Cinema VinesBrad Pitt recently opened up about the mental strain that his family’s turmoil has caused him, revealing that he experienced suicidal thoughts for the first time during the period of his divorce from Angelina Jolie. In an interview with Esquire, the Oscar‑winning actor explained that he had never been suicidal before, describing his outlook as “a congenital optimist.” He admitted that the pain of the family situation became so overwhelming that he felt the “cold steel of the bullet in his head” and saw it as a form of relief, although he ultimately did not act on these thoughts.
Pitt said the “family stuff” played a significant role in his deteriorating mental health, noting that he had been sober for seven years before returning to drinking in a moderate, restrained manner. He added that he needed to “live again” and that his survival instincts kicked in during the darkest moments.
The actor’s comments come amid a broader conversation about the impact of his divorce from Jolie, which was finalized in December 2024 after a lengthy legal battle. The couple, who met on the set of Mr & Mrs Smith in 2004, were once one of Hollywood’s most prominent couples, raising six children together before separating in 2016.
In a separate interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Jolie revealed that she has not dated since her divorce a decade ago and that she is now “thinking she has to live again” and feel free. The divorce also led to some of their children, now adults, choosing to drop Pitt’s surname.
Following the split, Pitt has reportedly begun dating model Ines de Ramon, signalling a new chapter in his personal life.
