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Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt‘s divorce remains one of the most defining moments in pop culture history. But during a time when tabloid culture was at its most toxic, the trauma experienced by Aniston went far beyond the breakup.
Now, nearly two decades on, the Friends alum has reflected on the “vulnerable” and “jarring” months that followed her divorce from Pitt, particularly regarding the media circus that came with it.
Speaking in a new interview with Vanity Fair, Aniston admitted she still has “some PTSD” from the scrutiny, recalling how the press turned her split—and Pitt’s subsequent romance with Angelina Jolie—into a relentless “love triangle” saga.
“It was such juicy reading for people,” she said. “If they didn’t have their soap operas, they had their tabloids.”
The only way the actress got through it was by adopting a “survival approach”, a “pick yourself up by the bootstraps and keep on walking, girl” mentality, she explained.
But the constant headlines and speculations around her personal life left their mark.
“We’re human beings, even though some people don’t want to believe we are,” she added. “They think, ‘You signed up for it, so you take it.’ But we really didn’t sign up for that.”
Up until their split, Aniston and Pitt had been Hollywood’s golden couple, meeting in 1998, marrying in 2000, and appearing inseparable until 2004, when the on-set chemistry between Pitt and Jolie in Mr & Mrs Smith sparked rumours that would become celebrity gossip canon for years.
In early 2005, a joint statement ended the relationship, but that certainly didn’t put a stop to the public appetite for every detail.
“It’s a shame that it had to happen, but it happened. And boy did I take it personally,” she confessed.
Yet, despite the storm, she and Pitt have maintained a friendly relationship. In fact, in 2019, following his divorce from Jolie, the actor reportedly tried to make amends with his first ex-wife when she turned 50. According to reports, Pitt marked Aniston’s milestone birthday with an elaborate gift: a $124 million (AUD) Beverly Hills mansion that had once been their shared marital home.
The sprawling estate had been their place of residence during their marriage before it was sold during the divorce. When it reappeared on the market, Pitt reportedly seized the chance to offer a grand gesture of friendship to Aniston.
Pitt and Jolie, on the other hand, are unlikely to open up about their split anytime soon. Though some explosive details from their divorce settlement have gripped headlines over the past eight years, given the legalities of the divorce, the two have remained relatively quiet about it all.
