Brad Pitt reflects on joining Alcoholics Anonymous after his divorce: 'It was a particularly difficult time'

Brad Pitt is coming clean about one of the most complicated episodes of his life. In a podcast appearance, Pitt opened up about his battle with alcoholism and his experience attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, sharing an introspective answer about his recovery and desire to get better. 

© Variety via Getty Images

Pitt was featured on Dax Shepard's podcast "Armchair Expert." The two revealed that they met and became friends in an AA meeting, with Pitt sharing his respect for all of the people who were in attendance.

“I just thought it was just incredible men sharing their experiences, their foibles, their missteps, their wants, their aches, and a lot of humor with it. I thought it was a really special experience." 

The journey to recovery

© Getty Images

Pitt shared that getting to one of these meetings followed one of the toughest moments of his life. “I was pretty much on my knees, and I was really open,” he said. “I was trying anything and everyone. Anything anyone threw at me. It was a difficult time. I needed rebooting. I needed to wake the f--- up in some areas. And it just meant a lot to me.”

He admitted that while he felt a bit shy when first joining the group, he quickly embraced the process, with the meetings becoming “something I'd look forward to.”

Pitt's desire to own up to his mistakes

© Getty Images

In the interview, Pitt also addressed how he makes mistakes and tries his best to get back on track. “When I've stepped in s---, I'm pretty good at taking responsibility for it and owning up to it," he said. 

"And now it's a quest to, you know, ‘What do I do with this? How can I right this?’ And make sure it doesn't happen again. Be better, step up.” 

Pitt's journey to sobriety began in 2016, following his split from Angelina Jolie. He's discussed his relationship with alcohol in the past, noting how it had become a destructive force in his life. “I had taken things as far as I could take it, so I removed my drinking privileges,” he said to the New York Times in 2019. 

© GettyImages