Brad Pitt Reveals Return to Drinking After Seven Years Sober

In an exclusive interview with Esquire, Brad Pitt confessed that he has broken his seven-year sobriety streak. "I was sober for seven years. And then I got back off the wagon," he chuckled during their sit-down at his $12 million Los Angeles home. The actor explained his lapse as a moment of overconfidence, stating, "In a more restrained manner. I got overconfident a couple times, went, ‘Yep, nope, not good for me.'" Pitt clarified that he hasn't been indulging in large quantities but admits to having the occasional drink or two. "I have to be professional about it," he added. During their chat, wine was offered, a gesture that brought up his past struggle with sobriety. Pitt further shared that while he can enjoy a couple of glasses, consuming more than that is not an option for him. Elsewhere in the interview, Pitt opened up about battling suicidal thoughts during a challenging period in his personal life. "The pain was so oppressive that — I wasn’t going to act on this, but I could feel — I could feel the cold steel of the bullet in my head, and it felt like relief," he confessed, referencing an experience that left him contemplating taking drastic measures. Pitt's sobriety journey began after a reported 2016 drunken plane incident that significantly impacted his relationship with then-wife Angelina Jolie. The divorce between the "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" co-stars was finalized in 2024, following their legal separation in 2019. The actor first discussed his sobriety and joining a 12-step program in a 2019 New York Times interview. Since then, he has openly shared his experiences with recovery on various platforms, including Dax Shepard’s "Armchair Expert" podcast. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please call SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).