Brad Pitt has opened up about turning to Alcoholics Anonymous after his split from Angelina Jolie

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Despite filing for divorce three years ago, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt‘s separation has been a messy one, with the couple finally announced to be single this year after choosing to ‘bifurcate’ their marriage.

The couple will now both have a ‘single’ status while continuing with divorce proceedings, rather than remain to be legally bound as they have been these past three years.

Brad and Angelina have now reportedly set a co-parenting schedule, enabling their children to spend their summer across two cities, New Mexico where Ange is filming her new movie and LA where Brad lives.

But it wasn’t the 50-50 custody that the two are reportedly working to have, the fact that their six children will reportedly keep their hyphenated names or Brad’s relationship with his son Maddox that is making news today.

Instead, it’s how Brad coped after the break up, with the 55-year-old actor opening up about his experience with Alcoholics Anonymous, reportedly attending the sessions for 18 months after his separation from Angelina Jolie.

In an interview with the New York Times, Brad explained: ‘I had taken things as far as I could take it, so I removed my drinking privileges.

‘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.’

He continued: ‘It was actually really freeing just to expose the ugly sides of yourself.’

‘The fact is, we all carry pain, grief and loss. We spend most of our time hiding it, but it’s there, it’s in you. So you open up those boxes.’

Well done Brad for speaking out.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.