In one of the most candid interviews of his four-decade career, Brad Pitt has revealed that he is no longer sober. The 62-year-old Oscar winner told Esquire magazine that he ended a seven-year stretch of sobriety and is drinking alcohol again, though he insists his approach is now more measured than it was during the years before his split from Angelina Jolie. The admission, published on August 10, 2026, as part of Esquire’s September “Mavericks of Hollywood” portfolio, has reignited public conversation about one of Hollywood’s most scrutinized family breakdowns, and it arrives at a time when nearly all of Pitt’s six children have taken concrete steps to distance themselves from their father’s name and legacy.
This is not simply a celebrity gossip story. It touches on sobriety, relapse, family estrangement, mental health, and the long-term consequences of a highly public divorce. Here is what happened, why it matters, and what the broader context tells us about Brad Pitt’s life in 2026.
What Brad Pitt Said in the Esquire Interview
The revelation about drinking came almost casually. During the interview, conducted at Pitt’s Los Angeles home by writer Ryan D’Agostino, the actor offered his guest a glass of wine. When D’Agostino asked whether Pitt kept wine around only for visitors, the actor responded with what became the interview’s most widely quoted line: that he had been sober for seven years, and then he got “back off the wagon.”
He followed the statement with a small laugh and a qualifier. He described his current drinking as more restrained than it had been in the past. He acknowledged getting overconfident a couple of times and quickly learning that consuming alcohol in large quantities was not something he could handle. He told the magazine he can now have a few glasses of wine but not too many, adding that he has to be “professional about it.”
The interview also touched on grief, depression, and a period when Pitt said he could “understand suicide” as a concept. He was clear that he was never suicidal himself and described himself as a “congenital optimist.” But he told Esquire there was a period when the emotional pain was so intense that he could understand why someone might seek relief from it. When asked what provoked that dark period, he confirmed it was related to “family stuff” and asked to leave it at that.
Brad Pitt says he’s drinking alcohol again after seven years of sobriety #THRNews pic.twitter.com/3IOQhP4zCK
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 10, 2026
The Background: Brad Pitt’s Sobriety Journey
To understand the weight of this admission, it helps to look at the history of Pitt’s relationship with alcohol and the events that led him to get sober in the first place.
A Long Relationship With Substances
Pitt has been open over the years about his use of alcohol and marijuana throughout his career. In a 2012 interview, he described smoking “too much dope” in the 1990s as a way of coping with the pressures of sudden fame after his breakout role in 1992’s A River Runs Through It. In a 2017 GQ profile, one of the first major interviews after his split from Jolie, Pitt said he could not remember a day since college when he was not drinking or using something.
The September 2016 Plane Incident
The catalyst for Pitt’s sobriety was a now-infamous incident aboard a private plane in September 2016, when the family was flying from France to the United States. Angelina Jolie accused Pitt of verbal and physical abuse during the flight, with their children present. Jolie filed for divorce days later, citing irreconcilable differences and requesting sole custody of their six children.
An FBI report on the incident, portions of which were made public in 2022, documented Jolie’s account of what happened aboard the aircraft. Pitt has denied the allegations of abuse. The incident was never criminally prosecuted, but it set in motion a divorce battle that would stretch across eight years and involve multiple legal proceedings.
Getting Sober and Finding Support
Following the split, Pitt pursued sobriety through Alcoholics Anonymous. He later credited fellow actor Bradley Cooper, who has been publicly sober since 2004, with helping him take that step. At the 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards, Pitt thanked Cooper publicly for his support.
In a June 2025 appearance on the podcast Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Pitt spoke more extensively about his experience in AA. He described himself as having been “pretty much on my knees” when he first started attending meetings, saying he found the experience of men sharing their struggles and missteps to be “really special.” He said he needed “rebooting” and that he needed to “wake up” in certain areas of his life.
For seven years, Pitt maintained his sobriety. Now, by his own account, that chapter has closed.
The Estrangement: How Brad Pitt’s Relationship With His Children Unraveled
The other half of this story involves the increasingly public distance between Pitt and the six children he shares with Jolie: Maddox (24), Pax (22), Zahara (21), Shiloh (20), and twins Knox and Vivienne (18).
A Timeline of the Name Changes
The most visible sign of the estrangement has been the children’s decisions, one by one, to drop “Pitt” from their surnames.
Zahara (November 2023): The first public indication came when Zahara introduced herself at a sorority event at Spelman College in Atlanta as “Zahara Marley Jolie,” omitting “Pitt” from her name. She has since filed a legal petition in California to make the change official. Her court hearing was scheduled for September 2026.
Vivienne (June 2024): When Vivienne worked as a production assistant on the Broadway musical The Outsiders, co-produced by her mother, she was listed in the Playbill simply as “Vivienne Jolie.” Vivienne filed her own legal name change petition in July 2026, citing “personal” reasons.
