Brad Pitt revealed, in his Esquire cover story, that he is no longer sober and he hasn’t been sober for three years, by his count. By my count, his sobriety possibly lasted for a few years and then he fell off the wagon during the pandemic. As I said in my coverage, Pitt’s admissions are vindication for Angelina Jolie and her kids. Instead of “poor Brad, he’s done everything he can to make it up to his children,” we’re seeing exactly why Angelina left and why the kids want nothing to do with him. So far, there hasn’t been any official reaction from Angelina or the kids, all of whom are legal adults now. But Rob Shuter has an “exclusive.”
Angelina Jolie is not exactly reaching for the phone to check on Brad Pitt after the actor revealed he is drinking again following seven years of sobriety. According to a source close to Jolie, the news came as no surprise. In fact, Jolie has long believed that sobriety did not necessarily mean the underlying problems had disappeared.
“Angelina is not surprised. She tried to warn people. She knew this was always a possibility,” a source tells Naughty But Nice. Pitt revealed Monday that he had “got back off the wagon,” although he insists he now drinks in moderation and knows he cannot have too much. That explanation has done little to change Jolie’s opinion.
“She doesn’t believe Brad has fundamentally changed. She believes Brad is who Brad is, and no amount of sobriety or reinvention changes that,” the source tells Naughty But Nice.
Pitt stopped drinking after his 2016 split from Jolie, following the infamous private-plane incident that became a major turning point in their marriage. Jolie later made serious allegations about Pitt’s behavior during the flight and involving their children, allegations Pitt has disputed. The couple finally settled their divorce in 2024 after eight years of legal battles.
Now, according to the source, Jolie has no desire to revisit any of it.
“Angelina’s attitude is simple: ‘I told you so.’ She doesn’t believe him, and she doesn’t want to get dragged back into his drama,” the source tells Naughty But Nice.
For Jolie, the past is the past — and Brad’s latest chapter is his problem, not hers.
I know many believe that Shuter doesn’t have insider sources anywhere, and maybe that’s true, but I believe that Jolie probably feels like this. She absolutely tried to warn people, especially in the past five years. Immediately after filing for divorce, she didn’t fight back against Brad and his crisis management as much as she should have, but she’s gotten better about that. Jolie and her lawyers have responded publicly to Brad’s abusive behavior. Not just the 2016 plane stuff, but the ongoing Miraval lawsuit and all of the ways in which Brad has tried to financially abuse her. Not to mention that the entire reason why she wanted out of Miraval is because it’s literally a winery, and she wanted no part of enabling Pitt’s alcoholism in any way. I also think that Jolie knew that Pitt’s sobriety was half-assed at best, and that she needed to keep her kids far away from someone incapable of working a program consistently. I hope this is a wake-up call for Hollywood but it won’t be. Brad is made of teflon for some reason.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- 118297, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt arrive at the premiere of ‘Maleficent’ at Kensington Palace in London. London, United Kingdom – Thursday, May 08, 2014. UK, FRANCE, AUS, NZ, CHINA, HONG KONG, TAIWAN, SPAIN & ITALY OUT Photograph: © Max Nash / i-Images, PacificCoastNews. Los Angeles Office: +1 310.822.0419 London Office: +44 208.090.4079 sales@pacificcoastnews.com FEE MUST BE AGREED PRIOR TO USAGE,Image: 530750401, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS, DIRECT SALES ONLY UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE IN CAPTION – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: i-Images, PacificCoastNews / Avalon
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- Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium – Arrivals Los Angeles, California – 29.01.12,Image: 308937869, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Not available for publication in Germany, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Wenn / Avalon
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- 18th award Ceremony the Screen Actor Guild Awards 2012 in Shrine Auditorium Los Angeles California, 29th January 2012. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie,Image: 515921708, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: UK USE ONLY – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries call London + 44 (0)20 7421 6000 , New York + 1 646-329-6242 or Hamburg + 49 (0)40 530 240 5959, Model Release: no, Credit line: imago stock&people / Avalon
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- 118293, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie attend a private reception as costumes and props from Disney’s ‘Maleficent’ are exhibited in support of Great Ormond Street Hospital held at Kensington Palace in London. London, United Kingdom – Thursday May 08, 2014. UK, FRANCE, AUS, NZ, CHINA, HONG KONG, TAIWAN, SPAIN & ITALY OUT,Image: 530750211, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS, DIRECT SALES ONLY UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE IN CAPTION – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: i-Images, PacificCoastNews / Avalon
