The Oscar winner casually offered up that revelation in an interview with Esquire, but from the reaction on social media, you’d think he announced it at a press conference.
Lots of people are not thrilled with the fact that Brad is drinking again, which makes sense, given his alleged history of being a very problematic drunk (more on that later).
Brad Pitt attends the “F1: The Movie” European Premiere at Cineworld Leicester Square on June 23, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures)
Perhaps in response to the criticism, a source close to Brad issued a statement:
“This is a very personal decision that’s unique to Brad and his own circumstances,” the insider told Page Six, adding that he’s had “a lot of time to reflect” on his drinking.
“Over time, his life changed and he reached a point where he felt comfortable making a different choice,” the source explained, adding:
“For him, that means moderation and being very conscious of his limits. He knows what those limits are and understands that drinking in moderation requires a level of discipline and self-awareness.”
The insider (who is obviously a rep for Pitt), added that the decision “doesn’t take away from the years he spent sober or what he learned during that time.”
(Conor McGregor, X)
“This is simply the decision he feels is right for him at this point in his life, and he’s committed to being responsible about it.”
But while lots of folks are criticizing Brad’s decision, others are drawing inspiration from it.
Take Conor McGregor, for example! The MMA legend got sober for his hilariously brief fight against Max Holloway, but he announced this week that he’s back off the wagon in solidarity with Brad.
McGregor tweeted that he would be downing some pints in support of his “fellow actor,” before urging Pitt to “take it easy.”
He later shared a video of a pint being poured in which he quipped, “This one’s for you, Mucker!”
Beginning in late November 2021, when then-Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley jumped ship to Los Angeles to become USC’s head coach, the Trojans have operated under various themes to help explain why their rebuild always seems to unfold at such a leisurely pace. The various talking points throughout Riley’s high-priced, pressure-packed tenure have looked something like this: As the Riley era enters its fifth season in L.A., and with the Trojans having failed to reach double-digit wins since he took over in 2022, many of these points have produced equal and opposite reactions. The early roster construction missteps prompted Riley to hire Notre Dame general manager Chad Bowden for the same role at USC, whose pivot back toward local recruiting secured the No. 1 high school class in the country. The culture that Riley said desperately needed fixing is now anchored by the Bloom Football Performance Center, a $225 million facility that opened over the summer. And when Lynn left USC to become defensive coordinator at Penn State, his alma mater, Riley responded with the splashy addition of former TCU head coach Gary Patterson, an inductee to the College Football Hall of Fame. “When I think about our football program right now going into this fifth year, going into this season, I think about our alignment and the momentum behind our program,” Riley said at Big Ten media days last month. “Kind of watching us through the last few years taking on some of the different challenges and changes that we’ve had — a new coaching staff, a new president, a new AD, a new conference, most recently moving into the [new] facility about 10 days ago — we’ve had so much change. Right now, I feel like our alignment is as strong as it’s ever been.” From an Xs and Os perspective, the burgeoning football alignment revolves largely around what Riley believes will be his most successful defensive coordinator hire yet — an ideal complement to the Trojans’ high-flying offense. Patterson, 66, came out of retirement in January to chase one of the few things his uniquely impressive résumé is still missing: a national championship. To get there would require USC to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, which might also be the minimum for Riley to keep his job beyond this season. A decades-long track record compiled by Patterson is more than enough to inspire legitimate confidence. The two-time Big 12 coach of the year won 181 games with a .696 winning percentage in 21 seasons as the Horned Frogs’ head coach from 2000-21. The winning stretch also won him six conference championships across Conference USA, the Mountain West and the Big 12. His squads finished among the top nine in the final AP Poll six times from 2008-17 alone, which also included an undefeated season in 2010 by upending No. 4 Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. More specifically, Patterson’s previous defensive exploits offer the excitement that radiated from Riley to the trio of players he brought to Chicago for Big Ten media days. Star quarterback Jayden Maiava described “Coach GP” as a “great addition.” TCU led the nation in total defense five times during Patterson’s tenure as head coach by leaning into the same 4-2-5 system he’s now installing for the Trojans. And in doing so, the Horned Frogs became just the third team in college football history to finish atop that category for three consecutive seasons. Thirty of his defensive players were chosen in the NFL Draft. “Coach Patterson is one of one,” Riley said at Big Ten media days. “I’ve told people