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Brad Pitt is reflecting on his path to sobriety, revealing that his journey with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) began in 2016 after his ex Angelina Jolie filed for divorce. Speaking on the June 23 episode of the Armchair Expert podcast with Dax Shepard, Pitt described the experience as "incredible," sharing how it became a crucial part of his recovery.
"It was when I first was getting sober," Pitt, 61, told Shepard. "It was just incredible. Men sharing their experiences, their foibles, their missteps, their wants, their aches—and a lot of humor with it." He added, "It was a really special experience for me."
The Oscar-winning actor revealed that the difficult period following the divorce left him feeling emotionally depleted. "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. I needed rebooting," he admitted.
Pitt and Shepard, both of whom have publicly shared their struggles with addiction, met during AA meetings. Shepard recalled Pitt's honesty during those sessions, saying, "You were so f---ing honest... I was like, he must have a stubbornness like I have."
Pitt initially felt shy attending the meetings but soon "really grew to love it," especially as he witnessed others being candid about their struggles. "It became something I'd look forward to," he said. "Everyone was so open. It gave me permission in a way to go, 'Okay, I'm going to step out on this edge and see what happens.'"
He also acknowledged concerns about anonymity given his fame, but remained committed to the process. In a 2019 interview with The New York Times, Pitt said AA allowed him to face the "ugly sides" of himself, calling it "really freeing."
The actor emphasized the growth he's undergone since. "When I've stepped in s---, I'm pretty good at taking responsibility for it and owning up to it. Now it's a quest to... how can I right this and make sure it doesn't happen again?"
Shepard jokingly summed it up: "It's not the winner's club." Pitt agreed, replying, "No. That's usually not the entry point."
