Jennifer Aniston never expected her fear of flying to actually become a reality – in a surprising way. She always worried about it, but now she’s dealing with it firsthand.
You know, it’s funny how life works. I’ve heard that overcoming a fear actually led one of my clients – a former star on Friends – to meet her current boyfriend, Jim Curtis, who happens to be a hypnotist! Apparently, working through that phobia gave them a really interesting topic to talk about when they first started dating. It just goes to show, sometimes facing your fears can lead to wonderful things!
She told Travel + Leisure last April that she has a severe fear of flying, and described a habit of tapping the plane with her right hand and foot when she boards. But she’s been working on it with hypnosis, and part of that process is letting go of those kinds of superstitions.
She stopped worrying about making a perfect first impression and started focusing on meditation and mindful breathing. As a result, she said things were surprisingly going really well.
The same could be said of her love life, which is definitively not DOA.
Although she didn’t say specifically if Curtis—who is a hypnotherapist, practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and meditation teacher—was the one helping her overcome past issues and build a more fulfilling life focused on connection and love (as he claims on his website), he has been a supportive presence in her life for about a year now.
Jamie Lee Curtis recently shared that Jennifer Aniston has been dating Jason Bateman’s wife, Amanda Anka, for quite some time – ‘months now, almost close to a year.’ The couple was first seen together during a Fourth of July trip to Spain with Aniston’s friend, Jason Bateman, and Amanda.
Dating can be tricky for celebrities. For example, Jennifer Aniston met her first husband, Brad Pitt, through a blind date arranged by her manager, and she met her second husband, Justin Theroux, while working on a film. She explained that meeting Theroux was simple: “We were just introduced by friends. We discovered we had people in common and started talking.”
For awhile, actually, they were stuck in second gear.
“It took a long time,” he acknowledged, “we chatted for a long time and we became close.”
Because dating in your sixth decade means knowing enough to realize you might not know right away.
When asked on Instagram in October how to find love at 42, Curtis said the advice is the same for any age – 22, 32, or 42 – but to approach it with more self-assurance, life experience, and genuineness.
The wellness coach—who has a teenage son with his ex-wife, Rachel Napolitano, and previously dated Real Housewives star Bethenney Frankel—says the secret is to love yourself and realize that 42 isn’t old. He explained that you’ll look back on this age with fondness later in life, wishing you were this young again when you’re 62 or 72.
And there’s no better time to start looking for your proverbial lobster than this moment, he added.
He encouraged everyone to be open to love, smile, and connect with others, but stressed that loving yourself is the most important thing. He believed that self-love attracts more love into your life.
He believes he’s found the perfect match in actress Jennifer Aniston, who will turn 57 on February 11th.
Similar to how she publicly revealed their relationship with a heartfelt social media post on his 50th birthday on November 2nd, he acknowledged how wonderful 2025 was with Aniston, sharing on Instagram in a New Year’s message, “It’s always the people who make it special.”
And Curtis has certainly received the stamp of approval from Aniston’s friends.
I was so touched at the ELLE Women in Hollywood event last November when Adam Sandler honored Jennifer Aniston! He gave a really sweet shout-out to Justin Theroux, who was her date, and Adam and his wife, Jackie, publicly shared how thrilled they were that Jennifer and Justin had found each other and were so happy together. He even said, ‘We love you, Justin. The whole world loves you, Justin!’ It was just a really heartwarming moment.
Most importantly, Aniston loves him.
She told Elle last year that he’s a skilled hypnotist, and one of many talents he possesses. She described him as exceptional, noting that he helps a lot of people overcome difficulties and improve their well-being, as detailed in his book, The Stimulati Experience: 9 Skills for Getting Past Pain, Setbacks, and Trauma to Ignite Health and Happiness.
Aniston described him as exceptionally kind and down-to-earth, explaining that he’s passionate about helping others overcome difficult experiences and find direction in their lives.
As the star summed up, “It’s a beautiful thing to commit your life to.”
Jennifer Aniston’s choice to dedicate herself to a wellness professional is just one of the many fascinating details about the Golden Globe-winning actress. If you’re interested in learning more about her life, especially around her birthday, we’ve got you covered.
Jennifer Aniston was born on February 11, 1969, in Sherman Oaks, California, to actors John Aniston and Nancy Dow. Actor Telly Savalas, a close friend of her father, was her godfather. Her family originally had the last name Anastassakis, but they changed it after moving to the United States from Greece.
In a 2015 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jennifer Aniston shared that she was diagnosed with dyslexia in her early 20s, after years of difficulty with school. She explained, “I used to think I wasn’t very bright, but I just had trouble remembering things.”
In a 2018 conversation with her friend Molly McNearney, Jennifer Aniston shared that she was bullied during middle school.
In an interview with InStyle, Jennifer Aniston shared that she was bullied as a child, and she wasn’t sure why. She explained that kids would single her out for teasing during fifth, sixth, and seventh grade, likely because she was a little overweight at the time.
Before becoming a famous actress, Jennifer Aniston had a rather unglamorous childhood job. She revealed to Parade magazine in 2009 that she earned her allowance by cleaning toilets, and surprisingly, she was good at it! She also shared that she faced financial struggles but remained content with her life, regardless of how much money she was making. She always found satisfaction in her work.
And before landing the role that would make her a household name, Aniston worked as a waitress.
I accidentally spilled Alpine burgers on customers a few times – you definitely don’t want Swiss cheese and mushrooms ending up on your clothes! I wasn’t a very skilled waitress, but people seemed to like me because I was friendly and pleasant.
