Brad Pitt Opens Up About Surviving His Darkest Days

Brad Pitt has spoken about making it through some of the “darker days” of his life, including periods marked by grief and emotional pain, amid his prolonged and contentious divorce from Angelina Jolie.

The 62-year-old actor reflected on the ways he handled those difficult chapters while promoting his new survival thriller, Heart of the Beast.

Pitt plays James Belmont, a retired Special Forces officer who is traveling with Odin, his former military dog, when their aircraft crashes in the isolated Alaskan wilderness.

Although both survive the accident, they are left battling freezing conditions and the unforgiving landscape as they wait for the possibility of rescue.

The actor consulted survival specialists during production, an experience that encouraged him to reflect on the hardships he has faced away from the screen.

“When I think about the darker days, it was my closest relationships that I depended on most,” he said. “Friends, a small number of dear friends, and close family. I was also very open about what I was struggling with.”

Pitt added, according to The Sun, that having people around him who offered unconditional support had been crucial. “Being able to be completely open with people who love you, stand by you, and whom you love in return is everything,” he said. “It’s everything.”

“The survival experts kept telling us that it comes down to small victories. You will face setbacks and pain, but the goal is simply to reach the next small victory.”

“I realized that idea also applied to life. When we are dealing with major challenges, it can help to focus on the next achievable step instead of becoming overwhelmed by the bigger picture.”

The comments came after friends reportedly described Pitt’s marriage to Jolie as a period that caused his life to “spiral.”

A recent exclusive report by the Daily Mail quoted people close to the actor as saying the breakdown of the relationship had been the “worst thing that ever happened to him.”

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One source close to Pitt told the publication: “He never had a drinking problem; he had an Angelina problem. He has worked hard on himself and is now, finally, in a genuinely good place.”

An in-depth report on the claims is available here.

Pitt and Jolie, 51, announced their separation in September 2016 after two years of marriage. Their divorce was not finalized until 2024, following an eight-year legal dispute.

Meanwhile, in an interview with L’Officiel USA published on September 9, Jolie said she was prepared to leave the United States and adopt a more nomadic lifestyle now that her youngest children, twins Vivienne and Knox, had turned 18.

The actress, who put her Los Feliz home on the market for $29.85 million earlier this year, said she felt she was approaching “the end of a certain time” in her life.

Asked if she’s going to be swapping Los Angeles for New York, she told the publication: ‘Out of the States more, I think.

‘I don’t really plan to have a base. I’d like to have a home base for my family, a place where some of the mom stuff and the family photos are. And then I’d like to be a bit nomadic for a while.’

She no longer needs to stay in Los Angeles to satisfy the rules of her custody agreement with Brad, which required her minor children to remain near their father until they turned 18.

All six of her children with the star are now adults and four of them, including Maddox, 25, Zahara, 21, Shiloh, 20 and Vivienne, have taken legal steps to change their last names from Pitt to Jolie.

Knox and Pax, 22, have not filed a formal legal name-change petition.

While Brad increasingly steps out in public with girlfriend of nearly four years, Ines de Ramon, 33, the Maleficent actress is keen to continue the global expansion of her Atelier Jolie creative house.