Brad Pitt has revealed that he decided to quit drinking in the wake of his split from Angelina Jolie, after realising he had “taken things [alcohol] as far as I could take it.”
Pitt’s 11-year relationship with the actress ended when Jolie filed for divorce in 2016 and in a new interview, the 55-year-old has spoken candidly about his struggle with alcohol in the months that followed.
Speaking to the New York Times, Pitt said he began attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and continued to do so for a year and a half.
“I had taken things as far as I could take it, so I removed my drinking privileges,” he told the publication.
Detailing what happened at the meetings, Pitt continued: “You had all these men sitting around being open and honest in a way I have never heard.
“It was this safe space where there was little judgement, and therefore little judgement of yourself.
“It was actually really freeing just to expose the ugly sides of yourself. There’s great value in that.”
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt – In pictures
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Writer-director-producer-actress Angelina Jolie Pitt and actor-producer Brad Pitt attend Audi at the opening night gala premiere of ‘By the Sea’ during AFI FEST 2015 presented by Audi at TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on 05 November 2015 in Hollywood, California
Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images
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Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt give a press conference on 07 June 2006 at a Swakopmund hotel, Namibia to announce they are proud parents of daughter Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt
AFP/Getty Images
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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as John and Jane Smith in the movie Mr & Mrs. Smith in 2005
20th Century Fox
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Brad Pitt,eats pizza, as actress Angelina Jolie looks on in the audience during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on 02 March 2014
John Shearer/Invision/AP
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Brad Pitt and children Pax Jolie-Pitt (L), Shiloh Jolie-Pitt (C) and Maddox Jolie-Pitt arrive for the U.S. premiere of Universal Pictures “Unbroken,” on 15 December2014 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood
Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images
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Brad Pitt and Family arriving at the Los Angeles International Airport on 05 July 2015
Rex
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rad Pitt and 2015 Entertainment Innovator Angelina Jolie Pitt attend the WSJ. Magazine 2015 Innovator Awards at the Museum of Modern Art on 04 November 2015 in New York City
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
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Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at ‘By the Sea’ film screening, New York, America -on 03 November 2015
Rex
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Angelina Jolie hugs Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt (L) and Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt (R) after winning award for Favorite Villain in ‘Maleficent’ during Nickelodeon’s 28th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards held at The Forum on 28 March 2015 in Inglewood, California
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
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Brad Pitt and actress Angelina Jolie attend the Oscars held at Hollywood & Highland Center on 02 March 2014 in Hollywood
Michael Buckner/Getty Images
11/27
Benedict Cumberbatch, Angelina Jolie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, actor/producer Brad Pitt, director Steve McQueen, actors Lupita Nyong’o and Michael Fassbender celebrate as “12 Years A Slave” is awarded Best Picture during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on 02 March 2014 in Hollywood
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
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Angelina Jolie (L) and Brad Pitt attend the World Premiere of Disney’s “Maleficent” at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
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Angelina Jolie (L) and Brad Pitt attend the EE British Academy Film Awards 2014 at The Royal Opera House on 16 February 2014
Dave Benett
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Angelina Jolie arrives at the world premiere of Unbroken at the State Theatre on 17 November 2014 in Sydney, Australia
Brendon Thorne/Getty Images
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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie attending the premiere of Maleficent at Kensington Palace on 08 May 2014
Justin Tallis/PA
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ngelina Jolie and Brad Pitt arriving for the world premiere of World War Z, at the Empire Leicester Square, London on 02 June 2013
Dominic Lipinski/PA
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Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend ‘WORLD WAR Z’ Germany Premiere at Sony Centre on 04 June 2013 in Berlin, Germany.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
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Angelina Jolie arrives at the 84th Annual Academy Awards held at the Hollywood & Highland Center on 26 February 2012
Getty Images
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Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend the Cinema for Peace Gala ceremony at the Konzerthaus Am Gendarmenmarkt during day five of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival on 13 February 2012 in Berlin, Germany.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
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Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt arrive at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on 15 January 2012 in Beverly Hills
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
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Angelina Jolie (L) and Brad Pitt attend the premiere of DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda 2” at Mann’s Chinese Theatre on 22 May 2011 in Hollywood
David Livingston/Getty Images
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Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend “The Tree Of Life” premiere during the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on 16 May 2011 in Cannes, France
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
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Hollywood movie stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie ride on a motorcycle on a busy street in downtown Ho Chi Minh on 23 November 2006. Jolie and Pitt are expected to adopt a three-year-old Vietnamese boy
AFP/Getty Images
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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as John and Jane Smith in the movie Mr & Mrs. Smith in 2005
20th Century Fox
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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as John and Jane Smith in the movie Mr & Mrs. Smith in 2005
20th Century Fox
