When you think of a celebrity interacting with people, there’s a reputation for them being self-involved and aloof. In the case of Brad Pitt, it might be due to an undiagnosed condition.
Recently, GQ did a profile on the 58-year-old A-lister, where he talked about what he did during the pandemic, writing down his dreams and how his relationships to others and his work has changed.
And on top of all that, is his problem remembering people’s faces, at a time when he wants to meet and remember new people.
The idea is absolutely wild, but not all too uncommon.
The disorder is called prosopagnosia and an estimated 1 in 50 people have some form of it.
Those that suffer from it have a difficult time visually processing the different pieces of someone's face into a distinct, recognizable identity.
There are levels of severity to face blindness, but at its most extreme, you couldn’t recognize close family, friends, or possibly even yourself in photos or the mirror.
This isn’t the first time Pitt has talked about the possibility of having this disorder. Back in 2013, during the promotion for his then upcoming film World War Z, Pitt speculated on the same idea in an interview with Esquire magazine.
Nowadays, Pitt says he struggles at parties and social situations because of this face blindness.
The most difficult part of all this?
According to Pitt:
“Nobody believes me!”
However, not everyone seemed to buy it.
It’s been nearly a decade since he first told the public he thinks he may have this disorder, but he hasn’t gotten tested. This is despite the fact that Carnegie Mellon University offered to have his brain scanned to test for face blindness.
Others pointed to the nasty lawsuit the actor has against his ex-wife Angelina Jolie. The couple split in 2016, and despite being officially divorced, they are still entangled in legal battles over the couple’s children, Pitt’s wine company and an incident involving the two and the FBI that possibly led to their divorce.
Amongst all of this, a lot of commenters were less than sympathetic.
The profile in GQ has Pitt talk about his attempts to quit smoking during the pandemic, feeling he couldn’t just cut back. He had to quit, now preferring to chew nicotine mint.
He also got sober, spending a year and a half attending Alcoholics Anonymous. This came directly after Jolie filed for divorce.
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