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- 144672, Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt seen at the AFI Festival premiere of ‘By the Sea’ at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Hollywood, California – Thursday November 5, 2015. NORTH AMERICA & SOUTH AMERICA ONLY Photograph: © Xclusive, PacificCoastNews. Los Angeles Office: +1 310.822.0419 sales@pacificcoastnews.com FEE MUST BE AGREED PRIOR TO USAGE,Image: 532028603, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS, DIRECT SALES ONLY UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE IN CAPTION – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Xclusive, PacificCoastNews / Avalon
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- Angelina Jolie and Knox Jolie-Pitt arrivesat the 15th Governors Awards in the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, November 17, 2024.,Image: 936313648, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Avalon Licensing Ltd. do not claim any Copyright of the attached image WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red/Avalon/Avalon
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- PALM SPRINGS, RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, USA – JANUARY 03: Angelina Jolie wearing Fred Leighton jewelry arrives at the 36th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards 2025 held at the Palm Springs Convention Center on January 3, 2025 in Palm Springs, Riverside County, California, United States.,Image: 951727596, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Angelina Jolie, Credit line: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon
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- SANTA MONICA, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – FEBRUARY 07: Angelina Jolie wearing Elie Saab arrives at the 30th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards held at The Barker Hangar on February 7, 2025 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 961241197, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Angelina Jolie, Credit line: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon
Yes but if you believe AJ could think this way then you could have just as easily written what Shuter just wrote. Idk if that’s indicative of having actual sources so much as just stating what people who have followed this story assume to be obvious. I doubt AJ would publicly ever take such an I told you so stance. Either way, people need to end the whole argument that she influenced the kids to alienate their dad. Bc that clearly is not and has never been the case .
Nobody speaks for Angelina Jolie especially not to. EX PR hacks now turned entertainment content creators to hype their social media platforms, Angelina Jolie speaks via her lawyer only and has no PR. This is just another clickbaiting to attack her by Rob Shuter, the comments in his site are vile and those who repeated his BS blaming Angelina and painting Pitt as a victim
The original source of this is In Touch. Enough said.
Intouch had the exclu about the bennifer divorce, sometimes A listers do give exclusives to the low brow tabloids, it give them denial plausibility
Seconded @Sharmel. A listers aren’t going to use People to air all their dirty laundry. InTouch, OK, Star, Radar, DailyMail, The Sun have their own merits. It’s also a shame though this website doesn’t report them any longer like it used to.
From what I see, she is allegedly saying that he is POS with or without alcoholism. Agreed. I wish people would stop conflating the two issues.
That’s exactly what she’s saying.
Yes, that’s my exact stance. I think he blames alcohol for whatever a hole behavior he’s being held accountable for (or asked to explain).
My stance as well.
And this is where Pitt’s admission to drinking is causing bigger problems with public perception than he imagined. If he really believed or actually was not abusive, and that he only behaved that way because of alcohol, then he would commit to sobriety and being the person who is horrified by that behavior and doesn’t want it in his life. That he’s casually “gone back” to drinking, tells everyone who is in recovery or knows people in recovery that alcohol is worth more to him and that he doesn’t think alcohol is the problem here. He’s a double winner in delusional thinking here – believing he’s not abusing alcohol, and not abusive towards others.
Except that Angie isn’t the one saying it. It’s a tabloid source and given how carefully Angie has handled any public statements about the divorce I find it highly suspect that she would speak to anyone about this. It’s not new to her and it shouldn’t be news for anyone else.
“Brad is made of teflon for some reason.” Rich white male movie star could be the reason.
I wonder if this self-confession, laden with red flags, will have a Streisand effect for him.
