Brad Pitt has opened up about the mental toll of his turbulent divorce from Angelina Jolie, revealing that he experienced suicidal thoughts for the first time during the difficult period, reports Hindustan Times.
The Oscar-winning actor discussed his struggles in an interview with Esquire, where he said “family stuff” contributed to his deteriorating mental health.
“I was never suicidal except for one little period. And in that one little period, I just didn’t see a way out,” Pitt said.
Describing the intensity of his emotional pain, the actor said he began to understand why someone might view suicide as a form of relief.
However, he stressed that he never intended to act on those thoughts.
“I wasn’t going to act on this,” he said, adding that his “incredible survival instincts” eventually took over.
Pitt also spoke about his relationship with alcohol.
He said he had remained sober for seven years before returning to drinking, although he now approaches it in a more moderate way.
His comments come after Jolie recently opened up about her life following their divorce.
In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, the actor said she had not dated anyone since separating from Pitt and admitted that she now feels ready to “live again”.
“I’m thinking I have to live again. Be free again. In a way that maybe life has broken me a little bit,” Jolie said.
Pitt and Jolie met while filming Mr & Mrs Smith in 2004 and became one of Hollywood’s most famous couples.
They were together for more than a decade before marrying at their French estate in August 2014.
The couple raised six children together but separated in 2016.
Their divorce became a lengthy and highly publicised legal battle, which was finally settled in December 2024.
Since then, some of their children have reportedly dropped Pitt from their surnames after turning 18.
Pitt is now reportedly in a relationship with jewellery designer and model Ines de Ramon.
