So, it was Pitt.
Jennifer Aniston hasn’t often delved into her complex history involving ex-husband Brad Pitt and his current spouse Angelina Jolie, but some recent comments have grabbed attention, particularly in a Vanity Fair profile released on Monday.
“It was… such a vulnerable time,” she reflected. “Journalism felt almost like a sport back then.”
Aniston, 56, and Pitt, 61, were married from 2000 until 2005. They met Jolie, 50, during the filming of “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” in 2005.
Pitt went through a divorce with Jolie, which lasted from 2005 to 2016.
The actress shared her thoughts on the intense media scrutiny surrounding her love triangle with Pitt and Jolie, acknowledging, “There’s a sort of PTSD we all carry. The interviews… well, they frighten me.”
She commented on how her words are often distorted or taken out of context, saying, “How about they misunderstand what I say?”
Following Pitt’s departure, Aniston’s personal life and her aspirations to have children became fodder for tabloids.
“It made for juicy reading,” she remarked. “Without that drama, what would they talk about?”
She expressed remorse about how things played out, mentioning, “I took it personally, but it happened nonetheless.”
Describing that tumultuous time, Aniston referred to it as her “Love Triangle” year, and she advised herself, “Just keep walking with your boots on.”
Looking back at the tabloids’ obsession, she admitted, “At that time, I didn’t have the strength to brush it off.”
As humans, she noted, “We signed up for this, so you roll with it.”
After Pitt, Aniston was linked romantically to John Mayer and Vince Vaughn before marrying Justin Theroux. They began dating in 2011 and were wed in 2015, but they announced their separation in 2018, which Aniston described as a “calm” divorce.
Pitt married Jolie in 2014, and the couple shares three biological children: Shiloh, 19; and twins Knox and Vivienne, 17, along with three adopted kids: Maddox, 24; Pax, 21; and Zahara.
Jolie filed for divorce in 2016 amid reports of an altercation on a plane, where six children were present. Although Pitt was investigated, he wasn’t charged and is thought to be estranged from his kids.
The contentious custody battles and asset divisions lasted nearly a decade, and by December 30, 2024, Jolie’s lawyer confirmed they had finally settled their divorce.
Since 2022, Pitt has reportedly been seeing Ines de Ramon, while Aniston has become more candid about her portrayal in the media.
In a 2021 interview, Aniston stated how deeply she felt the impact of rumors suggesting she prioritized her career over motherhood, which she found deeply hurtful.
In November 2022, she opened up about her struggles with infertility.
She mentioned how Adam Sandler would send her flowers every Mother’s Day as a thoughtful gesture.
Jason Bateman, Aniston’s close friend, shared that she is like a community for his daughters and noted that she often reaches out on special occasions.
When asked about discussing their exes with her friend Gwyneth Paltrow—who dated Pitt from 1994 to 1997—Aniston simply said, “Of course. Why wouldn’t we? We’re girls.”
While Aniston hasn’t penned a memoir yet, she expressed to VF her intention to do so when she feels she has “more” to share. Furthermore, she revealed that she and her “Friends” co-stars had a good laugh about Matthew Perry long before his passing in 2023.
