(VIDEO) Brad Pitt Reveals He Battled Suicidal Thoughts And Ended Sobriety In New Candid Esquire Interview

Brad Pitt is speaking candidly about a difficult period in his personal life, disclosing in a new interview that he experienced suicidal thoughts during an especially painful stretch involving family matters, and that he has since stepped back from the sobriety he maintained for seven years.

The Academy Award-winning actor made the disclosures in a wide-ranging interview with Esquire, published August 10. Pitt said he had remained sober for seven years before choosing to drink again, describing the shift as something he approached cautiously rather than as a full return to his earlier habits. "I was sober for seven years," Pitt said. "And then I got back off the wagon. In a more restrained manner. I got overconfident a couple times, went, 'Yep, nope, not good for me. Not in big quantities.'"

Pitt said he now allows himself a few glasses of wine but keeps his drinking limited. "I can't have a lot," he said, adding that he tries to remain "professional about it" when he does drink. His comments follow remarks he made last year describing his earlier experience attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and previous comments in which he credited actor Bradley Cooper with helping him get sober.

Elsewhere in the interview, Pitt discussed the death of his mother in August 2025, describing it as one of several difficult family developments that contributed to what he called an especially low point in his life. He said that period marked the only time in his life he experienced suicidal thoughts. "I've never been suicidal except for one little period," Pitt said. "And in that one little period, I just thought -- I just couldn't -- just didn't see a way out." He described the pain he felt during that time as "oppressive."

Reflecting more broadly on the difficulty of that period, Pitt acknowledged the challenge candidly while also recognizing his own circumstances. "Yeah. Like, listen: This s--- ain't easy," he said. "And you're talking to a guy who won the lottery," a remark that appeared to reference the contrast between his public success and the private struggles he was describing.

Pitt's willingness to discuss his mental health and sobriety in detail adds to a broader pattern of candor from the actor in recent public appearances and interviews, during which he has increasingly spoken about the personal challenges behind his public career. His earlier comments about attending Alcoholics Anonymous marked a similarly direct acknowledgment of the private work involved in maintaining his sobriety before his recent shift back to occasional drinking.

Beyond the personal disclosures, the Esquire interview also touched on Pitt's upcoming film work. In September, Pitt is set to star in "Heart of the Beast," a project on which he also serves as a producer. In the film, Pitt plays Special Forces Officer James Belmont, who, alongside his combat dog Odin, becomes stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness, according to the film's synopsis. The movie is directed by David Ayer and written by Cameron Alexander, with J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe also starring. "Heart of the Beast" is scheduled to arrive in theaters September 25, 2026.

Pitt's career has spanned more than three decades, with the actor earning widespread acclaim across a range of roles in films including "Se7en," "Fight Club," "Ocean's Eleven," "Inglourious Basterds" and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," the latter of which earned him an Academy Award for best supporting actor in 2020. More recently, Pitt starred in the racing drama "F1," released this year, during which he also spoke publicly about his sobriety journey.

His decision to discuss both his suicidal thoughts and his shift away from full sobriety reflects an increasingly common trend among high-profile public figures choosing to speak openly about mental health struggles that were once more commonly kept private. Mental health advocates have generally noted that public figures discussing these experiences candidly can help reduce stigma and encourage others facing similar struggles to seek support, though experts also caution that individual experiences with sobriety, grief and mental health vary widely and that any personal account should not be read as a universal recommendation for how others should approach similar challenges.

Esquire's full interview with Pitt includes additional detail on the actor's reflections on family, career and personal growth, framed within the broader context of his life following his mother's death last year. The magazine's cover story arrives as Pitt continues to balance a high-profile acting and producing career with the more personal reflections he has increasingly shared in recent public appearances.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. Free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.