>Mike Marsland/WireImage; Mike Marsland/WireImage</p> Brad Pitt; Angelina Jolie

Mike Marsland/WireImage; Mike Marsland/WireImage

Brad Pitt; Angelina Jolie

Related: Angelina Jolie Allegedly 'Encouraged' Kids to 'Avoid Spending Time' with Brad Pitt, Security Guard Claims

Murphy, Jolie's attorney, said in a previous statement, “Mr. Pitt’s continued attempt to equate common NDAs for security personnel and housekeepers covering confidential information employees learn at work, with him demanding an expanded NDA to ensure the continued coverup of his deplorable actions remains shameful."

"This case is not about NDAs in general, but about power and control," continued Murphy at the time. "All Angelina has ever wanted was separation and health, with positive relationships between all members of their family, including Mr. Pitt. She looks forward to the day when he is finally able to let her go.”

Pitt’s lawyers submitted the declaration from Webb in an effort to illustrate that Jolie herself used the kind of NDAs that she objected to sign when the Bullet Train actor was ready to buy her out of the wine business in 2021.

“Her hook is to allege that she was justified in terminating an imminent deal for Pitt to purchase her interest in Château Miraval, and in doing so breach her obligations not to sell to a stranger without his consent, because Pitt’s lawyers asked for an NDA to be included in the deal papers,” his lawyers wrote.

They added, “The extent of Jolie’s reliance on NDAs will help establish that Jolie was experienced with NDAs and understood their legitimate business purposes and undermine Jolie’s claim that Pitt and Perrin’s proposal of a standard NDA with a broad carve-out for legal proceedings was ‘unconscionable’ and ‘against public policy.'"

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