Brad Pitt No Longer Sober

Brad Pitt has confirmed that he is no longer sober, revealing in a new interview published on August 10, 2026, that he has started drinking again after seven years of complete sobriety. The 62-year-old actor made the admission during a candid cover story interview with Esquire, explaining that he now drinks wine occasionally but keeps his consumption tightly controlled.

The revelation marks a significant shift for Pitt, who had been publicly open about his sobriety journey since 2016 and had become something of an inspiration for others navigating recovery from alcohol use. His latest comments suggest that while he has stepped away from total abstinence, he has not returned to the heavy drinking habits that once defined his lifestyle.

How Brad Pitt Revealed He Started Drinking Again

The topic came up organically during Pitt’s sit-down interview with journalist Ryan D’Agostino at his Los Angeles home. According to reporting on the interview, Pitt offered his interviewer a glass of wine, which prompted a question about whether the bottle was reserved strictly for guests.

Pitt responded by explaining that he had been sober for seven years before deciding to reintroduce alcohol into his life, though he emphasized that his approach now looks nothing like his past drinking habits. He described drinking “in a more restrained manner” and acknowledged that he had gotten overconfident on a couple of occasions before recognizing that heavier drinking still was not right for him.

When asked directly whether that meant he could enjoy a glass of wine, Pitt confirmed he could have a few, but drew a clear line at excessive consumption, noting that he has to remain professional about how much he drinks.

A Look Back at Brad Pitt’s Sobriety Journey

Brad Pitt’s path to sobriety began in 2016, around the time of his highly publicized divorce from Angelina Jolie. In earlier interviews, including a widely discussed 2017 conversation with GQ, Pitt admitted he could not recall a single day since college when he was not drinking, smoking, or using some kind of substance.

He has previously described the years leading up to his decision to quit as a period defined by escapism, saying he realized much of his behavior amounted to running from his feelings. Pitt has said that starting a family with Jolie, with whom he shares six children, played a role in pushing him toward significant lifestyle changes.

By 2019, Pitt was speaking openly about attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and had spent roughly a year and a half in an all-male recovery group. He credited the openness and camaraderie of those meetings with helping him work through a difficult chapter of his life. During a June 2025 appearance on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, Pitt reflected further on that period, describing himself as being “pretty much on my knees” and needing to fully open up in order for the process to work.

Pitt has also publicly credited actor Bradley Cooper with inspiring his decision to get sober. When Cooper presented Pitt with the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in February 2020, Pitt told the audience that Cooper played a direct role in his decision to quit drinking. Cooper, who has been sober for more than 15 years himself, has spoken in the past about realizing that continued substance use would derail his career and personal life.

Brad Pitt Opens Up About Mental Health and Family Struggles

Alongside his revelation about drinking again, Pitt used the Esquire interview to speak candidly about his mental health during a particularly difficult stretch tied to what he referred to as “family stuff.” He described a period in which he could understand the concept of suicide, while firmly stating that he was never personally suicidal.

Pitt characterized himself as someone whose natural disposition leans toward being a “congenital optimist,” even acknowledging that his optimism has occasionally worked against him. He suggested that his outlook helped him push through hardship, even when circumstances were emotionally heavy.

The interview arrives against the backdrop of Pitt’s long and complicated divorce from Angelina Jolie, which was not finalized until 2024, nearly eight years after their initial 2016 split. The couple share six children together: Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh, Pax, Knox, and Vivienne. In recent years, four of their children have taken legal steps to have Pitt’s surname removed from their own names, a development that has reportedly weighed on the actor personally.

Brad Pitt’s Life and Career Amid the Sobriety Update

Despite the personal challenges he described, Pitt’s professional life has remained active. He recently completed a press tour for the racing film F1 and has moved on to additional film projects since then. He was also asked in the same interview about the possibility of reprising his role as stuntman Cliff Booth in an upcoming project tied to Netflix, with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood collaborators reportedly involved behind the scenes.

On the personal front, Pitt continues his relationship with Ines de Ramon, whom he has been dating for several years. He spoke warmly about her during the interview, noting that she often travels with him for work and jokingly praising her efficiency when it comes to packing for trips.

Public Reaction to Brad Pitt’s Sobriety Announcement

News that Pitt is no longer sober spread quickly across entertainment outlets on August 10, 2026, with many fans expressing surprise given how openly he had discussed his commitment to sobriety in past interviews. Others noted that Pitt’s description of drinking in a controlled, moderate way suggests he is approaching the decision thoughtfully rather than returning to his earlier habits.

The timing of the interview also places it within a broader wave of personal reflection from Pitt, who has increasingly used high-profile interviews over the past year to discuss both his recovery journey and the emotional toll of his family situation. His willingness to discuss both his drinking and his mental health in the same conversation has been viewed by many as a continuation of his broader openness about personal struggles in recent years.

As of this writing, Pitt has not issued any additional statements beyond what was shared in the Esquire cover story, and it remains to be seen whether he will address the topic further in upcoming interviews or public appearances.

What do you think about Brad Pitt’s decision to drink again after seven years of sobriety? Share your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned for more updates on this story.