I’ve had a chance throughout my career, calling plays for a little while now, to call plays against a lot of the people that you would say these are the greatest minds of this last era of college football, greatest defensive minds. I’ve never coached against somebody that I thought was more unique and tougher to go against than Gary Patterson. “I think we’re certainly feeling his impact defensively. I’m certainly feeling his impact of just having a fellow head coach in the building, right, somebody else that has sat in this chair and made some of these decisions. You can’t replace that type of expertise and experience that he brings to the table. He’s incredibly motivated. He wouldn’t have done this without that. I think he senses the opportunity — even for a guy that’s accomplished just about everything you can in this game — [that] there’s a few other things left out there. He knows he can do that here.” Riley’s original choice for defensive coordinator, Alex Grinch, oversaw units that ranked 106th in total defense for 2022 and 119th in 2023. With Lynn’s arrival, he helped elevate USC’s group to 77th in total defense in 2024 and 49th in 2025 — noteworthy improvements that shouldn’t be ignored — but even last year’s group failed to finish among the top 10 in the conference for scoring defense after surrendering 23 points per game. That number ballooned to 35 points per game in the Trojans’ four losses to Illinois, Notre Dame, Oregon and TCU. Now, Patterson has inherited a unit that only returns five starters and must replace star safety Bishop Fitzgerald, a consensus All-American and first-team All-Big Ten performer last year who’s now with the Tennessee Titans. But Riley and Bowden infused the roster with several impact players from the transfer portal in nose tackle Alex VanSumeren from Michigan State, edge rusher Zuriah Fisher from Penn State and cornerback Jontez Williams from Iowa State. The Trojans’ vaunted 2026 high school recruiting class, which edged Alabama, Oregon and Ohio State to finish No. 1 in the country, also includes two five-star defensive prospects in edge rusher Luke Wafle and defensive tackle Jaimeon Winfield. To push himself and USC over that hump, Patterson is tasked with expanding on the progress his predecessor, Lynn, began to make before joining Penn State late last year. And with more talent available to him than ever before, the prolonged USC rebuild will finally reach its completion. “I’m proud of the progress we’ve made on that side of the ball,” Riley said at Big Ten media days. “But my expectations are for us to be just as good defensively as we are offensively as we are on special teams. I want to see it across the board. There’s no reason at a place like this, you know, why that can’t happen. It’s my job to acquit our program to be great there, and I think the moves that we’ve made in recruiting, in retention, bringing in Gary [Patterson] in — I think all of that gets us closer. “So I’m bullish on how good that group can be.”Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
Tyler Braden is entering an exciting new chapter in his career, and there’s no shortage of momentum behind him. With a new project on the horizon and a packed international touring schedule ahead, Braden is taking his music to audiences around the world while continuing to grow as an artist.
Speaking with Country Now, Braden opened up about preparing for his first-ever headline run across Canada, as well as upcoming shows in Australia, the UK and Europe. The singer will first head to Australia this fall for the Wild At Heart Tour before launching his seven-date The Days Of Gold Tour in Canada on October 27 in Toronto. He’ll then kick off 2027 with a run of shows across the UK and Europe beginning in February.
Braden reflected on some of his favorite moments on the road so far this year, including hearing thousands of fans sing his songs back to him, and shared how he approaches changing up his setlist as he prepares to bring his show to different audiences around the world.
Photo Courtesy of Tyler Braden
Fans have already received three new songs from Braden in 2026: “Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, “My Americana” and “Dry County.” With another new release titled “Quick Fix” dropping August 21, he will be one step closer to sharing a bigger project. The rising country act teased what to expect from his next record and explained how he’s allowing the songs to naturally shape the direction of the music while continuing to build on the sound he’s developed over the years.
And, of course, he shared his excitement for his upcoming rooftop show at 27Live Powered by Country Now and what makes an intimate performance so special to him. The show will take place above downtown Nashville on August 18. RSVP for free HERE.
Keep reading to hear Tyler Braden talk about his upcoming tours, new music and what’s next in this exciting chapter of his career.
We are so excited to have you perform at the rooftop of the Westin Nashville for 27Live Powered by Country Now. What do you enjoy most about performing in a more intimate setting where you can really interact with the fans?
I do love stuff like that when we can just kind of have this closed setting that doesn’t feel. ..It feels more approachable and it feels like they’re just there kind of hanging out with you. I think that’s really cool for the fans. And it’s definitely cool to be able to literally just talk, not just with the person right in front of you.
