Brad Pitt details time period he 'didn’t see a way out' as he opens up about family struggles
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
Brad Pitt has opened up about a brief moment he felt suicidal in a new interview with Esquire.
Pitt has had a turbulent few years following his divorce from Angelina Jolie.
The celebrity pair were together for over a decade but were only wed for two years before Jolie filed for divorce in September 2016.
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It took years for them to finalize their divorce though; they didn't reach a settlement until late 2024.
As well the breakdown of his marriage to Jolie, Pitt has reportedly been having struggles with his kids – many of whom have filed to have Pitt legally removed from their name.
His daughter Zahara, who know goes by Zahara Marley Jolie, has a court date next month to finalize her name change.
With all this in mind, it would be understandable if Pitt's mental health has been impacted.
While he says he's 'was never suicidal in any way', the actor did admit there was 'one little period' where he did.
"I was never suicidal in any way. It just was not my makeup," he told Esquire.
"In fact, if I have any afflictions, it’s probably being a congenital optimist. Which has helped many times, and it’s also gotten me—I’ve walked foolishly head-on into a Mack truck because of my optimism. Or, as my forever-funny friend David Fincher will say, 'Yeah, you see the glass as half full, but it’s half full of urine.'"
Pitt continued: "Anyway, I’ve never been suicidal except for one little period. And in that one little period, I just thought—I just couldn’t—just didn’t see a way out.
"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.
"And I thought, 'Oh, okay, now I understand' —I understand suicide, in the sense that it’s just relief. It’s just looking for relief from the pain. But I also think we have incredible survival instincts. And for me, that immediately kicked in."
He went on to say that things 'aren't easy', adding: "And you’re talking to a guy who won the lottery."
The Esquire journalist then asked if he meant 'kid stuff', and Pitt replied: "Family stuff."
Pitt didn't divulge any further information on the matter, however.
Elsewhere in the interview the Fury star confirmed that he's no longer sober – which he had been for a period of seven years. Pitt said he can now enjoy 'a few' glasses of wine, but 'can't have a lot'.
"I have to be professional about it," the 62-year-old went on.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
Topics: Brad Pitt, Mental Health, Angelina Jolie, Celebrity
Niamh Shackleton