Pitt: I can’t remember a day without drink
Hollywood star admits divorce was his fault and that for years he could not go a day without a drink
Brad Pitt has opened up about his divorce from Angelina Jolie and his battle with alcohol. The actor, 53, said he could not remember a day when he was not “boozing or had a spliff ”. Pitt added that the damage to his personal life brought about through his split from Jolie was “self-inflicted”.
BY HIS own admission, Brad Pitt is a man who “won the lottery” in life. But now the Hollywood star has laid bare his demons, revealing his despair over his divorce from Angelina Jolie, his long battle with alcohol, and his love of therapy.
In a searingly honest interview, the 53-year old Hollywood star admitted that for years he could not remember a day when he was not “boozing or had a spliff, or something”.
“Truthfully, I could drink a Russian under the table with his own vodka. I was a professional. I was good,” he told GQ Style magazine. “This is coming from a guy who hit the lottery, I’m well aware of that. I hit the lottery and I still would waste my time on those hollow pursuits. I don’t want to live that way anymore.”
The star of Fight Club and Ocean’s Eleven told how he had been “boozing too much” before his split from Jolie last year and the damage to his personal life was “self-inflicted”. At one point he called himself an “a-------”. a-------”. But he says he has now given up drinking, and sticks to “cranberry juice ce and fizzy drinks” instead. He has not drunk alcohol for six months.
“It’s just become a problem. em. And I’m really happy. It’s been half a year now, which is bittersweet,” he said.aid.
“We have a winery. I enjoy wine very, very much, but I just ran it to the ground. I had to step awayy for a minute.” He also revealed that he was seek- ing professional help for his state of mind. “I just started therapy. y. I love it. I love it,” he said. “I went through hrough two therapists to get the right one. I’ve got my feelings in my fingertips s again. I’m personally very retarded whenhen it comes to taking inventory of my emotions.” motions.”
Asked if the end of his marriage arriage was “like a death”, Pitt replied: “Yeah.” Yeah.”
He and Jolie, 41, fell in love ove on the set of the 2005 Hollywoodod blockbuster Mr & Mrs Smith. Theyhey eventually married at their French ch estate in 2014. In September last year the Los Angeles County Department tment of Children and FamilyFami Services began an investigation into whether Pitt was abusive towards oneo of the couple’s children on a privatepriva plane. The probe was later closed withwit no finding of abuse.
But a few days after the incident Jolie filed for divorcedivo and sought sole custody of the childrenchi – Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, Shiloh, 10, and eightyear-old twins KnoxKno and Vivienne.
Pitt revealed he had felt “on my back and chained” after Children’s Services became involved. F Following the end of his marriage he feltfel “too sad” to return home and spent sixsi weeks sleeping on the floor of a friend’sfrie home in Santa Monica, California.California He has been coping
‘Truthfully, I could drink a Russian under the e table with his own vodka. . I was a professional. I was s good’ ‘I do remembe remember a few spots along the road where I’ve become absolutelyabsolu tired of myself, and th this is a big one.’
with divorce by learning to sculpt, working with clay,cla plaster and, wood. Pitt called it a “lonely occupation, which is good fo for me right now”. The actor sai said he was not having a midlife crisis crisis. But he added: “I do remember a few spots along the road where I’ve become absolutely tire tired of myself and this is a big o one. These moments have al always been a huge generat generator for change.” Ask Asked how he made sense of the past six mont months, he said: “Family first first. People on their dea deathbeds don’t talk ab about what they obta tained or were a awarded. They talk a about their loved ones or their regrets – that seems to be the menu.” The actor said he was someone “who’s let the work take me away” and that the end of his m marriage was “just ve very, very jarring for th the kids to suddenly hav have their family ripp ripped apart”. It had “hit me s smack in the face that I got gotta be more for them and I haven’t been great at it” it”, he added. Pit Pitt said he and Jolie had be been able to “sort out” custody issues without the “vitriolic hatred” of a court case that would have been a “spectacu “spectacular” nightmare. He also said he was starting to distanc distance himself from the film business. “I d don’t really think of myself much as an actor anymore,” he explained. “It takes up so l little of my year and my focus. Film fee feels like a cheap pass for me – as a way to get at those hard feelings. It doesn’t work anymore, especially being a da dad.” Asked if he saw himself as having been successful in life, Pitt said: “I wish I could just change my name.”