Brad Pitt sobriety Alcoholics Anonymous journey has offered rare insight into the struggles and breakthroughs experienced after his split from Angelina Jolie in 2016, a period marked by candid self-reflection and dedication to personal change. Pitt recently shared the impact that joining Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) had on his recovery, opening up about the healing power of group connection and honesty during some of his darkest days.
Brad Pitt’s Path to Sobriety and the Role of Alcoholics Anonymous
Brad Pitt described how a pivotal moment came when he realized he needed support managing his drinking, particularly following an altercation on a private plane with Angelina Jolie, which contributed to their divorce. As Pitt explained, joining AA proved to be a transformative experience for him, as he recounted his first steps in embracing sobriety.
“It was when I first was getting sober,”
he told Dax Shepard on the Armchair Expert podcast, reflecting on the powerful environment he found in the group:
“It was just incredible. Men sharing their experiences, their foibles, their missteps, their wants, their aches and a lot of humor with it.”
—Brad Pitt, Actor
Initially unsure about participating in group discussions, Pitt grew to value the honest exchanges he witnessed. He detailed reaching a personal low point but finding comfort and learning through listening to fellow members.
“I was pretty much on my knees and I was really open,”
Pitt recalled.
“I was trying anything, anything anyone threw at me. It was a difficult time. I needed rebooting. I needed to wake the f–k up in some areas. And it just meant a lot to me … Everyone was so open.”
—Brad Pitt, Actor
The actor admitted that, despite his celebrity status raising concerns about privacy, he did not shy away from being vulnerable among the group. Pitt shared,
“When I’ve stepped in s–t, I’m pretty good at taking responsibility for it and owning up to it. Now it’s a quest to, ‘What do I do with this? How can I right this?’ And make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
—Brad Pitt, Actor
Pitt looked to others in the group for guidance, quickly finding comfort in the routine and camaraderie of meeting regularly.
“I was really open to see what these guys were doing, who had their thing and been there for a while,”
he observed.
“I can generally be a bit shy in any kind of situation first. But I just remember getting my arms around it pretty quickly. It became a thing for me. It was really something I’d look forward to.”
—Brad Pitt, Actor
Support from other AA members, including actor Dax Shepard, played a significant role in Pitt’s journey. Pitt praised the sense of honesty and openness he experienced, describing it as both serious and laced with humor.
“It was really open, honest. It was a way to take whatever theme seemed to go in the evening and then put it in the funniest package. It meant a lot to me, it really did.”
—Brad Pitt, Actor
Pitt’s determination to make lasting change stemmed from recognizing the impact of his drinking and deciding to remove his “drinking privileges” after reaching a breaking point.
“I had taken things as far as I could take it, so I removed my drinking privileges.”
—Brad Pitt, Actor (via The New York Times)
Celebrities Who Have Opened Up About Their Journeys to Sobriety
Brad Pitt’s story is one among many public figures who have come forward to discuss the challenges and achievements of addiction recovery. Their openness underlines the complexity of the process and the courage required to address personal issues publicly. Below are detailed accounts of various celebrities who, like Pitt, have navigated the arduous road to sobriety and shared their stories in hopes of inspiring others.
Jason Biggs’ Honest Reflection on Alcohol and Drug Addiction
American Pie actor Jason Biggs celebrated his first year of sobriety in October 2018 after battling an obsession with alcohol and drugs for over five years.
“I first tried to get sober over 5 years ago, when the weight of my obsession with booze and drugs became too heavy for me to handle,”
he shared.
“Turns out this s–t is hard.”
—Jason Biggs, Actor
Biggs acknowledged setbacks and partial recoveries along the way, but credited perseverance for his eventual progress.
“After some fits and starts, I’ve managed to put together one year of sobriety. I’m as proud of it as anything in my life. If you’re struggling, know there’s help. Don’t be ashamed. We can do this.”
—Jason Biggs, Actor
Years into his recovery, Biggs reflected on the ways addiction distorted his daily life, admitting to drinking immediately after therapy sessions to escape reality.
