Brad Pitt reflects on going to AA after Angelina Jolie divorce: 'I needed rebooting'
Brad Pitt is looking back on his "incredible" experience in Alcoholics Anonymous.
The "F1" star, 61, reflected on seeking help from the recovery group while speaking to Dax Shepard on the "Armchair Expert" podcast in an episode released Monday, June 23.
"I was pretty much on my back, on my knees," Pitt said. "I was trying anything anyone threw at me. It was a particular difficult time. I needed rebooting. I needed to wake the (expletive) up, in some areas."
Pitt, who previously told The New York Times he spent a year and a half in Alcoholics Anonymous after ex-wife Angelina Jolie filed for divorce, described attending AA as a "really special" experience. He said it was "incredible" to see "men sharing their experiences, their foibles, their missteps, their wants, their aches," and doing so with "a lot of humor."
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Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in September 2016, kicking off a years-long legal dispute between the actors over issues including custody of their children. They reached a divorce settlement in December 2024, which an attorney for Jolie told USA TODAY was "just one part of a long, ongoing process."
Jolie has accused Pitt of physical abuse, alleging he assaulted her and two of their kids on a plane in 2016. Pitt has denied her allegations and did not face any charges over the alleged incident.
Shepard, who has also discussed his struggles with alcohol, noted that he met Pitt in an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and recalled how "honest" the actor was. Pitt said that "everyone was so open," which "gives you permission" to share, adding that he "really grew to love it."
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The "Fight Club" star went on to describe going to AA as part of an effort to take "responsibility" for his actions and "be better."
Pitt previously told The New York Times it was "really freeing just to expose the ugly sides of yourself" in Alcoholics Anonymous. But Pitt later said in an interview with GQ in 2024 that Alcoholics Anonymous reprimanded him for talking about his experience with the group publicly.
"You know they came down on me for that? AA did," Pitt told GQ. "They were like, 'It's anonymous.' ... I'm not outing anyone. Everyone knows you exist. What's the issue?"
Contributing: Anna Kaufman
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Brad Pitt on attending Alcoholics Anonymous: 'I needed rebooting'
Brad Pitt is opening up about his experience attending Alcoholics Anonymous. The actor chatted about attending an AA meeting with "Armchair Expert" host Dax Shepard in an episode of the podcast released Monday. Pitt said attending AA was an amazing thing. "I just thought it was just incredible -- men sharing their experiences, their foibles, their missteps, their wants, their aches, and a lot of humor with it. I thought it was a really special experience," Pitt said. Shepard said he wondered if Pitt was nervous to chat on the podcast with him after they had met in AA, knowing the "really heightened honesty and vulnerability" of the experience. But Pitt told Shepard he was "quite at ease" with the decision. While at AA, Pitt said he was shy, but felt motivated to open up because of how low he felt at the time. "I was pretty much on my knees, and I was really open," Pitt said. "I was trying anything and everyone. Anything anyone threw at me. It was a difficult time. I needed rebooting. I needed to wake the f--- up in some areas. And it just meant a lot to me." After a few AA meetings, the sessions began to be "something I'd look forward to," Pitt said. The actor also said he feels he is "pretty good at taking responsibility" for and "owning up to" things he's done wrong. "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?'" Pitt said. The actor, who stars in the upcoming film "F1," previously told The New York Times in 2019 that he spent a year and a half in Alcoholics Anonymous after his ex-wife Angelina Jolie filed for divorce in 2016. The two had been together for a decade and married for two years. They share six children, Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne. Pitt adopted Maddox and Zahara in 2006. In that interview, Pitt shared how committed he was to his sobriety. "I had taken things as far as I could take it, so I removed my drinking privileges," he said at the time. He added how "freeing" it was to open up in his recovery group, which was all men.
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