Ever since announcing their split in 2016, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have gone from Hollywood’s golden couple to the bitter leads in a very public and escalating feud that has lasted nearly a decade. Between court filings, whispered accusations of abuse, behind-the-scenes maneuvering, and a fairytale French vineyard turned battlefield, what once looked like a difficult divorce now feels much more like a silent and strategic campaign to dismantle Jolie’s image. While Brad’s narrative has been wrapped in redemption and California charm, hers has been painted in shades of bitterness, isolation, and fading relevance.

From the outside, it seems Hollywood picked a side. Brad kept the prestige, produced acclaimed films, won an Oscar for Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood, and is now headlining a high-octane Formula 1 movie. Angelina, once beloved for her intense performances and global activism, has seen her screen presence wane. Her film Maria, in which she plays opera legend Maria Callas, was all but ignored during awards season — and I don’t believe that was by chance. Her Oscar snub, to me, has Brad’s fingerprints all over it, subtle but undeniable.

Recent press has carefully recast Brad as the wounded man who found sobriety through AA, the guy who learned from his mistakes and emerged better. But that’s just PR — emotional packaging dressed as honesty. The charming, contrite face only shows up when it suits him. In truth, the court documents and the continued escalation over Château Miraval tell another story: that of a man who is strategic, vindictive, and obsessed with not just winning, but dominating the public narrative.

The vineyard case says it all. Brad and Angelina bought Château Miraval together in 2011, a dream estate in the South of France now worth around half a billion dollars. What began as a legacy project for their children became a legal and emotional minefield after the divorce. In 2021, Angelina’s company, Nouvel LLC, sold her share to the Russian-owned Stoli Group. Brad, claiming the sale violated their prior agreement, sued her. But more than the transaction’s price — reportedly $65 million — what’s really at stake is control. He says she went behind his back. She says he tried to force her into signing an NDA to silence her about years of abuse.

Brad’s latest legal move, demanding that Angelina be deposed under oath, is just one more chapter in this toxic saga. He wants her to answer for the sale and claims she used a shell company to skirt contractual restrictions. In essence, he’s calling her dishonest and secretive. She, on the other hand, has accused him of using winery funds for personal gain and of trying to muzzle her through legal tactics.

Let’s be clear: Angelina likely made mistakes, too. If she did sell her stake in secret while pretending to negotiate with Brad, it’s a shady move. But there’s a difference between flawed decisions and a campaign of complete destruction. Brad doesn’t just want a fair resolution — he seems to want her erased. If this were only about money or business, it would’ve been settled by now. What he appears to be, after — underneath all the filings, contracts, and references to Russian oligarchs — is the dismantling of Angelina’s credibility on every level: as a businesswoman, an ex-wife, a mother, and a public figure.

On her side, their older children have reportedly distanced themselves from Brad and expressed support for her. Many women identify with her, not because she’s perfect, but because they know what it’s like to be disbelieved or vilified after leaving a toxic relationship. On his side? There’s an entire industry — and a male audience — that loves the redemption arc: the man who fell hard due to love and alcohol, and who now just wants peace and a good Pinot Noir.

But make no mistake: this isn’t about grapes. It’s about dominance. Brad may play the nice guy, but behind closed doors, his screenplay reads more like a legal thriller laced with quiet cruelty. And the Hollywood system — always eager to forgive its talented men — plays along, offering him new chances while quietly shutting doors on the woman who dared to stand up.

In the end, this is no ordinary ex-couple dispute. We’re witnessing the public erosion of a woman who tried to walk away from a damaging relationship — and who’s paid the price ever since, including with her own career. It’s hard to stay neutral in a war like this. I’m not Team Pitt. Not because I believe Angelina is flawless, but because in this War of the Rosés, only one side seems to be allowed to win.