Angelina Jolie was reportedly “not surprised” to learn that Brad Pitt had resumed drinking after seven years of sobriety. Pitt disclosed the change during a new Esquire interview, explaining that he now allows himself a limited number of drinks after previously abstaining from alcohol entirely. Although Jolie has not personally addressed the revelation, a source described as being close to the actress claimed she had long questioned whether sobriety alone had resolved the problems she associated with their marriage.
A source claiming knowledge of Jolie’s reaction spoke to Rob Shuter’s “Naughty But Nice” column after Pitt’s interview was published. “Angelina is not surprised. She tried to warn people. She knew this was always a possibility,” the insider said.
The source alleged that Jolie had “long believed that sobriety did not necessarily mean the underlying problems [Brad had] had disappeared.”
“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 insider added.
Brad Pitt Reveals He Is No Longer Sober
Pitt discussed his relationship with alcohol after the Esquire interviewer noted that the actor had offered him a glass of wine. When asked whether he kept the wine exclusively for guests, Pitt revealed that he had ended his period of complete sobriety. “No, I got, I was sober for seven years. And then I got back off the wagon,” he said with a laugh.
Pitt indicated that his current approach is considerably more controlled than his drinking had been in the past. “In a more restrained manner. I got overconfident a couple times, went, ‘Yep, nope, not good for me.’ Not in big quantities,” he explained.
When the interviewer suggested that Pitt could now have a glass of wine, the actor clarified the limits he places on himself. “Yeah. Well… I can have a few. But I can’t have a lot. I have to be professional about it,” Pitt said.
The profile also explained why excessive drinking no longer appeals to him. “He likes mornings now anyway, and you can miss a lovely morning when you drink too much the night before, and it’s just not as interesting,” the article noted. “Mornings are interesting, and he doesn’t want any more of them to go by unseen.”
Actor Previously Turned To Alcoholics Anonymous
Pitt stopped drinking following his 2016 separation from Jolie and later spoke publicly about attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. His decision to pursue sobriety came amid intense scrutiny surrounding an alleged altercation aboard a private plane carrying the couple and their six children.
In a 2022 court filing obtained by CNN, Jolie alleged that Pitt had been drinking during the flight and became physically abusive toward her and two of their children. According to the heavily redacted FBI report, Jolie told investigators that her then-husband took her to a private area at the back of the plane following a tense interaction with one of their children.
She alleged that Pitt “grabbed her by her head,” “grabbed her by the shoulders,” shook her and pushed her against the bathroom wall while telling her, “‘You’re f-cking up this family.’”
The filing also alleged, “At one point, he poured beer on Jolie; at another, he poured beer and red wine on the children.”
Pitt denied Jolie’s allegations.
Brad Pitt Was Not Charged Over 2016 Plane Incident
The FBI reviewed the circumstances surrounding the flight but declined to pursue further investigation. Pitt was not arrested or charged.
“In response to allegations made following a flight within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States which landed in Los Angeles carrying Mr. Brad Pitt and his children, the FBI has conducted a review of the circumstances and will not pursue further investigation,” FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said in a statement to CNN at the time.
The FBI ultimately said it would not pursue further investigation, and no charges were filed against Pitt.
Family Rift Remains In The Spotlight
Pitt’s admission also arrived as his relationship with several of his children continues attracting attention. Last month, 18-year-old Vivienne filed a petition in Los Angeles County Superior Court seeking to change her legal name from Vivienne Marcheline Jolie-Pitt to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie.
The reason was listed as “personal,” and a hearing is scheduled for November 2. PEOPLE reported that Zahara and Maddox have also filed requests to remove Pitt from their legal names. Shiloh successfully changed her name from Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt to Shiloh Jolie in 2024.
Pitt and Jolie finalized their divorce in late 2024 after an eight-year legal battle, although disputes connected to Château Miraval have continued.
The actor is now dating jewelry executive Ines de Ramon. Jolie, meanwhile, has not publicly commented on his decision to resume drinking, leaving the unnamed insider’s claims as the only reported account of her reaction.
