SOUR GRAPES Brad Pitt claims he was ‘bullied & threatened’ by Russian tycoon in $350 million vineyard battle against Angelina Jolie

 Brad Pitt has accused his Russian billionaire business rival of trying to "bully" and "intimidate" him in their fight over the film star's French vineyard.

The 60-year-old Oscar winner is currently fighting vodka tycoon Yuri Scheffler, 56, in court for control of the Chateau Miraval winery, which was owned by his ex-wife Angelina Jolie.

Pitt is trying to undo the $64 million sale of her stake in the vineyard to Scheffler by Jolie, 48, through her investment firm Novell in 2021.

The actor claims in new court documents that, after "secretly" purchasing Novell, Scheffler unilaterally issued a press release announcing their "partnership" and then asked the pair to meet to negotiate. demanded.

The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star says she was "ultimately threatened" if she didn't cooperate.

U.S. Legal documents obtained exclusively by The Sun say: "After the transaction closed Scheffler took action to personally promote his alleged partnership with Pitt, repeatedly asking Pitt to go along with him. Wrote to threaten."

The legal filing states: "Since acquiring Novell, Scheffler has suggested a meeting between himself and Pitt to 'discuss the way forward'...

“At times, Scheffler expressed his fervent desire to work with Pitt.

"At times, he threatened Pitt based on false allegations of mismanagement at Miraval."

The claims were presented by Pitt's lawyers in a filing in Los Angeles Superior Court earlier this month.

They say the 2021 deal was a violation of Jolie's earlier promise that she would give first refusal if it was ever sold.

Pitt sued Jolie over the sale of Nouvel and its 50% stake in Chateau Miraval to a business group controlled by Scheffler in February 2022.

In September that year, Novell filed a cross-complaint against Pitt, seeking $350 million in damages.

Pitt's legal team claims that Scheffler – whose business empire owns the Stolichnaya vodka brand – was desperate to capitalize on the star's "Hollywood celebrity".

New court documents allege that the businessman "wanted to force his way into a partnership between Pitt and Jolie, two California-based celebrities, in order to profit from Pitt's fame."

The papers also provide an example of correspondence Scheffler sent to Pitt on December 11, 2021.

They say: "He apologized for 'surprising Pitt by entering the Miraval Empire', and asked Pitt to 'trust me and trust me' as his new 'partner.'

"But, Scheffler warned, if Pitt did not bow to his wishes, Scheffler 'will protect his interests and will not hesitate to take that process to the end.'

“And he has made good on that threat: Since the transaction, Scheffler has leveraged Novell – the California LLC he now controls – to sue Pitt and attempt a hostile takeover of Chateau Miraval "

Scheffler claims the California court has no jurisdiction to hear a full hearing on the case.

His legal team had previously described Pitt as "an actor, not a brewer" and that he "deals in illusions, not dirt and grapes".

Meanwhile, a European court recently handed Pitt a partial victory when it stripped Scheffler of his 10% shares, making Pitt once again the majority shareholder.

The court of Luxembourg – where Chateau Miraval's holding company is based – handed control of the shares gifted to Jolie by Pitt to a court-appointed receiver in 2013.

Pitt and Jolie purchased a 1,300-acre estate in Provence, southern France, in 2008 for $28.4 million and married there in 2014.

The vineyard has been highly profitable and has even produced award-winning rosés.

The former Hollywood power couple – who have six children together – separated in 2016 but have not yet finalized their divorce.

It is believed that a final settlement may be reached after the pair submitted financial documents to the court last week.