Brad Pitt Says ‘Family Stuff’ Drove Him to Suicidal Thoughts

Brad Pitt opened up about experiencing suicidal thoughts over ongoing family issues, the movie star admitted in a wide-ranging cover story with Esquire.

“I just couldn’t — just didn’t see a way out,” the 62-year-old told the magazine. “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, OK, 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.”

While Pitt did not go into specifics about what prompted the dark period — only confirming it related to his family — Pitt had been in a public, long-running dispute with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie stemming from a September 2016 incident on board a plane with their six children. In recent years, several of his children have taken legal measures to remove Pitt from their last name.

During a long-haul flight from France to Los Angeles, an allegedly intoxicated Pitt was verbally and physically aggressive toward his wife and children, Jolie claimed in court papers. Pitt was accused of choking one of their older children and “grabb[ing] Jolie by the head and [shaking] her.” Jolie filed for divorce shortly after the events.

The midair meltdown led Pitt to quit drinking, but he told Esquire he was “off the wagon” after staying sober for seven years. Now, Pitt said he drinks “in a more restrained manner.” He added: “I got overconfident a couple times, went, ‘Yep, nope, not good for me.’ Not in big quantities. I can have a few [glasses of wine]. But I can’t have a lot. I have to be professional about it.”

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Dial 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The Trevor Project, which provides help and suicide-prevention resources for LGBTQ+ youth, is 1-866-488-7386. Find other international suicide helplines at Befrienders Worldwide (befrienders.org).