I literally saw people on Twitter talking about “well if my kids refused to talk to me i might start drinking again too” just ignoring the fact that Brad being a violent drunk is what turned his kids against him. If you watched your dad choke your brother and hit your mom in a drunken rage would you want anything to do with him when he started drinking again? Especially after he spent years using alcohol as the excuse for his disgusting behavior while smearing your mom to save his own reputation? Hell nah.
Exactly! I’ll say it over and over and over again— Winona Ryder’s career has never quite recovered from her prescription pill/shoplifting debacle over 20 years ago… but Brad, who allegedly physically assaulted and terrorized his wife and children, is still headlining major films and getting pretty fluff pieces.
I suspect he was ‘California sober’ ie.
‘Sober’ for the PR but not doing the actual work of recovery, which means addressing patterns of bbehavior, looking at your part and making amends.
His persistent vindictive pursuit of Angie in court suggests the resentful , narcissistic actions of a dry drunk not an adult, whole, comfortable in his own skin person. man. Do the steps, your life literally depends on it
He only pretended to be sober to look good in family court and now that the twins are 18 he can finally be an open alcoholic again (I am sure the kids knew the entire time he never stopped drinking)
Angie got out of Miraval because she knew it would only be a matter of time before he ran it into the ground, and she knew he’d do it out of spite or incompetence. It was their largest joint investment and she knew he wasn’t going to look out for her interests. She was smart to get out, and he’s still raging and trying to abuse her for that, along with leaving him.
It reads like it’s coming from her and she’s right with or without alcohol brad pitt a horrible terrible human being
Its called Himpathy and pretty privilege.
The patriarchy in a nutshell
Yeah i agree. I don’t think she’s given rob an exclusive but I am not sure it matters what was said is 100% true lol. That letter she wrote him said it all.
Just read a short article questioning why an actor would be so glib about getting off the wagon after the allegations of him pouring a drink on his wife Angelina and his kids ditching him.
The comments were poor Brad, why isn’t the press leaving him alone and Angelina is a narcissist. Guy wanted to be interviewed, but suddenly he’s Greta Garbo. I don’t know if it’s always the woman’s fault or just Angelina, but for Pete’s sake,
He doesn’t want to fix his issues. If for me, my kids said I don’t feel safe around you if you keep drinking, I would stop drinking. I am now wondering if that was the point that the kids refused to be around him. Because we know there were supervised visits and when one of the kids was having emergency surgery he was present. But the last few years they all hard blocked him and got rid of his name. He’s in essence going to the public to say see I can drink and be okay and in his messed up mind he has it that it was his ex and kids who are the problem, not him.
The mistake many people make (especially women) is believe Brad Pitt is handsome, therefore Brad Pitt has no flaws, makes no mistakes, and is victimized by Angelina Jolie. People blamed her for the breakup of their marriage while not knowing anything about that family. People even blamed Angelina when the children began dropping Pitt’s name. Let’s face it: Brad Pitt really never was sober and was not a good husband or father. Handsome men are sometimes the biggest assholes.
Rob Shuter is spinning a narrative as ge goes along Angelina Jolie hasn’t spoken to anybody especially not about her & her domestic violence perpetrator Brad Pitt, PR hacks like Rob Shuter are spreading defamatory smear campaigns against her they are pro Pitt.
I empathize with her sooooo much. I was in a 13 yr marriage with a toxic, narcissistic abuser but mentally and sexually. He didnt drink, but he was doing drugs behind my back. 5 months after my best friend, my rock, my everything-Mother passed..the marriage finally imploded. It had been brewing for awhile…I knew he was having a years long affair with someone from his work and she cozied up to me wanting to be “friends” I guess so they could both keep tabs on my thoughts and feelings and whereabouts to make it easier for them to keep carrying on, but they eventually got too sloppy and I caught on. They were just gleeful in my ignorance and took delight in fooling me. He even when so far in one of our arguments to say that if I didnt tow the line, she had said to tell me that she would be waiting in the wings. AND I TOOK HIM BACK. Ugh…BUT, I eventually wised up told him to leave dealt with the threats on me and my pets and him spying on us for a time. It was really sick and really dark, but I feel like now years later that I am soooo much wiser in choosing a partner. I think she will be the same, when she finally is ready. Its been 6 years for me and I still am not interested in dating anyone. Ive had a fling or two…but years of that emotional narcisstic trauma really really makes you hesistant to want to be with anyone else for fear they may be out to hurt you and mess with your mind like before.
