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Perth Now
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
‘I needed to wake the f*** up': Pitt opens up on AA meetings
Hollywood star Brad Pitt has opened up about his experience with Alcoholics Anonymous following his tumultuous split from ex-wife Angelina Jolie. The 61-year-old Oscar winner showed his vulnerable side as he spoke about attending AA meetings for 18 months during an interview on Armchair Expert, a podcast hosted by fellow actor Dax Shepherd. Pitt revealed that attending AA meetings was 'an amazing thing' for him to help navigate his sobriety journey after Jolie filed for divorce in 2016. 'It was when I was first getting sober,' Pitt explained to Shepherd. 'I just thought it was just incredible. Men sharing their experiences, their foibles, their missteps, their wants, their aches, and a lot of humour with it.' 'I thought it was a really special experience.' Shepherd asked the movie star if he was nervous to chat on the podcast with him after they had met at an AA meeting, but Pitt told the podcast host that he was 'quite at ease' with the decision. The Fight Club star, who shares Maddox, 23, Pax, 21, Zahara, 20, Shiloh, 19, and 16-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox with Jolie, admitted that despite initially struggling to open up during group sessions, he 'really grew to love it'. Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt in 2016 after they were married for two years. (AP PHOTO) Credit: AAP '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, Pitt said it was something he began to look forward to, adding that he feels he is 'pretty good at taking responsibility' for and 'owning up to' mistakes he's made. '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 F1 film, first revealed to The New York Times that he attended AA meetings after his high-profile divorce from Jolie. 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. 'It was this safe space where there was little judgement, and therefore little judgement of yourself.' The episode aired shortly after Pitt attended the European Premiere of F1: The Movie in London. LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 23: Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise attend the European Premiere of F1 AE The Movie at Cineworld, Leicester Square on June 23, 2025 in London, England. (Photo byfor Warner Bros. Pictures) Credit: Gareth Cattermole /f The highly-anticipated film will be released on 26 June.
Newsweek
a day ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
The FIA Investigated Williams Over F1 Movie Using the Wind Tunnel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The "F1" movie utilized Williams' wind tunnel for the depiction of car development, though the FIA investigated the team to see if there was a performance advantage gained. The movie producers focused on realism throughout the development of the film. It features current drivers, teams, and race tracks, along with approval from movie producer, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. Additionally, the producers asked the Williams team for permission to use its facilities, a move to replicate a key part of car development for the movie. "They approached us, because they could have done a [film] set from what I understood, but actually wanted to replicate or be in exactly the environment," team principal James Vowles told the Times. James Vowles and Rachel Rolph attend the European Premiere of F1 ® The Movie at Cineworld, Leicester Square on June 23, 2025 in London, England. James Vowles and Rachel Rolph attend the European Premiere of F1 ® The Movie at Cineworld, Leicester Square on June 23, 2025 in London, England. Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images The Grove-based racing team accepted the request, opting to lend its tunnel for the movie's production. More F1 news: How Lewis Hamilton Made the F1 Movie Production More Expensive F1 and the FIA established strict rules about wind tunnel usage and car development, which prompted an investigation to see if the team gained any more knowledge from having the movie's racing car tested in the tunnel. The FIA found Williams did not gain an advantage from the car being tested since it was very different from the current-day F1 car. The fictional F1 team in the movie is called APXGP, and the car is a modified Formula 2 car. The FIA determined it was different enough from Williams's 2024 title challenger. Vowles reported that there was a disruption that affected the team's workflow. "It's quite difficult for us nowadays to effectively extract everything that we need to [for Williams' work in the wind tunnel], stop our programs and bring them in," he admitted. "There's a limited number of [wind tunnel] 'fan on' time, so you can work around that. It is disruptive, but it was for a really important project." Vowles stated there was a payment made to the team, though it was insignificant. "We didn't make any money out of it. That's not the purpose behind it, and nor would it be," he said. "Taking our own program out of the tunnel for four days is not the best thing that you can be doing in a competitive year." Williams ended up finishing the season in ninth place, netting 17 points during the season. This season, they are up to fifth place almost halfway through the season. Vowles has led the team to 55 points, their highest total in years, and secured a massive contract extension that will allow him to continue to work with the team. More F1 news: Hamilton Heartbroken After Hitting Animal Mid-Race, Damaging Car For more F1 news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