“I’m going to therapy and ‘working on things’ but meanwhile I’m leaving therapy, having just had a good session, and I’m going to the liquor store and buying a fifth of vodka, drinking it and then driving home,”
he recounted.
“I knew how to get wasted enough to where I took myself out of the life equation, took myself out of the present, didn’t have to connect in a way that made me feel things.”
—Jason Biggs, Actor
He detailed tactics he used to hide his drinking, stating,
“I had it figured out to a T. To not get too drunk where I couldn’t have a conversation with you. I was replacing those bottles in the bar all the time.”
—Jason Biggs, Actor
Ashlyn Harris and Adderall Misuse During College
Two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winner Ashlyn Harris revealed struggles with Adderall addiction while managing injuries as a student-athlete.
“I was getting really heavily addicted to Adderall and misusing it,”
Harris confessed.
“I was taking it all the time. I would go days without sleeping. It was wild. I felt like I was gonna give myself a heart attack. I was crushing it. I was snorting it. It was so problematic.”
—Ashlyn Harris, Athlete
During her darkest moments, Harris credited her coach, Anson Dorrance, with offering support and alternative perspectives, including reading about the meaning of suffering.
“It got really, really dark and I had to make some serious adjustments,”
Harris said, adding,
“and Anson would have me read books. I started reading this book called [Man’s Search] for Meaning and it’s about suffering and reframing it and it changed my life.”
—Ashlyn Harris, Athlete
Jax Taylor Reveals Years-Long Battle With Cocaine and Alcohol
The Valley star Jax Taylor shared in March 2025 about his decades-long battle with drugs and his time in rehab.
“I am coming out that I’m an addict,”
Taylor said, acknowledging the difficulty in being public about substance abuse.
“I have substance issues, primarily with cocaine. It’s hard to say out loud.”
—Jax Taylor, Reality TV Star
He detailed the lengthy history of his addiction, noting,
“I’ve been dealing with this on and off since I was 23 and now I’m 45,”
and discussed periods of both abstinence and heavy use. —Jax Taylor, Reality TV Star
Taylor made the choice to give up alcohol as well, explaining the connection between the two substances in his life.
“I don’t necessarily think I have an alcohol problem, but the two go hand in hand. I can’t do cocaine without drinking. So, I just gave up both. I’m proud to say I’m 82, 83 days sober right now, which is the longest I’ve ever gone in my life without either.”
—Jax Taylor, Reality TV Star
Tom Holland’s Decision to Stop Drinking
Spider-Man actor Tom Holland went public with his decision to quit alcohol in 2022, declaring,
“I was definitely addicted to alcohol, not shying away from that at all.”
—Tom Holland, Actor
He described the early warning signs and the tipping point that led to his choice.
“I think that anyone that has a beer everyday has probably got a little bit of a problem,”
Holland told podcast host Jay Shetty. —Tom Holland, Actor
After quitting, Holland described improvements in his health and clarity.
“Things that would go wrong on set that would normally set me off, I could take in my stride,”
he observed.
“I had so much such better mental clarity. I felt healthier. I felt fitter.”
—Tom Holland, Actor
Alec Baldwin’s Long Road of Recovery
Alec Baldwin has maintained his sobriety for nearly four decades, keeping his history mostly private.
“I don’t discuss this a lot,”
Baldwin stated in a 2024 podcast,
“I discuss it every now and then when it makes sense. I’m 39 years sober. I got sober Feb. 23, 1985.”
—Alec Baldwin, Actor
Baldwin described past years when substance use was normalized and confided how severe his problems were.
“I had a white-hot problem every day for two years. I think I snorted a line of cocaine from here to Saturn. We took it back home. I mean, cocaine was like coffee back then. Everybody was doing it all day long.”
—Alec Baldwin, Actor
After quitting cocaine, Baldwin faced a subsequent battle with alcohol dependency and shared that the city of New York relaxes and sustains him.
“I walk around and I see aspects of it that I’ve never seen before. I’ll look at a building and I’ll go, ‘My God, I never noticed that about that building, those doors.’ I have lunches and coffee and my friends.”
