EXCLUSIVE: Brad Pitt hits back at ‘absurd’ claim that he used his and Angelina Jolie’s Chateau Miraval winery as a ‘personal piggy bank’ – as his bitter legal battle with his ex-wife rages on….

Brad Pitt has hit back at ‘absurd’ claims he has been using Chateau Miraval as a ‘personal piggy bank’ after he was served a countersuit by the company his ex-wife Angelina Jolie is trying to sell her shares to. The former couple has been embroiled in a bitter legal dispute over their co-ownership of the $500 million French winery, which they purchased in 2008.

On Monday, Pitt, 60, was served a countersuit by Tenute del Mondo, a subsidiary of the Stoli Group, after he previously sued the company, claiming they did not have the right to receive Jolie’s 50 per cent share in the winery. The lawsuit accuses the actor and his company, Mondo Bongo, of misappropriating funds for use on personal projects, including a recording studio and an alleged $1 million for renovations on a swimming pool only Pitt can use.

‘The notion that Brad Pitt stole from Miraval is absurd and just shows the lengths to which Stoli will go,’ an insider told DailyMail.com exclusively. ‘It also exposes its hypocrisy.’ The insiders assert that Chateau Miraval’s success is directly attributable to Pitt’s leadership, and the accusations of fund misuse are false, as they would undermine the winery’s value.

‘Brad Pitt built Miraval and his connection to it is a key reason for its success,’ they continued. ‘Stoli recognized as much when it illegally bought Ms. Jolie’s interest in Miraval publicly stating how it hoped to partner with Mr. Pitt and how the music studio was great for the Miraval brand. ‘It is Stoli who is trying to take what they did not build and improperly glom onto Mr. Pitt’s well-earned fame.’

In new court documents, obtained by DailyMail.com, Tenute filed a claim against Pitt and Mondo Bongo, alleging they have been using Chateau Miraval like a ‘personal piggy bank’ to fund their projects for years. Alongside the swimming pool and recording studio, other ventures include a cosmetics line and a gin brand. ‘Pitt caused millions of its funds to be spent on projects that benefit him personally,’ the suit alleges.

It goes on to claim: ‘Worse yet, Pitt has diverted the company’s assets to his side businesses—which include a recording studio called Studio Miraval, a cosmetics line called Le Domaine, and a gin brand called The Gardener.’