Back From The Brink Ange & Brad's New Hope

The broken family gets a fresh start

- Sebastian Van Der Zwan

Though still looking alarmingly thin, Brad Pitt was a box of birds as he promoted his new movie War Machine in New York.

“I’ve got no secrets – I’ve got nothing to hide,” the actor confessed about his new attitude to life following his split from Angelina Jolie, adding that he’s spending his days “keeping the ship afloat” and “figuring out the new configuration of our family”.

Brad, 53, even quipped, “I’m not suicidal or something.”

However, it was hardly a throwaway gag, with those close to the Hollywood heartthrob revealing to Woman’s Day that there were real fears that he was on the brink last September, when Angelina, 41, filed for divorce and the FBI was called in to investigate claims of child abuse.

“He was on suicide watch,” tells a friend of the actor, who recently admitted he’s been in therapy. “His counsellors seriously thought Brad might do something drastic, to the point where they felt that they had to contact Ange. It was a real wake-up call for her and a turning point in their divorce battle.

“Ange was so focused on his alcohol issues, she’d never thought about the impact of losing Brad forever. That’s why the custody fight suddenly went private and she eased up on visitations, letting him see more and more of the kids.”