JAKARTA - Brad Pitt revealed that he was once in a period when he did not see a way out of the pressure he was facing. The 62-year-old actor also said that he was now drinking alcohol again after seven years of abstinence.
USA TODAY quoted Tuesday, August 11, saying Pitt talked about mental health, family problems, and his relationship with alcohol in an interview with Esquire published Monday, August 10.
"I never wanted to kill myself, except for one brief period. At that time I really didn't see a way out," Pitt told Esquire.
Pitt said during that period he began to understand why suicidal thoughts could arise as a desire to escape pain. He emphasized that he did not intend to do it and said the instinct to survive then immediately emerged.
Pitt has also been involved in a years-long legal battle with his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie. He said "family issues" played a role in his deteriorating mental state, though he did not elaborate.
Pitt and Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016 after two years of marriage. The two were legally single in 2019, while the divorce process was completed in December 2024.
The former couple, once dubbed "Brangelina", was then involved in a number of legal disputes. One of them concerns Château Miraval, a vineyard in France that they once owned together.
In court documents in October 2022, Jolie accused Pitt of assaulting her and their two children on a private flight from France to Los Angeles in 2016.
In the following documents, Jolie claimed that the alleged violence against her had occurred long before the incident on the plane. According to Jolie, this was the first time that their children had experienced this treatment.
Pitt denied the allegations. USA TODAY noted that the FBI later decided not to continue the investigation or file charges related to the incident.
Pitt and Jolie have six children, namely Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Vivienne and Knox. In the last two years, some of them have removed Pitt's last name or applied to the court to do so.
Drinking Again after Seven Years of Quitting
In the same interview, Pitt said he had started drinking alcohol again after quitting for seven years.
"I was sober for seven years. After that I started drinking again," he said laughing.
Pitt said he now limits the amount of alcohol he drinks. Several times he was too confident before realizing that excessive consumption was not good for him.
"I can drink a few glasses, but not much. I have to really manage it," he said.
In 2019, Pitt told The New York Times that he had been attending Alcoholics Anonymous or AA for a year and a half after separating from Jolie. AA is a support group for people who want to stop or control alcohol consumption problems.
Pitt revisited that time on the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast in June 2025.
"At that point I was really at rock bottom and very open. I tried everything that was offered to me," Pitt said.
According to Pitt, that time was very difficult and made him feel the need to rearrange himself.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, seek help immediately from a health professional, the nearest health facility, or a trusted person.
If you or someone you know is experiencing problems with alcohol or other substance dependence, you should seek help from a health professional or appropriate rehabilitation service.
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