Brad Pitt Reveals What Got Him Through His 'Darker Days' After Angelina Jolie Divorce Battle

Brad Pitt has revealed that close friends, family and a focus on 'little wins' had helped him through the 'darker days' following his divorce battle with Angelina Jolie. The actor made the comments in an interview at the San Sebastián Film Festival in Spain, published by The Sun on 24 October.

The news came after Pitt, 62, was involved in divorce proceedings lasting more than eight years with Jolie that was finally settled in December 2024. He said the experience taught him to break hardship into smaller, manageable steps rather than trying to solve everything at once.

Jolie accused Pitt of assault during a 2016 private-jet incident involving their family. Pitt has denied the allegations.

What Got Him Through

Pitt said he relied on a small circle of trusted people during his lowest points. 'When I think of the darker days, it was certainly my close relationships that I relied heavily on,' he said.

He described being open about his struggle with friends and family who loved and supported him. 'Being able to be that free with people who love you and have your back, and that you love back, is everything,' he added.

The Sun reported that Pitt leaned on friends including George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon during the split. The Sun also says he gave up drinking for seven years, began therapy and attended Alcoholics Anonymous in the aftermath.

The 'Little Wins' Lesson

Pitt said the idea came from survival experts he worked with while preparing for his new film, Heart of the Beast. In the thriller, he plays a retired Special Forces veteran stranded in the Alaskan wilderness with his traumatised former combat dog, Odin.

'The survivalists would tell us it's all about little wins,' Pitt said. 'You're going to suffer losses, you're going to suffer pain, but it's just getting to the next little win.'

He applied that lesson to life beyond the film. 'When we are struggling and going through many challenges, just getting to that next little win, not thinking about the big picture, just that next little win,' he explained.

The Family Estrangement

Pitt's reflections come amid reports of strained relations with his six children. Several have taken steps to remove his surname from their names, although the legal status of those changes varies.

The Daily Mail reported on 16 October, citing unnamed sources, that Pitt's children had changed their phone numbers. The claim has not been independently verified, and Pitt has not publicly confirmed it.

Any suggestion that mutual friends could help him reconnect should be included only if supported by the original report.

What Happens Next

Pitt and Jolie reached a divorce settlement in December 2024 after more than eight years of legal proceedings. However, reports of continued family estrangement have persisted.

Pitt has not publicly confirmed the reported phone-number changes. His latest comments on resilience came as he promoted Heart of the Beast, a survival thriller directed by David Ayer that screened out of competition at the San Sebastián Film Festival in September 2026.