—Alec Baldwin, Actor
Anne Hathaway Chooses Sobriety for a Better Life
Anne Hathaway celebrated more than five years without alcohol in 2024, calling it a milestone.
“That feels like a milestone to me.”
—Anne Hathaway, Actor
She described recognizing that alcohol simply did not fit in her life and likened her decision to someone with a severe allergy.
“I knew deep down it wasn’t for me,”
Hathaway shared.
“And it just felt so extreme to have to say, ‘But none?’ But none. If you’re allergic to something or have an anaphylactic reaction to something, you don’t argue with it. So I stopped arguing with it.”
—Anne Hathaway, Actor
Hathaway expressed satisfaction with her choice, finding that “everything is better” and that drinking had served as “wallowing fuel,” which she no longer wanted in her life. —Anne Hathaway, Actor
Demi Moore’s Reflection on a Self-Destructive Path
While receiving the Woman of the Year Award from Peggy Albrecht Friendly House in 2018, Demi Moore recounted the dangerous turn her life took in her early career.
“I feel like there’s a defining moments in our lives that shape who we are and the direction we go and early in my career, I was spiraling down a path of real self-destruction and no matter what successes I had, I just never felt good enough,”
Moore recalled.
“I had absolutely no value for myself and this self-destructive path, it very quickly brought me to a real crisis point and it wasn’t clear at the time the reason. Maybe it was divine intervention.”
—Demi Moore, Actor
Moore credited two acquaintances for issuing a wakeup call that helped her redirect her life before it was too late.
“Unless I was dead, I better show up,”
she said, noting the life-changing opportunity given by their intervention.
“A chance to redirect the course of my life before I destroyed everything.”
—Demi Moore, Actor
“Clearly they saw more of me than I saw of myself,”
Moore added, expressing gratitude for the support she received when she needed it most. —Demi Moore, Actor
Noah Cyrus’s Experience With Xanax Addiction and Recovery
Noah Cyrus publicly discussed being in recovery since 2020 for an addiction to Xanax.
“It gave me so much structure in the time that I really needed structure, because I didn’t want to just be sitting around and stirring in my brain,”
she told Rolling Stone. “It gave me hope.” —Noah Cyrus, Singer
She revealed that using drugs initially provided temporary relief but led to deep isolation and difficulties, exacerbated by enabling friends.
“Once I felt that it was possible to silence things out for a second and numb your pain, it was over,”
Cyrus noted. —Noah Cyrus, Singer
Cyrus described the toll as she struggled to remain emotionally present.
“I was completely nodding off and falling asleep,”
she said.
“And unable to keep my head up or keep my eyes open, because I was so far gone.”
—Noah Cyrus, Singer
Ultimately, seeking help enabled her to regain stability:
“It took some time to get on my own two feet.”
—Noah Cyrus, Singer
Dax Shepard Confronts Relapse Amid Recovery
Actor and Armchair Expert podcast host Dax Shepard remained sober for sixteen years before relapsing in 2020 following a motorcycle accident.
“For the last eight weeks maybe, I don’t really know…I’m on them all day,”
Shepard disclosed about his use of prescription painkillers.
“And I’m allowed to be on them at some dosage because I have a prescription and then I’m also augmenting that.”
—Dax Shepard, Actor/Host
He recounted the growing anxiety and isolation that developed as his secret drug use intensified. “And I hate it,” Shepard admitted.
“And I’m lying to other people. And I know I have to quit. But my tolerance is going up so quickly that I’m now in a situation where I’m taking, you know, eight 30s a day, and I know that’s an amount that’s going to result in a pretty bad withdrawal. And I start getting really scared, and I’m starting to feel really lonely. And I just have this enormous secret.”
—Dax Shepard, Actor/Host
Jamie Lee Curtis Shares Decade of Opiate Addiction
Halloween star Jamie Lee Curtis opened up about her secret ten-year addiction to opiates, which began after a minor plastic surgery procedure.
“I had a 10-year run, stealing, conniving,”
she told People. —Jamie Lee Curtis, Actor
Curtis’s addiction came to a head in 1998 during her sister’s visit, when she stole her sibling’s prescribed painkillers and finally felt compelled to confess.
