With an acting career spanning four decades, Jennifer Aniston has starred in plenty of hit films and television shows, became friends with many other A-listers, and has had some highly-publicised romances.
The only thing she hasn’t done is release a memoir. Luckily, she got candid with Vanity Fair about life, love and what’s next for her. Here’s what she had to say about her friends and former lovers.
JEN ON… GWYNETH PALTROW & BRAD PITT
Four years before Brad married Jen, he almost married Gwyneth Paltrow.
And the Friends actress has confirmed what the world has been wondering all these years – “of course” they gossip about their mutual ex!
“How can we not? We’re girls,” Jen, 56, tells Vanity Fair of friend Gwyneth, who she met in 1996 when her TV co-star David Schwimmer was filming The Pallbearer with Gwyn.
Jen even went to Gwyn and Brad’s engagement party!
But the odd gossip aside, Jen insists she and the Goop guru are more likely to be swapping health and wellbeing advice: “What are you doing for this? Do you have a new doctor for that?”
JEN ON… SANDRA BULLOCK & STALKERS
Sandra Bullock and Jen hit it off when they did shots together at a mutual friend’s wedding around 2010, and they’ve been buddies ever since.
Like Jen and Gwyneth, Jen and Sandra, 61, also share an ex – actor Tate Donovan – and both enjoy interior design.
Jen’s invited Sandy on holidays and to numerology readings, the Speed star saying, “Everything she does is for everyone else included.”
Both women have also experienced stalking, and have had to encourage each other to not see their homes as a “fortress”. Jen says,
“People are out of their minds,” adding that security for her is “not glamorous…It’s a necessity”.
JEN ON… HEARTBREAK & DIVORCE
Jen, Brad and Angelina Jolie’s “love triangle” – as Jen puts it – was the biggest celeb story of the 2000s, and she had a mantra to survive the tabloid chaos, “Keep on walking, girl.”
“It was such juicy reading for people,” Jen says of Brad, 61, falling for his Mr & Mrs Smith co-star two decades ago, amid rumours they had an affair on set.
Jen says of the media frenzy that followed the trio, “It’s a shame it had to happen, but it happened. And boy did I take it personally.”
Jen went on to marry actor Justin Theroux in 2015, but sadly, that too ended in divorce in 2018.
Brad and Ange also wed – and split – within 11 years of their scandalous hook-up.
JEN ON… MATTHEW PERRY
Matthew Perry’s death from an overdose in 2023 was devastating for his Friends circle, but Jen admits they’d “been mourning Matthew for a long time” because of his long and dark battle with addiction.
“We did everything we could when we could,” she told Vanity Fair of her and David, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc’s efforts to help their friend get sober.
As the second anniversary of his death approaches, a part of Jen is relieved Matthew’s no longer hurting.
“As hard as it was for all of us and for the fans, there’s a part of me that thinks this is better,” she says.
“I’m glad he’s out of that pain.”
JEN ON… HER CHOSEN FAMILY
There are friends and there’s “chosen family”, and for Jen, Jason Bateman is the latter.
“We’ve grown up together,” she says of her good pal and five-time co-star, who she met in the ’90s.
Jason and his wife Amanda Anka are among a close-knit group who Jen has around for dinner every Sunday, and the actor says of Jen’s relationship with his daughters Francesca, 18, and Maple, 13.
“She’s almost closer to a co-mom with Amanda. She’s been a part of their lives from the moment they were born.”
Adam Sandler is another dear friend Jen has known for so many years, he’s best described as a “lifer”.
“He would lay down on the tracks for me,” she says of her Murder Mystery co-star.
JEN ON… WHAT’S NEXT
Now in her fourth decade of showbiz, Jen’s trying to slow things down on the career front.
Still, she’s got a few projects coming up, from season four of Morning Wars to producing a remake of the Dolly Parton classic 9 To 5.
Plus, she’s still dreaming of a stint on Broadway!
“Growing up in New York City and seeing Annie, you just get swept into a fantasy world. I want to do that,” she tells Vanity Fair.
Things are also going well in the actress’ personal life, since finding love again with hypnotist Jim Curtis earlier this year.
“Jen’s in a very good place right now – grounded, fulfilled and very happy,” an insider says.
