Tragic Details About Brad Pitt's Life

In the nearly four decades since Brad Pitt started his incomparable career, the incredibly handsome and effortlessly talented actor has become a bona fide movie star of the highest degree. With two Oscars under his belt and his films earning several billion dollars over the years, Pitt has undergone a stunning transformation from a pretty-faced heartthrob to a stoically handsome and often grizzled master of his craft. The "F1" star has achieved levels of success and fame that many young stars looking for a future in show business could only ever dream of.

However, that doesn't mean the celebrated star hasn't faced some truly difficult and painful challenges – some of which have played out in private while others unfolded in the center of the media spotlight. From his own personal issues with sobriety and mental health to his long string of failed romances – including his acrimonious and messy divorce from Angelina Jolie – Pitt has been forced to face a number of daunting realities. Perhaps the most painful tragedy for Pitt came in early August 2025, with the death of his mother, Jane Pitt, at age 84.

As Pitt explained to Jason and Travis Kelce during an appearance on the "New Heights" podcast in July 2025, he looks at the obstacles life presents as opportunities for growth. "Life throws struggles your way," Pitt shared. "Sometimes everything goes quiet, it's perfection, it's sublime. Other periods, life throws these struggles at you and it's how you deal with those and how you come back from those."

In the same year that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie split over their confrontation on a flight with their kids back in September 2016, the "Babylon" star decided to start attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in an effort to address his issues with alcohol abuse and dependency. The star first got candid about his sobriety journey while speaking with The New York Times in September 2019, and explained he made the choice to get sober after reaching what he felt was a rock bottom moment.

"I had taken things as far as I could take it," Pitt recalled. "So I removed my drinking privileges." He said in the interview that he was amazed to be around a group of people who were so open and honest, and with whom he built a bond of trust. "It was actually really freeing just to expose the ugly sides of yourself," Pitt recalled. "There's great value in that."

Pitt also addressed his decision to go to AA when speaking with Dax Shepard on an episode of the "Armchair Expert" podcast in June 2025, and said the pain he was causing himself and others was something he realized he needed to address. "I was pretty much on my knees," Pitt said. "It was a difficult time. I needed rebooting. I needed to wake the f*** up in some areas."

Despite being adored by millions of fans, his countless A-list friends, and six children, that doesn't mean Brad Pitt's life isn't permeated by a persistent level of loneliness and disappointment. Pitt reflected on these feelings in January 2023, when he sat down to chat with W Magazine about his role as silent movie star Jack Conrad in "Babylon." His character is a fading silent era star who is finding it hard to keep up with the times and stay relevant in an industry that is quickly moving forward and leaving him behind.

The character is infused with notes of subtle sadness, defeat, and even exhaustion, which Pitt said mirrored his own feelings in many ways. "Sadly enough, that melancholy may be my natural mode of being. Some congenital melancholy," Pitt shared. "There's a world-weariness that I can certainly relate to a little bit. At this time, more of us are trying to tear each other down than help each other up. I get a little weary."

The actor has frequently opened up about his feelings of isolation and chronic sadness in recent years, particularly amid his high-profile divorce, but even going back to his childhood. Pitt explained in an interview with GQ in June 2022 that he spent many years with what he calls "low-grade depression." However, Pitt said that he has only recently been able to suppress his sadness – largely through self-acceptance and embracing both "the beauty and the ugly" of his own existence – and thus "catch those moments of joy" in his life.

In early August 2025, Brad Pitt suffered a major loss when his mother, Jane Pitt, died at age 84, TMZ reported. The pair shared a close bond of love and friendship throughout his time in the spotlight. In fact, just weeks before her death, Pitt attended a screening of his blockbuster new film "F1" and gave his mom a sweet shout-out while chatting with "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie. "I gotta say hi to my mom because she watches you every morning," Pitt said with his trademark beaming smile, before blowing a kiss to the camera. "To Jane Pitt. Love you, Mom!"

While Pitt has not publicly commented on his mom's passing, the actor's niece, Sydney Pitt, shared an emotional tribute to her grandmother on Instagram, alongside a selection of heartwarming photos. "My sweet Grammy, Jane Etta, we were not ready for you to go yet but knowing you are finally free to sing, dance, and paint again makes it a tad easier," Sydney wrote, in part. "If you knew Grammy, you knew she had the biggest heart. She cared deeply for everyone and everything, no questions asked... and I know she lives on through each of us."

Jane had been a champion of her son, and was by his side at several premieres and major Hollywood galas. She and Pitt's dad, Bill Pitt, walked the carpet with him in 2008 at the premiere of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," and were also on hand to support Pitt's ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, in 2014, at the premiere of her directorial effort "Unbroken." Pitt even brought his mom to the Oscars in 2012, when he was nominated for Best Actor for his role in "Moneyball."