In an 11/8 Vanity Fair interview, 56-year-old Jennifer Aniston revisited her first interview with the magazine after her 2005 split from Brad Pitt. At the time, Pitt was rumored to be having an affair with Angelina Jolie while they were filming Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Aniston said she hadn't read the old article in a long time and only remembered feeling "uncomfortable" during the conversation. She described it as a vulnerable time, but also a period worth documenting for her memoirs.
Looking back, Aniston said the constant media coverage made her apprehensive about interviews. "Everyone gets PTSD, so that's why I was scared. I thought, how can they misinterpret me, or take a sentence out of context?", the actress explained. PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it.
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Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt when they were together. Photo: Film Magic |
Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt when they were together. Photo: Film Magic
According to Vanity Fair, Aniston displayed optimism and resilience in the earlier interview. However, her candid statements about the divorce and the relationship between Pitt and Jolie fueled tabloid speculation and online gossip. Some satirical bloggers further complicated the narrative.
The Friends star referred to this period as the "era of the love triangle" and said she coped by "picking herself up and moving on". However, she admitted to being affected by the media frenzy, saying she "wasn't strong enough" to ignore it.
"We're human beings, even though a lot of people don't want to believe that about us. They think, 'I've got to take it because I asked for it by being a public figure.' But we actually don't take it," she said.
Trailer "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (2005). Video: Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers
Pitt and Aniston began dating in 1998 after a blind date arranged by their agents. They got engaged a year later and married in 2000. In 2004, rumors surfaced about Pitt's involvement with Jolie due to their closeness on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. In 1/2005, Pitt and Aniston announced their separation, emphasizing their continued friendship. Two months later, she filed for divorce.
Over the past 20 years, the two stars have maintained a cordial relationship. Pitt attended Aniston's 50th birthday party in 2019. In 2020, they made headlines for hugging backstage at the SAG Awards. Aniston is currently dating life coach Jim Curtis. Sources say Pitt is happy to see his ex-wife in a new relationship.
Born in 1969, Aniston became a Hollywood A-lister after the success of the series Friends, later transitioning to film. She is known for romantic comedies such as The Break-up (2006), Marley & Me (2008), and Just Go With It (2011). In 2019, she returned to television after 15 years with the series The Morning Show, winning a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series. In addition to acting, she founded the hair care company Lolavie. After Pitt, she married actor Justin Theroux in 2015, but the marriage lasted only three years. Since then, the artist has mostly kept her romantic life private.
Phuong Thao (Vanity Fair, Page Six)
