Christina Applegate Shares How She Chose a Rock Star Over Brad Pitt in 1989
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In her newly released memoir, actress Christina Applegate reflects on a significant regret from her teenage years: opting to leave her date, Brad Pitt, at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards in favor of rock musician Sebastian Bach.
In *You With the Sad Eyes*, which was published on March 3, Applegate recounts how she chose to pursue the Skid Row frontman instead of Pitt, who was then 25 and a friend she had known for some time. “I had spent all night staring at Bach, who was then a long-haired hunk fronting the band Skid Row,” she wrote, as reported by multiple outlets.
Applegate candidly noted, “I hate to put it like this, but Brad back then was still making his way as an actor, and he wasn’t yet THE Brad Pitt, the man of so many people’s dreams. I felt so powerful and sure of myself for once that when the awards show was over, I left with Sebastian Bach, not Brad Pitt.”
While Applegate sought out Bach, she was unaware that he had a girlfriend and a one-year-old baby at home. As a result, Pitt was left to drive Applegate’s mother and friend Lori Allison home from the ceremony. “Apparently, at a gas station on the way, Brad almost got into a fight with a bunch of gang members and, not surprisingly, was subsequently very mad at me,” she recounted.
This marked the end of Applegate’s brief romance with Pitt, who she mentioned did not communicate with her for “many years” afterward. However, she later reflected, “eventually, we agreed that I’d been a kid, and though he deserved much better, it was time to forgive the child who dumped him for the lead singer of Skid Row. Of course, Brad is now THE Brad Pitt, and Sebastian Bach … well, he still has long hair, I guess.”
Following her romance with Pitt, Applegate was married to actor Johnathon Schaech for approximately four years before marrying Dutch musician Martyn LeNoble in 2013. Meanwhile, Pitt’s career skyrocketed in the 1990s, leading to high-profile engagements and marriages, including to Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, and Angelina Jolie, all of which ended in divorce.
As for Sebastian Bach, he may not have been “THE Brad Pitt” at that time, but he had already made his mark on the Billboard Hot 100 with two songs, “18 and Life” and “Youth Gone Wild.” Following the VMAs, “I Remember You” also charted, peaking at No. 6. Looking ahead, Bach is set to join Twisted Sister for their 50th anniversary shows in 2026, an announcement that coincided with the release of Applegate’s memoir.