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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie with children Zahara, Knox, Maddox, Shiloh, Pax and Vivienne at at Haneda International airport in Tokyo, Japan on 08 November 2011
Masatoshi Okauchi/Rex
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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (C) with children (L-R) Pax Jolie-Pitt, Zahara Jolie-Pitt, Knox Jolie-Pitt, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt and Maddox Jolie-Pitt attend the World Premiere of Disney’s “Maleficent”, starring Angelina Jolie, at the El Capitan Theatre on May 28, 2014 in Hollywood
Charley Gallay/Getty Images
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Writer-director-producer-actress Angelina Jolie Pitt and actor-producer Brad Pitt attend Audi at the opening night gala premiere of ‘By the Sea’ during AFI FEST 2015 presented by Audi at TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on 05 November 2015 in Hollywood, California
Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images
2/27
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt give a press conference on 07 June 2006 at a Swakopmund hotel, Namibia to announce they are proud parents of daughter Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt
AFP/Getty Images
3/27
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as John and Jane Smith in the movie Mr & Mrs. Smith in 2005
20th Century Fox
4/27
Brad Pitt,eats pizza, as actress Angelina Jolie looks on in the audience during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on 02 March 2014
John Shearer/Invision/AP
5/27
Brad Pitt and children Pax Jolie-Pitt (L), Shiloh Jolie-Pitt (C) and Maddox Jolie-Pitt arrive for the U.S. premiere of Universal Pictures “Unbroken,” on 15 December2014 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood
Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images
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Brad Pitt and Family arriving at the Los Angeles International Airport on 05 July 2015
Rex
7/27
rad Pitt and 2015 Entertainment Innovator Angelina Jolie Pitt attend the WSJ. Magazine 2015 Innovator Awards at the Museum of Modern Art on 04 November 2015 in New York City
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
8/27
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at ‘By the Sea’ film screening, New York, America -on 03 November 2015
Rex
9/27
Angelina Jolie hugs Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt (L) and Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt (R) after winning award for Favorite Villain in ‘Maleficent’ during Nickelodeon’s 28th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards held at The Forum on 28 March 2015 in Inglewood, California
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
10/27
Brad Pitt and actress Angelina Jolie attend the Oscars held at Hollywood & Highland Center on 02 March 2014 in Hollywood
Michael Buckner/Getty Images
11/27
Benedict Cumberbatch, Angelina Jolie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, actor/producer Brad Pitt, director Steve McQueen, actors Lupita Nyong’o and Michael Fassbender celebrate as “12 Years A Slave” is awarded Best Picture during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on 02 March 2014 in Hollywood
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
12/27
Angelina Jolie (L) and Brad Pitt attend the World Premiere of Disney’s “Maleficent” at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
13/27
Angelina Jolie (L) and Brad Pitt attend the EE British Academy Film Awards 2014 at The Royal Opera House on 16 February 2014
Dave Benett
14/27
Angelina Jolie arrives at the world premiere of Unbroken at the State Theatre on 17 November 2014 in Sydney, Australia
Brendon Thorne/Getty Images
15/27
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie attending the premiere of Maleficent at Kensington Palace on 08 May 2014
Justin Tallis/PA
16/27
ngelina Jolie and Brad Pitt arriving for the world premiere of World War Z, at the Empire Leicester Square, London on 02 June 2013
Dominic Lipinski/PA
17/27
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend ‘WORLD WAR Z’ Germany Premiere at Sony Centre on 04 June 2013 in Berlin, Germany.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
18/27
Angelina Jolie arrives at the 84th Annual Academy Awards held at the Hollywood & Highland Center on 26 February 2012
Getty Images
19/27
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend the Cinema for Peace Gala ceremony at the Konzerthaus Am Gendarmenmarkt during day five of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival on 13 February 2012 in Berlin, Germany.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
20/27
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt arrive at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on 15 January 2012 in Beverly Hills
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
21/27
Angelina Jolie (L) and Brad Pitt attend the premiere of DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda 2” at Mann’s Chinese Theatre on 22 May 2011 in Hollywood
David Livingston/Getty Images
22/27
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt attend “The Tree Of Life” premiere during the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on 16 May 2011 in Cannes, France
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
23/27
Hollywood movie stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie ride on a motorcycle on a busy street in downtown Ho Chi Minh on 23 November 2006. Jolie and Pitt are expected to adopt a three-year-old Vietnamese boy
AFP/Getty Images
24/27
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as John and Jane Smith in the movie Mr & Mrs. Smith in 2005
20th Century Fox
25/27
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as John and Jane Smith in the movie Mr & Mrs. Smith in 2005
20th Century Fox
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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie with children Zahara, Knox, Maddox, Shiloh, Pax and Vivienne at at Haneda International airport in Tokyo, Japan on 08 November 2011
Masatoshi Okauchi/Rex
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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (C) with children (L-R) Pax Jolie-Pitt, Zahara Jolie-Pitt, Knox Jolie-Pitt, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt and Maddox Jolie-Pitt attend the World Premiere of Disney’s “Maleficent”, starring Angelina Jolie, at the El Capitan Theatre on May 28, 2014 in Hollywood
Charley Gallay/Getty Images
Pitt rose to fame aged 28 after his 1991 breakout role in Thelma & Louise.
In the NYT interview, he adds that he found the sudden attention “uncomfortable” and tried to cope with it by smoking cannabis.
“In the ’90s, all that attention really threw me,” he said. “It was really uncomfortable for me, the cacophony of expectations and judgments.
“I really became a bit of a hermit and just bonged myself into oblivion.”
Jolie and Pitt began their relationship after meeting on the set of 2005 movie Mr & Mrs Smith.
The couple have six children together, including Maddox, 18, Pax, 15, Zahara, 14, Shiloh, 13, and 11-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.
Pitt is currently celebrating the release of his latest film, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, a Quentin Tarantino-directed movie which sees him star alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.
