Actor Brad Pitt in US hospital

Hollywood film star Brad Pitt has gone to hospital suffering from a flu-like illness.

Pitt, 41, checked himself into an undisclosed Los Angeles area hospital on Monday night complaining of flu-like symptoms, his publicist Cindy Guagenti said. There were no other details and the name of the hospital was not disclosed for security reasons.

He was in Ethiopia last week with actress Angelina Jolie, with whom he co-stars in the new movie called Mr & Mrs Smith. They were there to pick up her newly-adopted baby girl. The girl is the second child Jolie has adopted.

Ms Guagenti said it was not known if Pitt contracted his illness while in Africa.

“I think he has the flu,” she said.

Pitt, the star of the movies Troy and Fight Club, separated from Friends actress Jennifer Aniston in January after four and a half years of marriage. She filed for divorce in March citing irreconcilable differences.