Inside Brad Pitt's ‘Personal’ Decision to End Seven Years of Sobriety

The "F1" star's candid admission has stirred plenty of chatter about what nudged him back toward drinking. Sources close to Pitt are offering a glimpse into the thinking behind his choice.

Brad Pitt is drinking again after seven years of sobriety. The "Troy" star recently opened up about indulging in alcohol once more during a recent interview, revealing that his current intake is far more restrained than it once was.

Sources close to the Oscar winner are now offering additional context on what led him to step away from sobriety. "This is a very personal decision that's unique to Brad and his own circumstances," a source shared.

The insider noted that the 62-year-old has had "a lot of time to reflect" on his relationship with alcohol. "Over time, his life changed and he reached a point where he felt comfortable making a different choice," the insider explained.

"For him, that means moderation and being very conscious of his limits," they continued. "He knows what those limits are and understands that drinking in moderation requires a level of discipline and self-awareness."

The source emphasized that Pitt's decision "doesn't take away from the years he spent sober or what he learned during that time." They went on, "This is simply the decision he feels is right for him at this point in his life, and he's committed to being responsible about it."

Pitt disclosed that he was now drinking responsibly while speaking with Esquire for a profile published Monday, August 10. After Pitt offered interviewer Ryan D'Agostino wine, the interviewer asked if the drink was reserved only for guests.

That question prompted the "F1" star to admit that he now partakes in alcohol, albeit in moderation. "No, I got — I was sober for seven years. And then I got back off the wagon," Pitt said with a laugh, adding that he now drinks 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 asked whether this means he can enjoy a glass of wine, he added, "Yeah. Well I can have a few. But I can't have a lot. I have to be professional about it."

Pitt gave up drinking in 2016 after his ex-wife Angelina Jolie filed for divorce, days after the pair allegedly clashed during a flight from France to Los Angeles aboard the couple's private plane. In the years that followed, he spoke candidly about his sobriety journey in multiple interviews.

In 2017, the "Fight Club" star, who shares six children with Jolie, told GQ that he "stopped everything except boozing" once he and Jolie started their family, before eventually realizing he was "boozing too much" in 2016.

"I'm really happy it's been half a year now, which is bittersweet, but I've got my feelings in my fingertips again," he said of his sobriety at the time. "I think that's part of the human challenge: You either deny them all of your life or you answer them and evolve."

In 2019, Pitt reflected further on his sobriety — specifically, the year and a half he spent in a 12-step program following Jolie's divorce filing — during an in-depth conversation with The New York Times.

"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 judgment, and therefore little judgment of yourself," he told the outlet of his time in the program.

"It was actually really freeing just to expose the ugly sides of yourself," he added of the experience. "There's great value in that."