Brad Pitt has opened up about the grief he has experienced since the death of his mother, Jane Pitt, describing loss as one of the most profound experiences a person can endure.
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Pitt, 62, discussed his grief in a new interview with Esquire published Aug. 10. His mother died in August 2025 at age 84. Nearly one year after her death, the actor said he continues to navigate the emotional impact of losing her.
Pitt spoke about grief after Esquire writer Ryan D’Agostino showed him a tattoo honoring his late brother. D’Agostino explained that his brother had died about five years earlier.
“I think grief is probably the most leveling of all emotions,” Pitt said. “Loss is certainly the most profound thing a human can endure. And the loneliness that can ensue is the greatest torture.”
Brad Pitt Talks About His Brief Run-In With Suicide
Prompted by grief, Brad Pitt spoke about his own past struggles with suicide, and the effect it’s had on him.
“I was never suicidal in any way. It just was not my makeup. In fact, if I have any afflictions, it’s probably being a congenital optimist,” he began. “I’ve never been suicidal except for one little period. And in that one little period, I just thought—I just couldn’t—just didn’t see a way out.”
“The pain was so oppressive that—I wasn’t going to act on this, but I could feel—I could feel the cold steel of the bullet in my head, and it felt like relief.”
He continued, saying, “And I thought, Oh, okay, now I understand—I understand suicide, in the sense that it’s just relief. It’s just looking for relief from the pain. But I also think we have incredible survival instincts. And for me, that immediately kicked in.”
Later in the interview, he added, “Grief, if you survive it, leaves a gaping hole, but it also leaves profound beauty. It’s an aching beauty, but it’s beauty.”
He shared that he still talks about his mother with his dad, William Pitt. But, as “country people,” they usually leave keep such topics short.