“I knew she had them in her suitcase in our guest room closet,”
Curtis recounted.
“I basically took all her opiates. When she was leaving I knew she would pack her suitcase and find her pills missing. I knew I had to acknowledge to her what I had done, and so I wrote her a note and left it on her suitcase. I came home that day, and she put her arms around me and told me she loved me and she was concerned about me and she was unwilling to watch me kill myself.”
—Jamie Lee Curtis, Actor
The same day, Curtis attended her first support meeting and revealed her struggle to her husband, filmmaker Christopher Guest.
“He was incredulous that he’d never noticed,”
Curtis recalled, noting that she has been sober ever since. —Jamie Lee Curtis, Actor
Drew Barrymore Reaches Milestone in Alcohol Recovery
Actress Drew Barrymore, who previously attended rehab for addiction, marked a significant achievement by staying away from alcohol for two and a half years as of 2021.
“I’m just going to say something for the first time in a long time: I have not had a drink of alcohol in two and a half years,”
Barrymore shared on CBS Mornings.
“And it was something that I realized just did not serve me in my life.”
—Drew Barrymore, Actor
Barrymore spoke about the emotional relief that comes with honesty.
“It’s so funny. When we reveal ourselves and our truths and the things we’ve worked so hard for, it’s so liberating and vulnerable all at the same time.”
—Drew Barrymore, Actor
She later stated that she does not use the label “sober,” clarifying her intent not to set unrealistic expectations. Barrymore expressed the long-held hope that she could “master” alcohol but eventually accepted its lasting challenges.
“I kept thinking, ‘I’ll master this. I’ll figure it out,’”
she said.
“And finally, I just realized: ‘You’ve never mastered this, and you never will.’”
—Drew Barrymore, Actor
Bradley Cooper Credits Will Arnett With Life-Changing Intervention
Bradley Cooper has been candid about his former issues with cocaine and alcohol, particularly the crucial role Will Arnett played by confronting him.
“That was the first time I ever realized I had a problem with drugs and alcohol,”
Cooper recounted on the Smartless podcast.
“He took that risk of having a hard conversation with me that put me on a path of deciding to change my life.”
—Bradley Cooper, Actor
Brad Pitt on Bradley Cooper’s Support
After battling alcohol for years, Pitt expressed gratitude for Cooper’s help in his recovery.
“I got sober because of this guy,”
Pitt told the audience at the 2020 National Board of Review Annual Awards.
“And every day’s been happier ever since.”
—Brad Pitt, Actor
Ryan Phillippe Breaks Free from Dependency
In September 2023, Ryan Phillippe marked a major milestone by spending more time free from nicotine and marijuana than at any point since his teens.
“The longest I’ve gone since I was a teen without some kind of nicotine or marijuana in my system (among other things),”
he revealed.
“Feeling thankful for the freedom that comes with breaking addictions and dependency on substance, Sobriety, clarity, and spiritual connectedness feels real good.”
—Ryan Phillippe, Actor
Demi Lovato’s Candid Struggle and Determination to Recover
Singer Demi Lovato shocked fans in 2018 with her confessional single “Sober,” revealing a relapse after celebrating six years of sobriety.
“Mama, I’m so sorry I’m not sober anymore / And Daddy please forgive me for the drinks spilled on the floor / To the ones who never left me / We’ve been down this road before I’m so sorry, I’m not sober anymore,”
she sang. —Demi Lovato, Singer
Following a near-fatal overdose, Lovato posted a message about the ongoing nature of addiction.
“I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction,”
she wrote on Instagram.
“What I’ve learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time. It is something I must continue to overcome and have not done yet…I now need time to heal and focus on my sobriety and road to recovery. The love you have all shown me will never be forgotten and I look forward to the day where I can say I came out on the other side. I will keep fighting.”
—Demi Lovato, Singer
Jada Pinkett Smith’s Experience with Multiplying Addictions
Jada Pinkett Smith discussed her battles with sex and alcohol addiction in 2018, describing her younger self’s belief that sex was a solution for everything.