Can we expect to hear some new music from you that night?
We’ve got a lot of new stuff coming over the next six, eight months, so we’ll probably throw in a few of those unreleased songs. Obviously some stuff that’ll be new as of this year or the last couple months. And then we’ve got a song coming out that weekend on the 21st, so right after the show. So we’ll be playing that one for sure.
You have a busy second half of the year, starting with the Canadian leg of the Days of Gold Tour this October. How does it feel to be heading out in your first ever headline run across the country?
The tour we had this year was amazing with Devil And a Prayer Tour. That was our first time ever touring an album. As we go into these tours or we get to go into other countries and do those, it’s amazing and scary at the same time. We’re excited to see if people in another country are singing along to different songs or how it’s different and how they act because we played festivals a lot and we’ve done the odd headliner here and there, but just seeing how the whole experience goes is going to be really fun.
Fans can also catch you at shows across Australia, the UK and Europe. How does it feel to know that your music has reached a global audience?
I mean, it’s exciting. And it is cool because obviously the radio and the DSPs, the streaming networks and all, they push different songs. Different songs get big in different parts of the world. So that’s exciting to see the songs they’re excited for when I’m getting messages on social media. They’re asking for different songs than other areas of the world. That’s really cool to kind of just be able to take a different type of show there…It’s really exciting and you don’t know what to expect. Australia, they put us in rooms, pretty big rooms, that I was very nervous for. Brisbane, the city we’ve been to before for a festival, it sold out in like 48 hours, like 1500 people. It was pretty exciting. I know they’re going to go crazy. The festivals there are amazing. Same for the UK. We’ve had a lot of great ticket sales there and we’ve played a lot of festivals over there. It’s really fun to take our own show.
How often are you switching up your set list for these different audiences?
We build our set kind of in sections, maybe like two to four song sections and we’ll move sections around. It makes for a comfort on stage at the same time as being able to mix it up from time to time. And we’re definitely playing some new stuff probably starting in Australia, just when we’ve got a little bit of time off between now and then to try to change stuff up. That’s the hardest part is it takes time off to be able to change a lot of it. But it’s always fun to switch it up a little bit from time to time.
What would you say has been one of your favorites moments in the shows you’ve had so far this year?
Just hearing the singalongs. “God & Guns N’ Roses” has been a really big one for us for hearing the crowd sing back. Specifically in Australia, we played a festival in Australia in March. And so we got to play the main stage. But the night before we played main stage, we played an after party for the first day’s Main Stage. And it was around 4,000 people inside this big tent. And they were so loud singing the songs back. And obviously, like I said, you don’t know what to expect going that far from home. That’s a moment that’s lived with me for a long time.
You posted a cover of ROLE MODEL’s viral hit “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out” that really resonated with fans online. What was it like getting to put your own spin on it?
My wife listens to ROLE MODEL, so I got to hear that song a lot in the car and I really liked it. But as a songwriter, I’ve always loved the approach of taking sad lyrics and putting them to unhappy Sound Or vice versa. And that song really does that. I mean, you listen to that song, this guy’s nervous about rejection or like being led on. And putting that sound to a sound that actually fits it or fits the emotions of the lyrics was a fun process.
You’ve released several new songs this year already. Are these leading up to a bigger project?
It definitely is. That is the goal for sure. We’re hoping for something next year. Like I said, we’ve got another song called “Quick Fix” coming out August 21st. It’s actually been funny, you talk about going overseas and the new music, “Dry County” that came out in January, I’ve learned doing interviews for the shows overseas that obviously they don’t know what a county is for one thing. When we look at the county, they don’t know what a dry county is. So that’s confusing. And in Australia, the people that I interviewed with have never heard the term “horseshoes and hand grenades.” I put out three songs this year and two of them don’t make any sense, but it’s been funny just to just kind of be able to explain these things. Once you hear it, it’s like a light bulb moment.
Photo Courtesy of Tyler Braden
What can you share your upcoming release “Quick Fix”?
It’s a subject matter that I haven’t done a whole lot of songs about, kind of like a bar meeting situation, which “God & Guns N’ Roses” kind of is, but just from a different angle. And it’s an approach that I’m excited to take. It’s like guy meets a girl in a bar, but it’s more of a self-aware thing. “If I’m bugging you, kind of let me know.” And you’ll hear that in the lyric side. But I think it’s a fun song. We’ve been playing it live all year long. So it’s been really fun live. It’s very upbeat. And so I’m excited for people to hear it.
