• US judge upholds protection of Angelina Jolie’s communications in Brad Pitt legal dispute
• Dispute centers on sale of stake in former joint business venture

A Los Angeles court has rejected a request filed by American actor Brad Pitt seeking access to private messages belonging to his ex-wife Angelina Jolie, as part of an ongoing legal dispute between the two over the sale of a stake in a factory they previously co-owned.

The judge ruled that Pitt had not provided sufficient evidence to show that the communications fall outside the scope of attorney-client privilege, meaning the messages remain legally protected and Jolie cannot be compelled to hand them over at this stage.

The case stems from Jolie’s 2021 decision to sell her share in the factory, which Pitt claims violated a prior agreement requiring mutual consent before either party could dispose of their ownership stake. Jolie, however, denies that such an agreement ever existed.

The legal battle between the two stars has continued for years, involving multiple claims and escalating financial demands. Pitt is seeking damages he estimates in the tens of millions, while Jolie accuses him of attempting to assert control over her decisions and using the dispute as leverage against her.

Despite the ruling, the judge indicated that the request could be revisited if new evidence emerges, leaving the door open for further legal developments in the ongoing case before the courts.