"The job of the DCFS is to make sure the children are in a safe and secure situation. As we said earlier this week, childcare professionals encouraged a legal agreement accepted and signed by both sides that was in the best interest of the children. Angelina said from the beginning that she felt she had to take action for the health of the family and is relieved that after their 8-week involvement, the DCFS is now satisfied the safeguards are put in place that will allow the children to heal."
"The parents are committed to act as a united front to effectuate recovery and reunification."
"We care for each other and care about our family, and we are both working towards the same goal.
"We are and forever will be a family. I am coping with finding a way through to make sure that this somehow makes us stronger and closer.
“It’s just been the hardest time, and we’re just kind of coming up for air. [This house] is a big jump forward for us, and we’re all trying to do our best to heal our family.”
"We’re all just healing from the events that led to the filing . . . They’re not healing from divorce. They’re healing from some . . . from life, from things in life.”
"My whole family… we’ve all been through a difficult time. "
"I've spent most of my days just taking care of the children. I will eventually balance more and do more work but because of family issues it's been extremely tough.
“None of it’s easy. It’s very, very difficult, a very painful situation, and I just want my family healthy.”
What do you like about being a single? And what do you dislike?
"I don't like it. It's not something I wanted."
Is there a good side?
"No. I'm sorry, there’s just nothing nice about it. It’s just hard."
"For me this period has really been about looking at my weaknesses and failures and owning my side of the street.
"I do remember a few spots along the road where I've become absolutely tired of myself. And this is a big one. These moments have always been a huge generator for change. And I'm quite grateful for it. But me, personally, I can't remember a day since I got out of college when I wasn't boozing or had a spliff, or something. Something. And you realize that a lot of it is, um—cigarettes, you know, pacifiers. And I'm running from feelings."
“In the ’90s, all that attention really threw me. It was really uncomfortable for me, the cacophony of expectations and judgments. I really became a bit of a hermit and just bonged myself into oblivion.”
"I'm really, really happy to be done with all of that. I mean I stopped everything except boozing when I started my family. But even this last year, you know—things I wasn't dealing with. I was boozing too much. It's just become a problem.
"I mean, we have a winery. I enjoy wine very, very much, but I just ran it to the ground. I had to step away for a minute...But the terrible thing is I tend to run things into the ground. That's why I've got to make something so calamitous. I've got to run it off a cliff."
That's the thing about becoming un-numb. You have to stare down everything that matters to you.
"That's it! Sitting with those horrible feelings, and needing to understand them, and putting them into place. In the end, you find: I am those things I don't like. That is a part of me. I can't deny that. I have to accept that. And in fact, I have to embrace that. I need to face that and take care of that. Because by denying it, I deny myself. I am those mistakes. For me every misstep has been a step toward epiphany, understanding, some kind of joy. Yeah, the avoidance of pain is a real mistake."
If I'm not creating something, doing something, putting it out there, then I'll just be creating scenarios of fiery demise in my mind. You know, a horrible end.
“I’m not suicidal or something. There’s still much beauty in the world and a lot of love. And a lot of love to be given."
"I know the people who love me know me. And that's enough for me."
"It's a different world, too. We know more, we're more focused on psychology. I come from a place where, you know, it's strength if we get a bruise or cut or ailment we don't discuss it, we just deal with it. We just go on. The downside of that is it's the same with our emotion. I'm personally very retarded when it comes to taking inventory of my emotions. I'm much better at covering up. I grew up with a Father-knows-best/war mentality—the father is all-powerful, super strong—instead of really knowing the man and his own self-doubt and struggles. And it's hit me smack in the face with our divorce: I gotta be more. I gotta be more for them. I have to show them. And I haven't been great at it."
"It's this Marlboro Man image of: Don't show weakness. But then we were questioning: In doing that, are we actually denying our own feelings? Denying a part of ourselves — a vulnerability, in this guise of Superman — to really be open for our loved ones, for our sons and daughters, in the sense that we're all flawed... And is there a peace of mind that comes from embracing one's foibles and humiliations as well as our successes?"
"I think it's cyclical, certainly in America the post-war generation was all about strength and not showing weakness, and winning. And that works to a certain degree, but I think more vulnerability, more getting you arms around your successes and your failures, makes for a better partner, a better dad, a better son."
"Is a better definition for us actually being more open divining a better relationship with your loved ones, with your parents, with your kids, and with yourself?”
"A breakup of a family is certainly an eye-opener that as one — and I'm speaking in general again — but as one needs to understand, I had to understand my own culpability in that, and what can I do better. Because I don't want to go on like this."
HOPKINS: And you’re as easy going as ever.
PITT: "Pretty much, it’s my gliding speed. But I lose it at times. I get sucked into something, and I can lose it. I take my hands off the wheel."
"I'm an asshole when it comes to this need for justice. I don't know where it comes from, this hollow quest for justice for some perceived slight. It's done me no good whatsoever. And this is coming from a guy who hit the lottery, I'm well aware of that. I hit the lottery, and I still would waste my time on those hollow pursuits."
"When I get in trouble it's because of my hubris."
"We’ve always placed great importance on the mistake. But the next move, what you do after the mistake, is what really defines a person. We’re all going to make mistakes. But what is that next step? We don’t, as a culture, seem to stick around to see what that person’s next step is. And that’s the part I find so much more invigorating and interesting."
