Brad Pitt reflects on overcoming difficult times amid Angelina Jolie divorce

Brad Pitt credits close friends and family with helping him through difficulty as he reflects on lessons from new film

Brad Pitt has opened up about navigating difficult periods in his life, crediting close friends and family with helping him cope amid his long-running separation from Angelina Jolie.

The 62-year-old actor discussed the importance of trusted relationships while promoting Heart of the Beast, an upcoming survival thriller in which he plays a retired Special Forces veteran stranded in the Alaskan wilderness.

"When I think of the darker days, it was certainly my close relationships that I relied heavily on. Friends, dear close friends — a handful — close family, and was very open about my struggle," Pitt said, according to The Sun.

He added that being able to share his struggles with people who supported him had made a significant difference.

"And being able to be that free with people who love you and have your back, and that you love back, is everything. It's everything," he said.

Pitt's comments come amid continued public attention surrounding his separation from Jolie. The former couple, who share six children, separated in September 2016 following an incident aboard a private plane. Their divorce proceedings and family circumstances have remained subjects of media coverage.

The actor also discussed how working on Heart of the Beast influenced his perspective on dealing with challenges.

The film follows James Belmont, a retired Special Forces veteran who must survive in the Alaskan wilderness alongside Odin, his traumatised former combat dog, after a plane crash.

Pitt said survival experts involved in preparing the production offered advice that could also apply to everyday difficulties.

"The survivalists would tell us it's all about little wins," he recalled.

"You're going to suffer losses, you're going to suffer pain, but it's just getting to the next little win," he added.

Pitt explained that the approach helped him consider personal challenges as a series of manageable steps rather than focusing on the entire situation at once.

"I thought that equated to life in that way, in the sense of when we are struggling and going through many challenges, just getting to that next little win, not thinking about the big picture, just that next little win," he said.