teflon Brad Pitt can do no wrong nothing sticks to him , abusing 6 children for god sake six children, and still people stand by him and act ges the victim, nobody cares Angelina Jolie was abused because for sick reasons people saying she deserves to be abused its her karma, yes that’s how sick people ate especially mwd8a sticks by Pitt, Hollywood sticks by
teflon Pitt. He can do no wrong even his fake sobriety is given a pass just as his alcoholism is given a pass. Instead he’s celebrated…never held accountable
Those six children who feared their drunk abuser and wanted for 10 years for him to acknowledge his abuse of them, yo acknowledge he’s at fault , yo acknowledge he’s an alcoholic, Brad Pitt did no such thing , instead they witnessed how the world celebrated him his exes Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow Were clamouring to stand by him and give Angelina Jolie the fiinger mocked her as a domestic violence victim degrading her and her children. JenniferAnistonwas still name dropping pitt weeks agi reminiscenton his 1 episodeon het sitcom just such repulsive act to fawn over an abuser .
I stand for all Victims, Angelina Jolie and her children, who suffred at the hands of an alcoholic drug addict Brad Pitt. Alcoholics are selfish people they only put their own needs first not their families well-being
The esquire interview confirmed hoe Brad Pitt himself gas alienated his six children & continues to do so. Now people should stop abuse shaming Angelina and defaming her with parental alienation slurs, because it’s Pitt himself whose done the parental alienation against his kids
I think Pitt is made of Teflon because he is also a producer and brings viable films to the fore, and as we have seen, a lot of actors will overlook anything to be seen in a good film. Woody Allen would be ostracized by any other crowd, and maybe this crowd, but he is always, or was, producing and directing large ensemble movies. Lots of movies. What possible child abuse? I don’t wish harm on Pitt, but I hope the harm he has tried to settle on Angelina turns into a boomerang.
@THERESE you’re absolutely right. As much this site hates Brad, that’s not the case in Hollywood at all, sober or not.
Studio heads love him because if he’s in a movie, it’s going to make money hand over fist. Look at F1, a freaking race car movie got a nomination.
Then he produces a ton. Producers get financing for films. And he does A LOT of POC films. I looked up on IMDb- Minari, Moonlight, Selma, Hedda, Adolescence- that massive show out of UK. Underground Railroad- tv, If Beale Street could talk, Women Talking, Nickel Boys, Voice of Hind Rajab. And on. He’s probably got a room full of trophies just from producing.
That’s a lot of films getting made through his Plan B guys, which is a lot of actors and crew getting work. Sorry. He’s not going anywhere. He’s not gonna suffer any consequences. This is not one we’re gonna win.
If you look at the number of films he “produced” or “executive produced “ just in 2025, you wouldn’t be so sure that he actually really produced all 14 of them. His production company isn’t even a micro-studio. There is no substantial equity capital in it. Like a lot of actors production companies, they use first look deal to make studio finance for their projects. The number of films Pitt produced or is still producing makes one compare the situation of Bruce Willis and all his straight-to-video craps he had made each year before he got called out. I suspect Pitt has money problems, with his multiple mortgages, his multiple lawsuits, and he obviously cannot tap funds from his winery again because his new partner is suing him for mismanagement. So the producing is his way of getting money, only it hides better than starring in a bunch of craps every year. As for why Hollywood is still helping him. Well, Hollywood isn’t an omnipresent single entity. It is made up by various groups with opposing positions. Pitt belongs to one of the group, so does George Clooney, and some alumni of the Ocean’s franchise. They make damn sure Pitt never fails and will throw anyone under the bus to do so, even if being betrayal to one’s supposed friends.