Despite being a Hollywood megastar, Brad Pitt has also been known to need a little help from his friends to get by. In a rare show of emotion, he revealed to the world how his pal, fellow actor Bradley Cooper, rescued him from the scourge of substance addiction.
There are few movie stars as universally recognized as Brad Pitt. The man has been in countless iconic movies like “Fight Club,” “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Meet Joe Black,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” Even after turning 58 in December 2021, the Hollywood giant’s star continues to shine. As he nears his 60th birthday, it’s clear Pitt has come a long way since he entered showbusiness in the late 1980s.
That fame had, perhaps, come at a cost. Pitt has been open before about his struggles with addiction, telling the New York Times he joined Alcoholics Anonymous following filing his divorce from actress Angelina Jolie in 2016.
“I had taken things as far as I could take it, so I removed my drinking privileges,” he told NYT. “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.”
In a separate interview with GQ, Pitt was more candid about his struggle to remain sober.
“I can’t remember a day since I got out of college where I wasn’t boozing or had a spliff, or something. … You realize that a lot of it is, um- cigarettes, you know, pacifiers. And I’m running from feelings. I’m really, really happy to be done with all of that. I mean, I stopped everything except boozing when I started my family.”
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Brad Pitt , Bradley Cooper (2020), (Michael Kovac/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images for AF)
Incidentally, the 47-year-old Cooper struggled with addiction as a young man as well.
Making his film debut in 2001 with “Wet American Hot Summer,” Cooper worked hard and finally skyrocketed to fame almost overnight with the success of 2009’s “The Hangover.” Since then, he’s starred in various critical and box-office hits such as “Silver Linings Playbook,” “American Sniper” and “A Star Is Born.”
“I was so lost, and I was addicted to cocaine,” he said in a podcast with fellow actor Will Arnett, whom he credited with having pulled him back from his addiction.
Since shunning the habit at 29, Cooper has been sober for more than 15 years. Not only did he turn his life around, but other stars have credited Cooper with helping in their sobriety journey.
At the annual National Board of Review awards gala on Jan. 8, 2020, Cooper handed an award to Pitt for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Once Upon A Time … In Hollywood,” describing Pitt as a person with “integrity,” “curiosity to grow” and “unparalleled work ethic.”
Upon receiving the award, Pitt gave an emotional thanks to Cooper for helping him get sober and changing his life.
“Thank you, Bradley. Bradley just put his daughter to bed and rushed over here to do this,” Pitt said, referring to Cooper’s child Lea, whom he shares with his former partner, Russian model Irina Shayk.
“He’s a sweetheart. I got sober because of this guy and every day has been happier ever since. I love you and I thank you.”
We are so on board with this bromance and hope the two will be there to help each other navigate the ups and downs of life for many years to come.
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Aren’t you glad Brad Pitt has found his way to sobriety and has friends like Bradley Cooper to support him? What do you think about Pitt publicly thanking his pal during his speech? Let us know, and pass this along to your supportive friends and family, too.
