Brad Pitt has opened up like never before about one of the darkest periods of his life. In an interview with the American magazine Esquire , published on Monday, August 10, the 62-year-old actor recounts experiencing profound psychological distress, to the point of having suicidal thoughts for a short time. He maintains, however, that he never considered taking his own life.
"I saw no way out."
Brad Pitt explains that these thoughts were completely unusual for him. The actor asserts that he had never faced such a situation before : "I've never had suicidal thoughts. It's simply not in my nature. [...] Except for a short period. And during that short period, I felt like I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't see a way out."
A period during which the suffering became, in his own words, particularly difficult to bear : "The pain was too intense, too oppressive. I wasn't going to act on it, but I felt the cold steel of the bullet in my head, and it was like a relief."
Brad Pitt: "Now I understand suicide."
The actor recounts that he then understood for the first time how a person could come to see death as an escape from unbearable suffering : “And I thought to myself, ‘Ah, okay, now I understand… I understand suicide, in the sense that it’s just a relief. It’s just seeking to relieve the pain.’” Brad Pitt explains, however, that his survival instinct quickly took over : “But I also think we have an incredible survival instinct.”
"Family problems" at the root of her distress
When asked by Esquire about the reasons for this extremely difficult period, Brad Pitt declined to elaborate. He simply mentioned "family issues ." These revelations come after several particularly complicated years in the actor's personal life. His separation from Angelina Jolie was announced in 2016, followed by a lengthy divorce process that was finally completed on December 30, 2024.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have six children. In the years following their separation, relations between the actor and some members of his family deteriorated significantly. However, Brad Pitt does not specifically cite his divorce or his relationships with his children as the cause of his suicidal thoughts. When questioned about this period, he simply refers to "family problems" and refuses to elaborate.
A particularly rare confession
Known for over three decades as one of Hollywood's biggest stars, Brad Pitt delivers a particularly intimate account, far removed from the public image that has accompanied him since the beginning of his career. The actor describes suffering so intense that he briefly considered death as a way to end the pain, while reiterating that he had no intention of committing suicide. "I wasn't going to do it," he insists, recounting this episode.
At 62, Brad Pitt is continuing his film career and will notably star in Heart of the Beast , a film in which he plays a former member of the special forces facing a survival situation in Alaska.
