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Brad Pitt spoke about the first meeting of anonymous alcoholics, that he visited Angelina Jolie after his turbulent divorce. In an interview with “Armchair Expert” presenter Dax Shepard-who was also present at this meeting-he said: “I needed a restart, I had to wake up in some areas.”
Shepard noticed that “a Bazillion of famous people” took part in this AA meeting, but realized that Pitts was “overwhelming”-in the way you would expect from a superstar. Shepard said he was not sure whether such an atmosphere would allow Pitt to open up to the way that is typical of self -help groups – but the opposite was the case.
“I was on the ground on my knees”
“You were so damn honest,” said Shepard to Pitt. “I thought to myself: He must have such stubbornness as I do, this ‘yes, it all happens, but I refuse to let myself be dehumanated.’
Pitt admitted that he had not considered the experience in these terms until then, and indicated that his willingness to openness was a reaction to the bad state in which he was in. “I was pretty much on my knees,” he said. “Was really open to … I tried everything that was suggested to me. It was a particularly difficult time.”
Although Pitt was a little nervous at the beginning of the discussion round, he said that the open behavior of the others had given him the permission in a way: “Okay, I’m going to this border and seeing what happens.” Then, he said, he “learned it really loved”.
“A really special experience”
In the interview, Pitt had noticed how “unbelievable” it was to be in a room with other men, “that share their experiences, their weaknesses, their missteps, their wishes, their pain – and a lot of humor”. He added that it was a “really special experience” for him, especially because he grew up in the Ozarks in Missouri, where people often hide their feelings and pretend that “everything is fine”.
Pitt spoke in an interview with the New York Times in 2019 about his participation in the AA meetings after the separation from Jolie. At that time he said: “It was actually really liberating to show the ugly sides of himself,” he said. “It is very worth that.”
Legal allegations and divorce conclusion
Pitts and Jolie’s divorce was triggered by a notorious dispute in a private plane, which according to reports began through the actor’s alcohol consumption. According to legal documents that appeared in the course of the lengthy divorce negotiations, Pitt Jolie and two of her children are said to have attacked on the flight. The FBI and the youth welfare office of the Los Angeles County examined the incident, but both came to the conclusion that no further measures against Pitt were necessary. Pitt and Jolie’s divorce was finally completed at the end of 2024.