Do you have a vision for this next project or are you letting the songs dictate the direction it will go in?
I have a sound that we’re always going for, like writing, it develops over the years and we definitely have a sound that we go for last couple years of writing. And some of it showed up on our last album, Devil And A Prayer. But as for subject matter and the album as a whole in that vein, that one kind of develops slowly. As you get more songs, you start to find where the connections are between the songs and lean into that. And just kind of allow it to develop organically. At least that’s the way I do it.
Miranda Lambert turned up the energy at the Full Throttle Saloon on Tuesday night, August 11, when she surprised fans by bringing up two fellow country stars during the 86th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.
The Texas born country star headlined the iconic night, delivering a set filled with career-spanning hits before welcoming Gretchen Wilson and Lainey Wilson to the stage for a few special performances.
Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert, Gretchen Wilson; Photo via Instagram-Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert, Gretchen Wilson; Photo via TikTok
The trio teamed up for a rowdy rendition of Gretchen Wilson’s 2004 smash hit “Redneck Woman,” with Wilson taking the lead vocal while Lambert and Lainey joined in on the harmonies. During the performance, Gretchen even gave her fellow artist a special shoutout by changing one of the lyrics to, “I know all the words to every Lainey Wilson song.”
The three singers later joined forces on Lambert’s popular anthem, “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home),” giving the crowd another unforgettable all-female moment to remember.
In addition to coming together as a trio, Gretchen Wilson had the chance to warm up the crowd with another early hit, “When It Rains,” while Lambert and Lainey Wilson performed their collaboration “Good Horses,” which appears on Wilson’s Whirlwind album. This wasn’t the first time the artists have come together to perform the track live for fans, but it’s safe to say that their Sturgis, SD reunion was a special one.
This star-powered night took place a few days after Lambert offered another look into her 10th studio album, Crisco, with the arrival of her new track, “Sunset Marquis.” The dreamy, retro track was inspired by the iconic West Hollywood hotel that has served as a longtime creative escape for the singer and countless other artists.
“I’ve been staying at the Sunset Marquis for close to 20 years,” shares Lambert. “Every time I’m there, you never know who you’re going to run into or what kind of memories you’re going to make. It has this timeless energy that feels like stepping into another era. When we wrote this song, I wanted listeners to be able to close their eyes and feel like they were there with us – to see it, smell it and experience the magic that’s made the Sunset Marquis such a special place for so many years.”
“Sunset Marquis” joins the album’s previously released title track, “Till The Going’s Gone” and the GRAMMY-nominated collaboration “A Song To Sing” with Chris Stapleton. Produced by Lambert and Frasure, Crisco will feature 12 tracks that explore the many sides of country music while blending its traditional roots with disco influences.
She will celebrate the new project’s October 2 release with a special home state album release show at Billy Bob’s on October 6.
But Trump is not only refusing to acknowledge his role in the Greenwater scandal. He’s also pressing the DOJ to bring new charges against the same innocent man.
Perhaps that is why Pirro is now convening a special grand jury. Loyalty over truth.
Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One on August 02, 2026. (Photo Credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
He wants that man prosecuted, no matter the truth
The Wall Street Journal reports that White House officials spoke to the Justice Department’s Criminal Division last week.
Apparently, the topic was whether former Olympic athlete David Hearn could face another prosecution.
One consideration was whether the case could be pursued as a misdemeanor.
Notably, this would mean that prosecutors would not need to obtain an indictment from a grand jury in order go after Hearn.
As of the initial report, this was merely an exploration of the options that the federal government may have in punishing random people who were near the Reflecting Pool for the incompetence of Trump and the crony he hired.
Last week, the US Attorney’s office moved to drop the charges against Hearn because they were, well, nonsense.
Specifically, it was reported that the Department of the Interior had concealed evidence that the Reflecting Pool issues stemmed from a botched installation rather than from some sort of mythical act of vandalism.
Many people in Donald Trump’s orbit were appointed because they will say whatever he wants to hear and do whatever he wants them to do. That’s the nature of a mad king, after all.
However, prosecutors are held to special standards of behavior, and can face real consequences — including sanctions — if they prosecute someone while knowing that the person is innocent.
