Brad Pitt says he ‘needed rebooting’ when he joined AA after Angelina Jolie divorce

Pitt and Jolie split in 2016 after two years of marriage

Brad Pitt has shared more of his experience relying on Alcoholics Anonymous following his divorce from Angelina Jolie.

Appearing on the latest Armchair Expert podcast episode, Pitt spoke to Dax Shepard about them meeting through the private recovery group and how it helped Pitt through a tough time.

The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Oscar winner previously opened up about his journey to sobriety following his divorce from Angelina Jolie. After the split, reports alleged that the pair had been involved in heated arguments in which Pitt, 61, was under the influence of alcohol.

Speaking on the podcast, Pitt recalled: “You know, I was pretty much on my knees and I was really open. I was trying anything and everyone, anything anyone threw at me.

“It was a difficult time,” he continued. “I needed rebooting. I needed to wake the f*** up in some areas. And it just meant a lot to me.”

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie split in 2016 (Getty)

Pitt — who appeared on the podcast to discuss the upcoming release of his new film, F1 — also commented on how everyone in attendance at that initial meeting was so open.

“It gives you permission in a way to go, okay, I’m going to step out on this edge and see what happens,” he said. “And then I really grew to love it.”

In September 2016, it was announced that Jolie had filed for divorce from Pitt, having been married to the actor since 2014 and romantically involved since 2006. The couple shares six children. Their divorce wasn’t finalized until December 2024 after a contentious eight-year court battle largely over the custody of their children and their shared French winery.

Pitt previously explained his decision to go sober following the breakdown of his marriage, telling The New York Times in 2019, “I had taken things as far as I could take it, so I removed my drinking privileges.”

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

He took further action by attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for a year and a half after the breakdown of his marriage. Pitt expressed his admiration for the men with whom he attended the meetings and their willingness to speak openly about their experiences. But he later revealed he was reprimanded after being so open about being part of the group

“I went on some New York Times interview and what an amazing thing this experience was for me,” Pitt shared on Armchair Expert. “It was a men’s group, it was AA, it was when I first was getting sober. I just thought it was just incredible, men sharing their experiences, their foibles, their missteps, their wants, their aches, and a lot of humor with it.

“I thought it was really special experience coming from the Ozarks where we’re like, everything’s great,” he continued. “And so I do this interview and I say this and I got admonished by someone of the higher up saying, it's anonymous.”

Still, Pitt deeply appreciated the experience he had. He admitted to being a “stubborn f***,” but also acknowledged “when I've stepped in s***, I'm pretty good at taking responsibility for it and owning up to it.”

“I was really open to [AA] and I was really open to see what these guys were doing who had their thing and been there for a while,” Pitt continued. “Sure, I was a bit shy. I can generally be a bit shy in any kind of situation first, but I just remember getting my arms around it pretty quickly and it became a thing for me. It was really something I’d look forward to.”

If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here.

In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.