Brad Pitt opens up about 'self-inflicted' divorce with Angelina Jolie, admits 'boozing too much'

Last year, the world was brought to life when Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from her long-time partner Brad Pitt. The 53-year-old actor has now broken his silence on the issue and admitted that he had never stopped “boozing” and that the split was somehow “self-inflicted.”

In all the ways that he could afford to, Pitt has stayed under the radar ever since the divorce papers were filed. But some months after his family issues were made public, he sat down with GQ to discuss what went down before, during and after the case.

“I stopped everything except boozing when I started my family,” he said. “But even this last year, you know -- things I wasn’t dealing with. I was boozing too much. It’s just become a problem.” He afterwards admitted that he had “hit the lottery.” But despite this, he knew that he would still “waste [his] time on those hollow pursuits.”

The “Allied” star discussed how he did not intend to be in the situation he is in now, but he was also humble enough to state that it was somehow “self-inflicted.” Pitt was also very careful not to bring Jolie’s name into the conversation, as she was mentioned only once in the entire interview. “You should see Angie’s film,” he said, when the topic fell to her film, “First They Killed My Father,” which is set in Cambodia.

Despite his past, Pitt sounded hopeful for the future. “For me, every misstep has been a step toward epiphany, understanding, some kind of joy,” he said. “The avoidance of pain is a real mistake… There’s no love without loss. It’s a package deal.” He has been spending some time to face his troubles head on, to accept them and to work on them.

Pitt now lives alone after months of staying with friends. His home, however, is littered with evidence that his children are still very much a part of his life. The publication described a row of children’s bikes outside and a dragon floaty that was bobbing at the pool’s surface.

Jolie officially filed for divorce in September, a few days after Pitt allegedly had an altercation with his eldest son Maddox. Custody of their children -- Pax (13), Zahara (12), Shiloh (10) and the twins Knox and Vivienne (8) -- is still being discussed. But the proceedings are quietly being carried out by private lawyers, which is a stark contrast to when the case was first made public.