“My sort of addictions jump. They jump around. When I was younger, I definitely think I had a sex addiction of some kind, yes, that everything could be fixed by sex,”
she stated. —Jada Pinkett Smith, Actor
Pinkett Smith described reaching a breaking point with alcohol:
“I remember reaching a rock bottom that time I was in the house by myself and I had those two bottles of wine and was going for the third bottle,”
she said.
“And I was like, ‘Now hold up. You’re in the this house by yourself going onto your third bottle of wine? You might have a problem.’”
—Jada Pinkett Smith, Actor
She emphasized her tendencies toward binge behavior and how quickly obsessions can take hold:
“It’s not what you’re doing but how you’re with it. Why you’re doing it. It’s the behavior that’s attached to it because if you want to have a lot of sex, that’s great, but why are you having all that sex? That’s what you’ve got to look at.”
—Jada Pinkett Smith, Actor
AJ McLean Reflects on Addiction and Health
Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean recalled his first experience with drugs before shooting the group’s “The Call” video in 2000, explaining he was “off the walls” on set. After getting sober in 2021, he noticed dramatic improvements, dropping 32 pounds in seven months. “Drinking caused weight gain,” he shared,
“but it also weighed down my mental state.”
—AJ McLean, Singer
Bow Wow Warns Youth Against Cough Syrup Abuse
Rapper Bow Wow, real name Shad Moss, used social media after Mac Miller’s death to caution fans about cough syrup addiction, describing daily use and withdrawal experiences.
“To the youth- Stop with these dumb ass drugs,”
Bow Wow tweeted.
“Im going to let something out. When me and Omarion worked on FACE OFF album. I was high off lean everyday! When yall saw me on BET going off on Torae i was high off lean. My attitude everything changed. My fans started to…Turn on me my family too. I never promoted lean in my songs. The whole time i was on the UCP tour with Chris [Brown] I WAS SIPPING 4’s atleast 7 times a day. I was addicted until our show in Cincinnati.. i came off stg and passed out woke up in the hospital i was having withdraws.”
—Bow Wow, Rapper
He detailed the profound physical effects and lasting health consequences:
“I never felt a pain like that ever,”
he stated.
“It was summer but i was walking round with 3 hoodies on because i was so cold. I missed the chicago show of that tour baltimore show BECAUSE I WAS F–KING HIGH AND SICK!!!! that s–t is not cool and i was doing it to be cool! Kick that s–t! Be a good son or daughter. Be the best you. Ima start being more vocal. We gotta save the youth from going out early. Parents watch your kids. Explain to them. We want yall to live man. I almost died f–king with syrup.”
—Bow Wow, Rapper
Bow Wow maintains that his health remains affected:
“To this day im affected my stomach will…Never be the same and it hasnt been. DRUG FREE IS THE WAY TO BE! smarten up tighten up out here,”
he urged fans, expressing his hope that young people choose healthier paths. —Bow Wow, Rapper
Lily Allen on Career Turmoil and Intervention
British singer Lily Allen chronicled her struggles with cocaine and excessive drinking, highlighting a moment when friends Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin organized an intervention after she was injured at a Halloween party. Allen described a period of severe discontent:
“Nothing seemed to reach or satisfy me. I remember waking up one morning in those dark days thinking, ‘Maybe it’s time for heroin, because nothing else is working.’”
—Lily Allen, Singer
Dennis Quaid’s Turning Point and White Light Experience
Actor Dennis Quaid battled daily cocaine addiction throughout the 1980s, starting recovery in 1990 after recognizing the risk to his life and relationships.
“There was a completely different attitude”
toward cocaine in the entertainment industry at the time, he observed.
Reflecting on the toll of his habit, Quaid said,
“I was basically doing cocaine pretty much on a daily basis during the ’80s,”
admitting to many regret-filled nights spent promising to give it up.
“I spent many, many a night screaming at God to ‘Please take this away from me and I’ll never do it again, cause I’ve only got an hour before I have to be at work.’ Then at 4 o’clock in the afternoon I’d go, ‘Oh it’s not so bad.’”
