Brad Pitt has revealed that he felt ‘suicidal’ a decade after his estrangement from Angelina Jolie and his children.
The 62-year-old actor shares his six children – Maddox, 25, Pax, 22, Zahara, 21, Shiloh, 20, and 18-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox – with his former wife Angelina Jolie.
Jolie, 51, filed for divorce from her Mr and Mrs. Smith co-star in 2016 and requested full custody of their six children following an alleged abusive incident between the actor and the kids.
Speaking to Esquire, Pitt opened up about the darkest period of his life in a candid interview, saying that he ‘just didn’t see a way out’ from the pain he was experiencing.
‘I’ve never been suicidal except for one little period,’ the Fight Club star told the publication.
‘And in that one little period, I just thought — I just couldn’t — just didn’t see a way out.’
The two-time Oscar winner continued: ‘The pain was so oppressive. I wasn’t going to act on this, but I could feel — I could feel the cold steel of the bullet in my head, and it felt like relief.’
He added: ‘And I thought, “Oh, okay, now I understand” — I understand suicide, in the sense that it’s just relief. It’s just looking for relief from the pain.’
Pitt said his ‘incredible survival instincts’ then kicked in, explaining: ‘This s*** ain’t easy. And you’re talking to a guy who won the lottery.’
When asked whether he had been dealing with problems involving his children, Pitt replied: ‘Family stuff.’
Without elaborating any further, he said: ‘Family stuff. We could leave it at that.’
The alleged abusive incident related to a claim made by Jolie that Pitt ‘choked one of the children and struck another in the face’ during a confrontation on a private jet.
The FBI is said to have investigated the allegations ‘thoroughly’ but did not bring any charges against the actor.
The former couple was declared legally single in 2019 before finally settling their divorce in December 2024.
Pitt has previously spoken about his battles with alcohol and his efforts to rebuild his life following the split.
In June earlier this year, Jolie said that she was ‘broken by life’ in a series of rare comments made about her split with Pitt.
Admitting that she had not dated anyone since their split, she revealed how she’s only now beginning to rediscover the woman she was before heartbreak and motherhood took over her life.
‘To be candid, I haven’t dated since I divorced a decade ago,’ she told Yahoo! Entertainment.
‘So I kind of get in my head that that aspect of me is not centered in my life if I’m focusing on my children, my family.’
Need support?
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
PAPYRUS offers specialised suicide prevention support for young people. Their HOPELINE247 is open every day of the year, 24 hours a day. You can call 0800 068 4141, text 88247 or email: pat@papyrus-uk.org.