Seven years sober, Brad Pitt reveals a relapse
Brad Pitt has opened up in Esquire about his sobriety — and why it’s no longer the all-or-nothing line it once was.
Right, let’s get this out of the way first: Brad Pitt is drinking again, but don’t go imagining he’s off on a lost week. After seven solid years of sobriety, the man himself admits he’s now having the odd glass of wine. Pitt was chatting to Esquire and, as these things go, the subject of alcohol came up. Turns out, he’s decided to allow himself the occasional tipple – though only in 'small quantities,' as he puts it.
No, I got—I was sober for seven years. And then I got back off the wagon.
That’s how Pitt described it to Esquire’s Ryan D’Agostino, after being asked if the wine he’d just offered was 'for guests only.' Pitt said he’s keeping things 'restrained' these days, and that he’s figured out his limits – not quite ‘calm measured sips in Tuscany’ levels, but he’s not about to start guzzling Merlot by the barrel either. Apparently, he had a go at indulging a bit more than planned, found it didn’t suit, and now tries to keep it all very professional – his words, not mine. He admits he 'can’t have a lot,' which, if you’ve seen any of his more recent work, does explain the ongoing solid performances.
An Assist from Bradley Cooper
Here’s where it gets interesting: Bradley Cooper played a big role in Pitt cleaning up in the first place. If you’ve got a good memory, you might recall Pitt calling Cooper out at the National Board of Review Awards Gala in 2020 – Cooper handed him his Best Supporting Actor statue, and Pitt made it clear his mate had helped get him back on track.
I got sober because of this guy and every day has been happier ever since.
That’s Brad talking about Cooper in front of a roomful of very serious movie people. Pitt’s not been shy talking about the gritty reality either: only last year, he turned up on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast and described just how much Alcoholics Anonymous meant to him after hitting a proper low point. He recalls men sharing what they’d messed up, what they fancied, what hurt – and, crucially, there was a good bit of humour mixed in (which, let’s be honest, probably helps when the rest of it’s bleak as anything). Pitt described himself as being 'pretty much on my knees' and trying whatever was on hand – he needed a wake-up and didn’t care how awkward it got to get there.
Back to the Big Screen
It’s not just Pitt’s personal life getting attention. Fans are already buzzing about his return as Cliff Booth in the upcoming sequel to Tarantino’s Hollywood love letter. The new one’s called The Adventures of Cliff Booth, and it’s David Fincher behind the wheel this time. Expect to see Pitt back on IMAX screens come 25 November 2026.
The Adventures of Cliff Booth arrives in UK cinemas 25 November 2026.