Despite a challenging childhood and two divorces, Jennifer Aniston has learned to accept herself and find strength in her journey.
Best known for bringing laughter to audiences through her iconic role as Rachel in the timeless sitcom Friends, the 54-year-old actress has faced numerous hardships in life. According to AFP, she shared that it took her a long time to learn to accept unfortunate circumstances that happened to her.
Aniston was born into a family deeply involved in the entertainment industry. Her father, John Aniston, played the role of Victor Kiriakis in the popular soap opera Days of Our Lives for 37 years. Her mother, Nancy Dow, was a model and actress.
The actress experienced a challenging childhood when her parents divorced when she was just 10 years old. In 1978, after returning home from a friend’s birthday party, Aniston’s mother informed her that her father was busy with work and would be back. However, John never returned. In a 1999 interview with Rolling Stone, she said, “It was a really tough time in my life.”
Dow tried to push Aniston into a modeling career despite the actress yearning for her mother’s attention and care. In an interview with Allure in December 2022, Aniston said, “I think the divorce really made my mom project all her fears onto me. There was no therapy in those days. My mom was living with a lot of untreated pain. I have forgiven them, but I still have to get through that part.”
There was a period of nearly a decade when Aniston didn’t speak to her mother and did not invite her to her wedding with actor Brad Pitt in 2000. In September 1999, Dow released a memoir titled From Mother and Daughter to Friends: A Memoir, recounting the conflicts between her and her daughter.
According to US Magazine, Aniston and her mother reconciled in 2016. However, Dow passed away four years later due to complications from strokes. Aniston’s father also passed away.
Similar to her parents, Aniston’s own personal life has had its challenges. Her marriage to Brad Pitt ended in divorce after seven years, amid rumors of Pitt’s infidelity with Angelina Jolie. Aniston also faced media scrutiny for her choice not to have children.
Aniston remarried actor Justin Theroux in 2015, but they divorced three years later due to lifestyle differences, according to ET.
Despite personal setbacks, Aniston has continuously developed her career. After initially playing smaller roles, Aniston was cast as Rachel in Friends in 1994, a role that catapulted her to become one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood.
In 2019, she returned to television after 15 years with the series The Morning Show. At the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2020, Aniston won the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series category.
At the age of 54, instead of following the latest lifestyle trends, Aniston has chosen her own path, turning to meditation. According to her, meditation helps bring peace to the mind and instills a sense of trust in life.
When asked if she is ready for love again, Aniston said, “I’m not interested in dating. I still want someone to cuddle up next to me when I’m tired. I’ve had some terrible experiences in my 30s and 40s. But I’m grateful for them because they made me who I am today.”
Aniston is not fond of social media due to its negative influence. In a 2017 interview with Vogue, she stated, “I get nervous around the idea of not feeling safe or protected every time I read comments.”
Currently, Jennifer Aniston enjoys a peaceful life in Los Angeles, USA, alongside her two dogs, Clyde and Chesterfield. She shared with Allure, “For many years, I hid the IVF (in vitro fertilization) treatments I underwent in hopes of having a child. I retreated because I felt constantly being scrutinized. This world is full of deceit, so I decided to speak my truth. Now I feel like I’ve woken up from a deep sleep. I have nothing to hide anymore.”