Brad Pitt has opened up about a deeply difficult period in his life, revealing that personal and “family stuff” contributed to a decline in his mental health. The Oscar-winning actor, 62, also spoke about his past struggles with alcohol, his return to drinking after seven years of sobriety and the importance of his survival instincts.
Brad Pitt reflects on a difficult period in his life
In an interview with Esquire, Pitt spoke candidly about his mental health journey while reflecting on the personal challenges he has faced over the past decade.The actor, who has been involved in a prolonged legal battle with ex-wife Angelina Jolie, said he has generally considered himself an optimist and insisted that he was never someone who regularly experienced suicidal thoughts.“I was never suicidal in any way. It just was not my makeup,” Pitt said.He described himself as a “congenital optimist”, adding that his optimism had helped him through difficult situations, although it had also sometimes led him to make poor decisions.
Pitt says ‘family stuff’ affected his mental health
While Pitt did not go into extensive detail about his family circumstances, he acknowledged that “family stuff” played a role in a period when his mental health deteriorated.Pitt and Jolie, once one of Hollywood’s most famous couples and widely known as “Brangelina”, separated in 2016 after two years of marriage. Their divorce was finalized in December 2024, following years of legal disputes.The former couple share six children – Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Vivienne and Knox. Their family relationships have remained under public scrutiny amid the legal battles between Pitt and Jolie.Several of their children have also moved away from using Pitt’s surname in recent years, according to court filings and reports.
Brad Pitt recalls a moment when emotional pain felt overwhelming
Pitt went on to describe one particularly dark period, saying that although he did not intend to act on suicidal thoughts, the emotional pain became so overwhelming that he understood why someone might view suicide as an escape from suffering.“I’ve never been suicidal except for one little period. And in that one little period, I just didn’t see a way out,” Pitt said.“The pain was so oppressive,” he recalled, adding that he experienced the thought of suicide as a form of relief from that pain.Pitt said his survival instinct ultimately kicked in.“But I also think we have incredible survival instincts. And for me, that immediately kicked in,” he said.
Pitt talks about alcohol after seven years of sobriety
The F1 star also opened up about his relationship with alcohol.Pitt revealed that after remaining sober for seven years, he eventually began drinking again, although he said he now approaches alcohol in a much more controlled way.“I was sober for seven years. And then I got back off the wagon,” Pitt said with a laugh.The actor emphasized that he does not drink in large quantities and has learned to recognize when alcohol is not good for him.“In a more restrained manner. I got overconfident a couple times, went, ‘Yep, nope, not good for me.’ Not in big quantities,” he said.Pitt said he can have a few drinks but needs to remain disciplined about it.“I can have a few, but I can’t have a lot. I have to be professional about it,” he explained.
Brad Pitt previously credited Alcoholics Anonymous with helping him
Pitt has previously spoken publicly about his decision to stop drinking following his separation from Jolie.In a 2019 interview with The New York Times, he revealed that he had attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for around a year and a half.He later credited fellow actor Bradley Cooper with supporting him during his sobriety journey.In a June 2025 appearance on the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast, Pitt also reflected on how difficult that period had been and described his willingness to accept help.“I was pretty much on my knees, and I was really open,” he said at the time. “I was trying anything and everyone.”
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s long legal battle
Pitt and Jolie’s personal struggles have played out alongside a lengthy legal battle that began after their 2016 separation.The dispute included a bitter fight over Château Miraval, the French vineyard the couple once jointly owned. Jolie made allegations of physical abuse against Pitt in legal filings, including claims related to an alleged 2016 incident aboard a private flight from France to Los Angeles.Pitt has denied the allegations.The FBI investigated the 2016 incident but did not pursue criminal charges against Pitt. The former couple’s divorce was ultimately finalized in December 2024 after years of legal proceedings.
