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Jennifer Aniston reflected on the “vulnerable time” in her life after her infamous split from ex-husband Brad Pitt and the divorce coverage she took “personally.”
“The Morning Show” star recalled her first interview with Vanity Fair in 2005 and how “jarring” it was to speak about the end of her relationship.
“I haven’t looked at that article in forever,” Aniston told the outlet for the September cover story. “I just remember the experience of doing it – which was kind of jarring. It was also such a vulnerable time. But yeah, that was one for the memoirs.”
Aniston, now 56, revealed the advice she gave herself at the time: “Just pick yourself up by the bootstraps and keep on walking, girl.”
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Jennifer Aniston opened up about the “vulnerable” time period following her highly publicized divorce from Brad Pitt. (Barry King/WireImage)
Pitt was first introduced to Aniston in 1994 by their managers. However, their friendship wouldn’t turn romantic for a few years — the two went on their first date in 1998.
The couple announced their engagement while attending a Sting concert in November 1999. They later married in 2000 during a beachside ceremony in Malibu.
In 2004, Aniston announced she was ready to expand her family with Pitt. “It’s time. It’s time. You know, I think you can work with a baby, I think you can work pregnant, I think you can do all of it. So, I’m just truly looking forward to slowing down,” she told The Guardian.
That same year, the two split and finalized their divorce in 2005.
Brad Pitt moved on from Jennifer Aniston with actress Angelina Jolie. (Getty Images)
Pitt quickly moved on with his “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” co-star, Angelina Jolie.
By 2006, Pitt had split from Aniston and welcomed his first child with Jolie.
Aniston referred to this era of life as “the love triangle.”
“It was such juicy reading for people,” Aniston told Vanity Fair. “If they didn’t have their soap operas, they had their tabloids. It’s a shame that it had to happen, but it happened. And boy did I take it personally.”
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Jennifer Aniston revealed the advice she gave her younger self in the wake of her split from Brad Pitt. (Norman Jean Roy/Vanity Fair)
“It was such juicy reading for people. If they didn’t have their soap operas, they had their tabloids. It’s a shame that it had to happen, but it happened. And boy did I take it personally.”
She revealed she “didn’t have a strong enough constitution to not get affected by” the attention and speculation that followed after she and Pitt split.
“We’re human beings, even though some people don’t want to believe we are,” she explained. “They think, ‘You signed up for it, so you take it.’ But we really didn’t sign up for that.”
Pitt and Jolie welcomed twins in 2008 and eventually got married at the urging of their children in 2014. Jolie filed for divorce in 2016.
Jennifer Aniston poses for the September 2025 issue of Vanity Fair. (Norman Jean Roy/Vanity Fair)
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Before his marriage to Aniston, Pitt experienced a whirlwind romance with Gwyneth Paltrow.
“Ironically, I went to her and Brad’s engagement party,” Aniston told Vanity Fair. The two women are still friends to this day, and the “Friends” star revealed they definitely do talk about Pitt at times.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt dated before his marriage to Jennifer Aniston. Paltrow and Aniston were friends at the time and remain friends to this day. (Ke.Mazur/WireImage)
“Oh, of course,” Aniston admitted. “How can we not? We’re girls.”
But, she pointed out that they tend to focus on other topics of gossip. “We’re always swapping advice – ‘What are you doing for this? What are you doing for that? Do you have a new doctor for that?’”
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