Trump clearly views all aspects of his regime as tools with which to punish his enemies. Even after Pirro showed him the evidence that the installation was botched, he couldn’t accept the truth — or let go of his “vandals” conspiracy theory.
It looks like Jeanine Pirro is choosing loyalty over professional ethics
On Wednesday, Pirro convened a special grand jury in DC, The Washington Post reports.
This appears to be a direct consequence of Trump’s continued irrational (or perhaps deliberate — more on that in a moment) fixation on blaming anyone but himself and his cronies for the sorry state of a national monument.
Pirro assembled the legal body, which could permit federal prosecutors to delve into major and controversial cases.
Steven Vandervelden is an ally of Pirro’s, and he will be heading the special grand jury.
Special grand juries — sometimes nicknamed blue ribbon panels or blue ribbon juries — can be controversial. They are supposed to be made up of people who have special qualifications to serve as jurors. (Almost the opposite of how a regular jury is selected.)
What is this really about?
Well, Donald Trump is dozing off on live television and, judging by the dark marks on his hands and arms, is either regularly receiving secret medical intervention or is afflicted by some necrotic curse. Maybe both?
With that in mind, it is possible that America’s mad king really is delusional enough to believe that an act of vandalism by random passersby sabotaged his big beautiful Reflecting Pool, rather than it being a natural consequence of his own incompetence and corruption.
However, some warn that this may be a calculated blow to show that the Trump regime will target and prosecute anyone it pleases, upending their lives for months or even years even if they are sure to be freed, exonerated, and perhaps even take home hefty financial settlements over time.
It seems that, no matter the case, a prosecution this baseless and malicious against a perceived enemy is a threat to American values.
In addition to raising two kids, the comics had spent years building up their wildly popular “Your Mom’s House” podcast,
Now, Segura is using that platform to share some remarkably candid comments about the end of his marriage.
Tom Segura and Christina Pazsitzky attend LA Premiere of Tom Segura’s Netflix Series ‘Bad Thoughts’ at Braindead Studios on May 06, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Tom Segura’s Netflix Series Bad Thoughts)
And while the comedian made it clear that there’s no nasty battle brewing between the former couple, he also didn’t sugarcoat how difficult the split has been.
Calling the breakup a “horrible experience,” Segura admitted that the situation has been an emotional roller coaster.
“Your emotions change many times a day,” the 47-year-old explained. “You don’t feel the same all the time. It’s really tough on you.”
Segura also addressed his absence from last week’s episode, during which Pazsitzky tearfully discussed their divorce.
Apparently, some listeners were less than thrilled that Segura wasn’t there for the conversation.
The comic said he had been “bothered” by criticism over his absence, explaining that he and Pazsitzky had already been recording episodes separately for quite some time.
Since her episode came first, he said, she simply addressed the situation before he did.
The couple’s split first became public last month after 18 years of marriage.
Pazsitzky, 50, subsequently confirmed the news herself, telling listeners that she and Segura had spent years trying to save their relationship for the sake of their family.
“We gave it all we could, but we just couldn’t work things out,” she said during the August 5 episode of the podcast.
Despite the heartbreak, both comedians have emphasized that there’s no war between them. And Segura echoed that sentiment on Wednesday.
“We’re not combative,” he said, describing the divorce as “terrible” and “disappointing.” He added that the two still speak every day and continue to support one another.
“I support Christina in everything she does, and she supports me,” Segura said.
The former couple shares two sons, Ellis, 10, and Julian, 8, and they have made it clear that co-parenting remains their priority.
Pazsitzky previously explained that the family has even vacationed together since the separation, demonstrating that their relationship remains surprisingly amicable despite the end of their marriage.
The pair also intends to continue working together professionally when possible.
But if fans are hoping Segura will provide a play-by-play of what went wrong, they shouldn’t hold their breath.
“This is it for me,” he said. “I’m not gonna talk about this [more].”
After nearly two decades together, it sounds like Tom Segura and Christina Pazsitzky are determined to close this chapter without turning their divorce into a public spectacle.
Here are 12 common mistakes when cooking chicken and dumplings that you should avoid to ensure the best possible outcome when making this classic comfort dish.
Kenny Chesney thought he knew how his new album, ‘Silver Sands Marina,’ was going to end. Then he heard a song that changed everything. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
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