Shiloh (May 2024): On her 18th birthday, Shiloh filed paperwork to legally change her surname to “Shiloh Jolie.” Reports indicated she hired her own attorney and paid for the legal process herself. The change was granted in 2024, and she has since shortened her professional name to “Shi Jolie.”
Maddox (2025): When credited as an assistant director on Jolie’s film Couture, Maddox appeared simply as “Maddox Jolie,” dropping “Pitt” from his professional credits. He filed a legal claim in July 2026 to formally change his name.
Knox (June 2026): Knox omitted “Pitt” from his high school graduation diploma, using just “Jolie.”
Only Pax has not publicly signaled a name change, though reports indicate he does not have a close relationship with his father. A Page Six source in June 2026 noted that Pax maintains a connection with Brad’s side of the family, including Brad’s sister Julie Pitt Neal, but “doesn’t have much of a relationship with Brad” himself.
What Sources Say About the Estrangement
Multiple outlets have reported that Pitt is deeply affected by the situation. A source told Us Weekly in May 2026 that Pitt feels “most hurt” by the fact that his children do not want a public association with his last name and that “it’s been very difficult.” Another source described the experience as “soul-destroying” and said Pitt was “crushed.”
The Esquire interview represents the closest Pitt has come to addressing the estrangement directly. His reference to “family stuff” as the source of his darkest emotional period is widely interpreted as a veiled reference to the cumulative weight of the divorce, the custody disputes, and his children’s public rejection.
The End of Custody Disputes
A significant legal milestone arrived on July 12, 2026, when twins Knox and Vivienne turned 18. Their reaching adulthood formally ended the custody agreement between Pitt and Jolie. Despite being granted joint custody by a private judge in 2021, Pitt’s actual contact with his children appears to have been minimal for years. A PEOPLE source previously said Pitt had “virtually no contact” with his adult children and limited interaction with the younger ones.
The Loss of His Mother
The Esquire interview also addressed another layer of grief: the death of Pitt’s mother, Jane Etta Pitt, who passed away in August 2025 at the age of 84. Jane was described by family members as the “glue” of the extended Pitt family. She was a former elementary school teacher and family counselor from Springfield, Missouri.
In the interview, Pitt spoke about grief with notable directness. He described grief as something that, if survived, “leaves a gaping hole, but it also leaves profound beauty. It’s an aching beauty, but it’s beauty.”
He referenced conversations with his father, William Pitt, saying they are “country people” who “don’t go in depth” with each other, but that his father occasionally shares a single line “that cuts to the core.”
Jane Pitt’s death arrived at a particularly painful intersection. Sources have noted that she passed away without seeing a reconciliation between Brad and his children, a detail that reportedly weighed heavily on the actor.
Why This Admission Matters
Relapse After Long-Term Sobriety
Pitt’s disclosure raises important questions that extend well beyond celebrity gossip. His seven-year sobriety period was not casual. He attended AA meetings, worked a 12-step program, and publicly credited the process with saving his life. Returning to alcohol after that kind of sustained effort is clinically significant.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), relapse rates for alcohol use disorder are estimated at 40 to 60 percent, similar to other chronic conditions. The concept of “moderation management,” where someone with a history of problematic drinking attempts to consume alcohol in controlled amounts, is a subject of ongoing debate among addiction professionals. Some experts consider it viable for a subset of individuals, while others argue that it poses significant risks, particularly for people who previously relied on total abstinence.
Pitt’s own framing is notable. He did not describe his return to drinking as a failure. He presented it as a recalibrated relationship. Whether that distinction holds over time is something only he will know.
Celebrity Disclosure and Mental Health Stigma
Pitt’s openness about experiencing suicidal ideation, even in a limited, carefully worded way, fits within a broader cultural shift. Public figures discussing mental health struggles have become more common in recent years, and research suggests these disclosures can help reduce stigma around seeking help.
At the same time, Pitt’s comments walked a particular line. He was candid enough to name the experience directly, while stopping short of detailing the specific family disputes behind it. This pattern, acknowledging pain without fully narrating it, reflects both the constraints of ongoing legal sensitivities and the reality that public figures still face scrutiny when discussing vulnerability.
Brad Pitt’s Career in 2026: Still Working at Full Pace
Despite the personal upheaval, Pitt’s professional output in 2026 is among the most active periods of his career.
Heart of the Beast (September 25, 2026): A survival action thriller directed by David Ayer (who previously directed Pitt in Fury). Pitt plays James Belmont, a retired Special Forces officer stranded in the Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash, accompanied by his combat dog, Odin. The film co-stars J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe. Paramount is distributing.
