«I saw no way out»: Brad Pitt speaks about suicidal thoughts for the first time
The actor gave a deeply candid interview
Brad Pitt, 62, is the cover star of the new issue of Esquire and has given one of his most candid interviews in recent years. During the conversation, the actor opened up about deeply personal subjects — a family crisis, suicidal thoughts, his relationship with alcohol, and the death of his mother.
Pitt admitted that despite his naturally optimistic outlook, there was a period in his life when the emotional pain became so overwhelming that he began to see death as a possible release from it.
«I had never had suicidal thoughts — except for one brief period. It’s simply not in my nature. But at that point, I saw no way out. The pain was so unbearable … I wasn’t going to do anything, but I could feel the cold steel of a bullet in my head, and it felt like relief. That was when I thought, “Now I understand suicide — as a search for release from pain”», the actor recalled.
According to Pitt, his instinct for self-preservation ultimately took over.
«I think we have incredible survival instincts. Mine kicked in immediately. But … none of this is easy», he added.
When the journalist asked whether those feelings were connected to problems with his children, Pitt simply replied, «Family issues» — choosing not to elaborate further.
The actor’s revelation comes against the backdrop of a years-long family crisis following his split from Angelina Jolie. The actress filed for divorce in September 2016, but the proceedings were not finalized until December 2024 — more than eight years later. Meanwhile, the former couple’s legal dispute over the French winery Château Miraval is still ongoing.
Pitt and Jolie share six children — Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne. In recent years, several of them have chosen to drop their father’s surname. In August 2024, Shiloh officially changed her name to Shiloh Jolie. In 2026, Maddox, Zahara, and Vivienne also filed similar applications.
Another candid subject Pitt addressed in the interview was his relationship with alcohol. The actor has previously spoken about his struggles with addiction, attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and giving up alcohol completely. He has now revealed that after seven years of sobriety, he began drinking again — though in a far more restrained way.
«I was sober for seven years, and then I fell off the wagon. But now it’s in a much more moderate form. A few times I got a little too confident and realized, no, this isn’t good for me. Not in large quantities», he explained.
Asked whether he can now allow himself a glass of wine, Pitt replied:
«I can have a couple. But not many. I have to approach it professionally».
Loss was another deeply personal subject explored in the interview. Pitt’s mother, Jane Etta Pitt, died last year. Since then, the actor has been visiting his father, William, in Missouri more often. They spend evenings sitting on the porch, listening to the cicadas and occasionally talking about her.
«We’re country people. We don’t get too deep into conversations. But every now and then, one of us will say a single sentence that cuts straight to the heart — and then we move on», the actor shared.
The losses Pitt has endured have changed the way he views grief and loneliness.
«Grief is probably the greatest equalizer among human emotions. Loss is undoubtedly the most profound trial a person can experience. And the loneliness that can follow is the greatest torture», he said.
At the same time, the actor believes that such a state is not something one can simply «get out of» — it has to be lived through.
«I don’t see it as something you need to get out of. You have to go through it — keep trying again and again, to the point of complete exhaustion, and then try once more. And one day, I simply woke up and it felt as though the world was a little sunnier and the air a little sweeter. Small doses of that feeling», Pitt recalled.
«Grief, once you’ve lived through it, leaves an enormous void, but at the same time, it leaves behind a profound beauty. It’s a painful beauty, but it is beauty nonetheless», the actor concluded.
Photo: Esquire
