Brad Pitt Opens Up About His First AA Meeting Experience — And Realizing He Needed to 'Wake the F--- Up' During a 'Difficult' Time in His Life
Brad Pitt opened up about his first AA meeting experience.
June 23 2025, Published 2:02 p.m. ET
Brad Pitt has opened up about his first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting experience, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Pitt, 61, confessed he was "pretty much on (his) knees" and realized he had "to wake the f--- up in some areas" before he sought help.
'I Needed Rebooting'
Pitt said he was going through a 'difficult time' and 'needed rebooting' before he went to AA.
The Fight Club star candidly discussed his AA experience during an appearance on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast.
While Pitt did not disclose when exactly he went to AA, he previously said he attended the program for recovering alcoholics for about a year and a half after his 2016 split from ex-wife Angelina Jolie.
On his decision to attend AA, Pitt told Shepard: "I was trying anything and everything, anything anyone threw at me.
"It was a difficult time. I needed rebooting."
Pitt Confesses He 'Grew to Love' the Program
Pitt confessed it was nerve-wracking sitting in the meeting as his turn to speak was 'coming around.'
Pitt noted even though it was unnerving sitting in the circle as his turn to speak was "coming around," he was inspired by "everyone (being) so open."
He added: "It gives you permission to go, 'OK, I'm gonna step out on this edge and see what happens.' And then I really grew to love it."
While Shepard applauded Pitt for being "so f---ing honest" about his sobriety journey, Pitt said Shepard's own honesty really "meant a lot to" him.
Pitt recalled his first meeting being 'a really special experience' because of the vulnerability on display.
The Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood star noted, "Dax was usually near the end because he's been there a while," before describing the podcast host as "an elder statesman" who had the ability to mix "humor" into his advice.
Pitt said his first meeting was "a really special experience coming from the Ozarks," where men traditionally insist "everything is great."
He explained: "I just thought it was incredible, men sharing their experiences with their foibles, their missteps, their wants, their aches and a lot of humor with it."
Jolie noted Pitt's drinking as a catalyst to their 2016 split.
While discussing the vulnerability at the meeting, Pitt recalled the moment he initially went public with his decision to attend AA and "got admonished by a higher-up" for doing so.
But Pitt said it was "freeing" to be able to "expose the ugly sides of" himself.
In a separate interview, he previously confessed: "I had taken things as far as I could take it, so I removed my drinking privileges."
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As RadarOnline.com readers know, Jolie noted Pitt's drinking as a catalyst to their explosive fight during a 2016 private flight, which led to the actress filing for divorce.
In a court filing for their French winery dispute, Jolie alleged a drunken Pitt was physically violent towards two of their six children, who were between 8 and 15-years-old at the time, who attempted to intervene in the couple's argument.
She claimed Pitt grabbed her by the head and shook her, then choked one of their children and pushed another during the chaotic incident.
The filing stated: "Pitt's aggressive behavior started even before the family got to the airport, with Pitt having a confrontation with one of the children. After the flight took off, Jolie approached Pitt and asked him what was wrong.
"Pitt accused her of being too deferential to the children and verbally attacked her."
Jolie's filing later stated: "He pulled her into the bathroom and began yelling at her. Pitt grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, and then grabbed her shoulders and shook her again before pushing her into the bathroom wall.
"Pitt lunged at his own child and Jolie grabbed him from behind to stop him. To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the airplane's seats injuring Jolie's back and elbow.
"The children rushed in and all bravely tried to protect each other. Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face."