The Adventures of Cliff Booth (November 25, 2026 / Netflix December 23, 2026): Pitt reprises his Oscar-winning role from Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. Tarantino wrote the script but is not directing; David Fincher stepped in. The film features Elizabeth Debicki, Timothy Olyphant, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Carla Gugino. It will receive a two-week IMAX exclusive window before streaming on Netflix.
The Riders (2026, undated): An A24 project, details still emerging.
Land of Opportunity: A dystopian drama from writer-director Jeff Nichols about farmers resisting government food seizures during a future economic collapse. Pitt is the only confirmed cast member. Filming is yet to begin.
Pitt also discussed artificial intelligence in filmmaking during the Esquire interview, suggesting AI could help more mid-budget films ($40 to $90 million) get made by reducing visual effects costs.
Social Media and Public Reaction
The interview generated immediate and widespread reaction across social media platforms. Commentary broadly fell into three camps:
Concern: Many fans and commentators expressed worry about Pitt drinking again, particularly given the role alcohol played in the events that led to his divorce. Recovery advocates noted that moderation is a risky strategy for someone with a documented history of problematic drinking.
Sympathy: Others focused on the emotional weight of the interview, particularly his comments about “family stuff” and the loss of his mother. The image of a father whose children have largely cut ties with him resonated with many readers.
Criticism: Some voices on social media and in opinion pieces argued that Pitt’s framing of the situation downplayed accountability. Critics pointed to Jolie’s abuse allegations and argued that the children’s decisions to drop their father’s name reflect more than a simple family disagreement.
Interesting Facts About Brad Pitt
For readers looking for broader context on Pitt’s life and career, here are some details worth knowing:
Pitt was born William Bradley Pitt on December 18, 1963, in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and raised in Springfield, Missouri. He left the University of Missouri just two credits short of a journalism degree to pursue acting in Los Angeles.
His production company, Plan B Entertainment, has produced multiple Academy Award-winning films, including 12 Years a Slave, Moonlight, and The Departed.
He has won two Academy Awards: Best Picture as a producer for 12 Years a Slave (2014) and Best Supporting Actor for Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2020).
He previously revealed he may have prosopagnosia (face blindness), though he has never been formally diagnosed.
He has been in a relationship with Ines de Ramon, a jewelry executive and former wife of actor Paul Wesley, since late 2022. Reports indicate de Ramon has never met any of Pitt’s children.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brad Pitt drinking again?
Yes. In an Esquire interview published on August 10, 2026, Brad Pitt confirmed he ended seven years of sobriety and is now drinking alcohol in what he describes as a more restrained manner. He said he can have a few glasses of wine but has learned he cannot consume large quantities.
Why did Brad Pitt get sober in the first place?
Pitt sought sobriety in 2016 following an incident on a private plane involving his then-wife Angelina Jolie and their children. Jolie accused him of verbal and physical abuse during the flight. Pitt subsequently attended Alcoholics Anonymous and credited actor Bradley Cooper with supporting his recovery.
How many of Brad Pitt’s children have dropped his last name?
As of August 2026, five of Pitt’s six children have taken steps to distance themselves from his surname. Shiloh legally changed her name to Shiloh Jolie in 2024. Maddox and Zahara have filed legal petitions. Vivienne filed her own petition in July 2026. Knox omitted “Pitt” from his high school diploma. Only Pax has not publicly changed his name, though he reportedly does not have a close relationship with his father.
Did Brad Pitt say he was suicidal?
Pitt told Esquire he was “never suicidal in any way” but that there was a brief period when the emotional pain was so severe that he could “understand suicide” as a concept, describing it as a search for relief from overwhelming pain. He attributed the dark period to unspecified “family stuff.”
What movies does Brad Pitt have coming out in 2026?
Pitt has two confirmed 2026 releases. Heart of the Beast, a survival thriller directed by David Ayer, opens on September 25, 2026. The Adventures of Cliff Booth, directed by David Fincher from a Quentin Tarantino script, premieres on November 25, 2026, in IMAX and streams on Netflix starting December 23, 2026.
Are Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s divorce proceedings finished?
The couple finalized their divorce in December 2024, eight years after Jolie filed. However, they remain involved in ongoing legal disputes, including a battle over Chateau Miraval, the French winery they formerly owned together.
Who is Brad Pitt’s current girlfriend?
Pitt has been in a relationship with Ines de Ramon, a jewelry executive, since late 2022. The couple reportedly live together. De Ramon was previously married to actor Paul Wesley.
When did Brad Pitt’s mother die?
Jane Etta Pitt died on August 5, 2025, at the age of 84. She was a former elementary school teacher and family counselor from Springfield, Missouri. Brad Pitt discussed her death in his August 2026 Esquire interview, describing grief as something that “leaves profound beauty.”
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Last Updated on August 11, 2026 by 247 News Around The World
