Hollywood sex symbol demanded to interrogate the former Russian vodka tycoon

American actor and producer Brad Pitt asked the Los Angeles court to summon the former owner of Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya vodka brands Yuri Shefler for questioning as part of a divorce case with actress Angelina Jolie. This is reported by the TMZ portal with reference to court documents.

According to Pitt, his ex-wife secretly sold the Chateau Miraval winery to Scheffler in Provence. The businessman, the actor claims, refused to testify under oath about this. Now Pitt offers to call him for questioning remotely. The star believes that the deal to buy the winery was organized and completed on the instructions of Schefler. And Pitt's legal team discovered his ex-wife's emails in correspondence with Scheffler.

According to the publication, Shefler is trying to refuse to participate in the interrogation, referring to the fact that he lives in Switzerland.

As reported by EADaily, the joint winery Chateau Miraval, which includes a castle and vineyards in the south of France, was acquired by the couple in 2008, and in 2016 Jolie filed for divorce.

In February 2022, Pitt sued Jolie, accusing his ex-wife of secretly selling her share of the winery. According to the actor, the ex-wife did not get his consent to the deal and concealed the details of the sale.

In May 2024, Pitt filed a lawsuit against Tenute del Mondo, questioning her right to Jolie's share. The company filed a counterclaim. Representatives of Tenute del Mondo accused Pitt and his company Mondo Bongo of using the winery as their own "piggy bank" for personal projects.

In particular, Pitt allegedly spent almost $ 1 million earned by Chateau Miraval on the reconstruction of his swimming pool, his personal recording studio, his own alcohol brand and a line of cosmetics.

Yuri Shefler left Russia in 2002. Continuing the vodka business, he used the Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya brands. Russia has entered into a dispute over the rights to these brands in 40 countries, and litigation is still ongoing in a number of countries.

In the summer of 2024, Schefler's assets in Russia, including the Amber Talvis distillery, from which alcohol was supplied to Latvian enterprises producing Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya vodka, was seized. A non-working plant in Kaliningrad was also arrested. In August of the same year, bailiffs turned Schaefer's property into state income. The businessman himself, as well as his company in Luxembourg was recognized as an "extremist association" because of the financing of the fund that sent funds to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.