Brad Pitt isn’t holding back when it comes to his sobriety.
Following a 2016 incident on a private plane with Angelina Jolie and their children — one that led Jolie to promptly file for divorce — Pitt started attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and became sober. In a new interview with actor Dax Shepard on his “Armchair Expert” podcast, Pitt explains that at the time, he “needed rebooting.”
“I was pretty much on my back, you know, or on my knees,” Pitt said of his decision to get sober. “I was trying anything and everyone. Anything anyone threw at me. It was a particularly difficult time. I needed rebooting. I needed to wake the f— up in some areas. And it just meant a lot to me.”
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Shepard, who is sober himself and originally met Pitt at one of these meetings, said that the “F1” star was “insanely gracious” to the other attendees of their all-male AA group, and Pitt admitted he was inspired by the openness of the other men sharing their experiences.
When asked if he was nervous about being vulnerable during the meetings as a public figure, Pitt said he’d been assured that the things he said would remain private, but he also admitted that it was important for him at the time to take responsibility for the things he’d done wrong.
“I am a stubborn f—, but I am also, when I’ve stepped in s—, I’m pretty good at taking responsibility for it and owning up to it,” he said. “And now it’s a quest to, you know, ‘What do I do with this? How can I right this and make sure it doesn’t happen again?'”
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Because of this, he said he was “open” to the idea of Alcoholics Anonymous, despite generally being a shy person. He said that when he did therapy then, he was also quick to share details of the things he’d done.
Shepard’s co-host, Monica Padman, said that was very “trusting” of him, and he gently corrected her, saying, “Or desperate.”
While he didn’t mention the plane incident directly, the New York Times reported in a 2019 interview with the actor that that’s what led to his decision to stop drinking.
“I had taken things as far as I could take it, so I removed my drinking privileges,” he admitted during the interview.
He added, “It was actually really freeing just to expose the ugly sides of yourself. There’s great value in that.”
The outlet reported that Pitt spent a year and a half attending meetings.
In September 2016, there was an alleged altercation on a flight that Pitt and his then-wife, Jolie, took with their six children. During the flight, Pitt allegedly “choked one of the children and struck another in the face” and “grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her.” He then poured “beer and red wine” on her and their six children.
“Some of the children pleaded with Pitt to stop,” according to court documents filed by Jolie in Los Angeles Superior Court. “They were all frightened. Many were crying.”
Days after the alleged incident, Jolie filed for divorce. Her lawyers have claimed that Pitt had been abusive towards her prior to the incident, but that had been the first time he’d allegedly involved the children. The FBI conducted an investigation in 2016, and no charges were filed against him.
He’s denied the allegations of physical abuse.
In December 2024, eight years after Jolie originally filed for divorce, the former couple reached a settlement.
At the time, Jolie’s lawyer, James Simon, told Fox News Digital, “More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt. She and the children left all of the properties they had shared with Mr. Pitt, and since that time she has focused on finding peace and healing for their family. This is just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago. Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over.”
A source close to the matter additionally told Fox News Digital at the time, “She doesn’t speak ill of him publicly or privately. She’s been trying hard to be light after a dark time.”
The source continued, “The kids have grown up seeing that some people have so much power and privilege that their voices don’t matter. Their pain doesn’t count. They have wanted her to speak up for herself, to defend herself over these years but she reminds them to focus on changing laws over telling public stories.”
A representative for Pitt declined to comment on the settlement, but in May, Pitt spoke about the settlement in an interview with GQ.
When he was asked if things felt “different” after the divorce was settled or if he felt any sense of relief, Pitt replied, “No, I don’t think it was that major of a thing. Just something coming to fruition. Legally.”
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The issue of child custody was a sticking point for several years during the lengthy divorce. Now, only two of their six children, 16-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne, are minors, but in 2021, Pitt was granted joint custody despite Jolie’s concerns for “the children’s health, safety and welfare,” per a court filing at the time.
Not much is known about the current state of Pitt’s relationships with his children, though it is notable that some have chosen to drop his last name — previously, all children went by the surname Jolie-Pitt.
Following her 18th birthday in May 2024, Shiloh legally changed her name to Shiloh Jolie. That same month, Vivienne worked as a producer’s assistant for “The Outsiders” on Broadway, and was credited as Vivienne Jolie in the playbill.
Zahara also dropped her father’s last name when she introduced herself as “Zahara Marley Jolie” in a video obtained by Essence, when joining her sorority at Spelman College, choosing not to include Pitt in her introduction.
“He’s aware and upset that Shiloh dropped his last name. He’s never felt more joy than when she was born. He always wanted a daughter,” a source close to Brad told People when news of Shiloh’s name change broke. “The reminders that he’s lost his children is, of course, not easy for Brad. He loves his children and misses them. It’s very sad.”
While Jolie isn’t known to be dating anyone at the moment, Pitt has been romantically linked to jewelry designer Ines de Ramon. The two are rarely spotted together, making their public debut in 2024 at the British Grand Prix.
When GQ asked if he’d chosen the F1 event strategically for their first outing as a couple, Pitt laughed and replied, “No, dude, it’s not that calculated. If you’re living, oh my God, how exhausting would that be? If you’re living with making those kinds of calculations? No, life just evolves. Relationships evolve.”
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The two began dating in 2022 before reportedly moving in together in February 2024.
A source close to Pitt told People that they “are serious about their relationship and making plans for the future.”
“It started out as a fun and casual relationship, but after moving in together, they realized that they have something special,” the source claimed.
Fox News Digital’s Lori Bashian contributed to this report.