—Dennis Quaid, Actor
He described a profound turning point:
“I had what I call a white light experience where I saw myself either dead or losing everything that meant anything to me,”
he remembered, and shared how honesty with his then-fiancée Meg Ryan helped him move forward.
“That was the end of the love affair with me and cocaine.”
—Dennis Quaid, Actor
Ryan Lochte Seeks Professional Help for Alcohol Issues
Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte decided to seek treatment after a destructive incident in Newport Beach in 2018. His representative explained,
“Ryan has been battling from alcohol addiction for many years and unfortunately it has become a destructive pattern for him. He has acknowledged that he needs professional assistance to overcome his problem and will be getting help immediately.”
—Ryan Lochte’s Representative
The statement concluded,
“Ryan knows that conquering this disease now is a must for him to avoid making future poor decisions, to be the best husband and father he can be, and if he wants to achieve his goal to return to dominance in the pool in his 5th Olympics in Tokyo in 2020.”
—Ryan Lochte’s Representative
Jason Ritter’s Journey to Sobriety for Himself and Loved Ones
Actor Jason Ritter spoke about initially becoming sober for someone else—his now-wife Melanie Lynskey—before realizing personal recovery must be self-driven.
“One of the things that you’re not supposed to do is get sober for somebody else,”
Ritter acknowledged. —Jason Ritter, Actor
He described self-doubt and struggling to feel worthy of Lynskey, but his commitment evolved.
“At a point, I knew how amazing she was and I thought she would be incredible for someone who deserved her,”
Ritter shared,
“and I didn’t feel like I was that person. I felt a little bit too crazy.”
—Jason Ritter, Actor
Ritter discussed shifting his motivation:
“It was easier for me to say that I’m doing it for her because, at that time, I didn’t feel like I was sort of worth much,”
he recounted.
“I didn’t care as much about hurting myself as I did about hurting her. So, initially it was easier for me to say, ‘I’m doing this for her.’ And now, I’m doing it for myself.”
—Jason Ritter, Actor
Brantley Gilbert Battles Addiction and Finds Recovery in Rehab
Country musician Brantley Gilbert described nearly a decade of fighting alcohol and pain pill addiction, which began in his late teens and continued into his music career. He kept a supply of Jagermeister or vodka close by and maintained a strict, destructive routine.
“At arm’s reach at all times,”
as he told People,
“every hour and a half to two hours it’d be time to get two or three good pulls on the bottle. And every three or four hours it’s time for a pill or two.”
—Brantley Gilbert, Musician
Despite his increasing consumption, Gilbert recalled high productivity and few outward signs, which made the problem even more dangerous.
“It wasn’t like I was stumbling around all day,”
he said.
“I was fully functioning — I wrote more songs then than I do now. That was the scary part.”
—Brantley Gilbert, Musician
After a hospitalization for pancreatitis and warnings from doctors, Gilbert continued to rationalize moderation attempts until finally seeking help.
“I still put it off and was trying to slow down on my own, like, ‘All right I’m only gonna let myself take two pills today. I’m only gonna drink this much of my bottle and make a mark on the bottle,’”
he remembered.
“And it would work a couple days—and then somebody throws a party.”
—Brantley Gilbert, Musician
Gilbert entered rehab in December 2011.
“I got to the point where I knew it was something I couldn’t do on my own,”
he said.
“Pissed me off to no end and embarrassed me. I’m a pretty strong-willed person but that was the one thing in my life that I couldn’t get to stick.”
—Brantley Gilbert, Musician
The Broader Impact of Celebrity Sobriety Journeys
The journeys of Brad Pitt, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Drew Barrymore, Demi Lovato, and others help to reduce the stigma surrounding addiction and sobriety—showing that recovery can be difficult, honest, and lifelong. Their willingness to be vulnerable inspires others to seek support, confront their struggles, and hopefully find connection and healing, whether through group programs like Alcoholics Anonymous or support from friends and professionals. As these stories demonstrate, the path to wellness is personal but can be illuminated by sharing experiences, perseverance, and open, ongoing conversations.