Pitt is committed to his sobriety. “I had taken things as far as I could take it, so I removed my drinking privileges,” he told me. After she filed for divorce, Pitt spent a year and a half in Alcoholics Anonymous. “It was actually really freeing just to expose the ugly sides of yourself. There’s great value in that.”
"I’m realizing, as a real act of forgiveness for myself for all the choices that I’ve made that I’m not proud of, that I value those missteps, because they led to some wisdom, which led to something else."
"I have a responsibility to myself and my family to remain true and authentic. I treat people whom I love honestly and sincerely."
“I’m hoping to deal with all my regrets. It takes some forgiveness of self as well. And if there’s someone that you need to [apologise to], something you need to clean up, then you clean it up... Then maybe we can dispense with those regrets if they’re handled. I’m a big believer in making amends.”
In early 2017, when Pitt committed to starring in “Ad Astra,” he was still reeling from his recent split from Angelina Jolie, with whom he has six children. "He definitely used the stimuli from his life,” Gray said. “Now, I didn’t get personal with him about it at all — I don’t think it’s my business, or even my job — but he investigated the essence of the character through himself.” When I asked Pitt about that period of time in his life, he at first curtailed the inquiry. “I had family stuff going on,” he said. “We’ll leave it at that.”
"We set out to make a very sincere film, bare, raw honesty. You get older and you just get tired of protecting yourself or having any secrets":
"So many times in my life, I've screwed up. I've talked when I should have listened. I've been harsh when I should have been tender."
"I made a promise to always be truthful. But I wasn't."
"I'm selfish. I'm selfish. I've let so many people down. I'm just a selfish person."
"a self-destructive side"
"I am looking forward to the day my solitude ends. And I'm home."
"I'm unsure of the future, but I'm not concerned. I will rely on those closest to me. And will share their burdens, as they share mine. I will live, and love."
Angelina has “tried to bridge the gap between the kids and their dad. She’s worked to achieve reinstatement for them."
"The real truest love pulls out your best self. It's what you value, what you're loyal to and what you're willing to fight for."
"Sometimes you get hurt, you see those you love in pain, and you can’t be as free and open as your spirit desires."
"we’re all human and very flawed."
"I am a big believer that we have to make mistakes in life and learn from them. And that we are who we are because of all the things we have done right and wrong. We grow."
"We all have something inside of us that maybe we feel is misunderstood or if we let it out completely and be completely who we are it might not be accepted. But then I think what are we doing on this earth if we can't figure out what that is that makes us uniquely us, to be it and then to find those who accept us for it."
"Wisdom, understanding, clarity of thought — all the things that come with age — are also beautiful and feminine qualities. I’d like to think we all get better with age — men and women.”
"I think it is not said enough how much we need the men in our lives to be strong and capable and the best they can be."
"We both very much need and love and learn from the men. And so I think that's also an important message for young girls, to find their own power, but to respect and learn from the men around them."
"Strong women love and learn from men"
"I wear perfume every day, unless I'm in a country where there is malaria and mosquitoes. It's nice for a woman to have a scent that her lover remembers, who identifies it with her. But we do not perfume only for men.”
"I don’t know how many women they’ve said I’ve been dating the last two or three years, and none of it’s true."
"I don't want at this point to be running from anything. I want to sit in it, I want to feel it, I want to get through the rough night. I found in doing so, you come out the other side with a more profound understanding, of yourself and a greater gratefulness for those in your life."
"Pitt might have been up anyway since he’s an admitted binge-watcher: The latest in his Netflix queue is “Mindhunter" Season 2. “That’s great,” says Pitt, who also has definite thoughts on “Netflix-cheating” as a concept. “See, this is the problem with (couple) viewing. It’s something you’ve got to say, ‘Honey, you're just going to have to catch up because I can't wait.'”
Is there anything more powerful than love?
“Family.”
How do they learn about the outside world? And I ask that in the context of how we are all understanding the outside world. And about social media and tech companies, and about what we can trust, etc. What do you do at home?
"I think like most parents, we try our best to insert good stuff. We can't control everything they're exposed to. So we try to ask that they will talk to us about anything they saw that bothers them or that they’re concerned about.”
"I've been very lucky to be involved in the Miraval project. We met with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie seven years ago. They own this beautiful property in Provence, which is certainly one of the best and most beautiful estate in Provence."
"Miraval is all about the art of making rosé and this champagne—which is made in the Champagne district—is a cooperation, combining Provencal knowledge with champagne making. Miraval began as a project between the Jolie-Pitt and the Perrin family. And now it has grown to include the Péters family. The continuity and the family are very important to Brad and Angelina.”
“We’re human, we want purpose, we want meaning in our lives. But to attain that, the key is two things: staying creative and being with the people we love."
"In my younger years I would have. Now it's: 'How long do I gotta be away from home - my loved ones?'"
You've won every single award, is this the time of your life?
"Uuuuuuuuh, no."
What's the best thing about life for Brad Pitt today?
"It's a beautiful day in L.A. today."
"I'm not really a party guy."
Pitt, who won his first Oscar in 2014 as a producer for Best Picture 12 Years A Slave, telling us the key to happiness in Hollywood is family and love. "staying creative and hanging with your loved ones."