While at LaGuardia High School, the famous performing arts school featured in the movie Fame, Jennifer Aniston participated in volleyball and basketball, all while studying drama.
Oh my gosh, and get this – she was friends with Chaz Bono, Cher’s son! They actually went to school together. I read in an Allure interview she did back in 2011 that she and a bunch of her friends would go over to Chaz’s house every single day after school. Can you even imagine?! It’s just…everything about her is perfect!
Though Jennifer Aniston is now famous for her relaxed California look, she revealed she went through a rebellious phase in high school. She told People magazine that her teenage years were awkward and that she experimented with a goth style, embracing an intentionally unconventional appearance. She wasn’t trying to be pretty; she was aiming to be as strikingly unattractive as possible as a way to rebel.
Jennifer Aniston began her acting career with a small, uncredited part as a dancer in the 1988 film Mac and Me. Before landing her breakout role on Friends, she took over the part of Jeanine, Ferris Bueller’s sister, in a short-lived TV series based on the classic movie. She also appeared in the cult horror film Leprechaun in 1993.
Jennifer Aniston has often discussed the difficulties she experienced in her relationship with her mother, Nancy Dow, starting in childhood. She also witnessed her parents’ divorce, which finalized in 1980.
In a 2015 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jennifer Aniston described a critical person in her life. She explained that this person, a model, was beautiful and Aniston didn’t feel she measured up – something she still feels today. Aniston also said this person was unforgiving and held onto small disagreements for a long time.
The celebrity revealed to WHO that therapy was instrumental in helping her come to terms with her mother’s actions. She explained, “It requires a lot of work in therapy, but you can eventually move past it. That behavior was a reflection of her own issues, and wasn’t about me.”
Before her death in 2016, Jennifer Aniston had a long and difficult relationship with her mother. They were estranged for many years, and her mother publicly criticized her, even writing a memoir in 1999 titled From Mother and Daughter to Friends. Notably, Aniston didn’t invite her mother to her wedding to Brad Pitt the following year.
Oh my gosh, I was reading this interview Jennifer Aniston did with Elle back in 2018, and she finally talked about her mom! It was so interesting to hear her share what it was like and how she understands her mom’s actions. I’ve always been fascinated by their relationship, and it was amazing to get a little peek inside from Jen herself.
She seemed to be focused on the wrong things,” she explained. “I believe she was simply trying to cope with a lot – money problems and a husband who had left. Being a single mother in the 1980s must have been incredibly difficult.
For the role of Rachel Green on the hit NBC show Friends (1994-2004), Jennifer Aniston competed against several other actresses, including Jane Krakowski, Tea Leoni, Tiffani Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkeley, and surprisingly, Courtney Cox! That’s right – the actress who eventually played Monica Geller was also considered for the part of Rachel!
Marta Kauffman, one of the show’s creators, shared that they initially considered Courteney Cox for the role of Rachel, but she preferred playing Monica instead.
Courteney Cox, who played Monica on the show, became close friends with Jennifer Aniston, and Aniston even became the godmother to Cox’s daughter, Coco. For ten years, the two actresses, along with Lisa Kudrow, ate lunch together every day on set. Cox revealed in a 2016 interview that they consistently ordered the same thing: a salad Aniston customized. Cox later explained in 2010 that it was based on a Cobb salad, but Aniston added turkey bacon and chickpeas, among other things.
Jennifer Aniston carefully chose roles, ultimately waiting for the perfect opportunity – which came with Friends. This meant turning down other projects, including a position on Saturday Night Live. She explained on The Howard Stern Show in 2019 that she didn’t think she’d thrive in that comedic atmosphere and viewed herself as more of a dramatic actress. Interestingly, Saturday Night Live fans did get to see Aniston on the show later, when she hosted in 1999 and 2004, and even made a brief appearance in 2016.
Remember “The Rachel”? Jennifer Aniston’s early 90s haircut was a nationwide obsession, with fans rushing to salons asking for the same choppy style. Surprisingly, Aniston herself later called it “cringe-y” and even admitted it was “the ugliest haircut I’ve ever seen” in an interview with Glamour. And here’s a funny twist: her hairstylist and close friend, Chris McMillan, revealed he was under the influence when he originally created the iconic look!
Despite earning a record-breaking $1 million per episode in the final two seasons of Friends, Jennifer Aniston actually thought about leaving the show. She revealed in a 2004 interview that she had some doubts about returning. She wanted the show to end while it was still popular and everyone was enjoying it, and she also wondered if she had fully explored the character of Rachel. Thankfully, she decided to come back for the final season (and, famously, Rachel did end up on the plane!). Aniston won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her work on the show.
Let me tell you a fun behind-the-scenes detail from the Friends finale! Brad Pitt, who was married to Jennifer Aniston at the time and even made a guest appearance on the show, actually wanted to be surprised by the ending, so he asked to watch it with everyone when it aired. And speaking of celebrations, one of the three wrap parties we threw was a really elegant dinner at Jen and Brad’s house. Kevin S. Bright, one of our producers, had been saving some incredibly special vintage bottles of Haut-Brion wine since season one just for the occasion – talk about dedication! It was a truly memorable night.
Around the middle of the Friends series, Jennifer Aniston appeared in the popular comedy Office Space. The studio brought her on board hoping to attract a wider audience, and her part was actually expanded to include the memorable “flair” subplot. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Aniston revealed she had two crushes while filming: one on a former high school classmate, producer David Herman (“I was sort of madly in love with him and also terrified of him”), and another on someone new.
Although Jennifer Aniston continued to use her maiden name for her career, she legally became Jennifer Pitt when she married Brad Pitt in 2000. After filing for divorce in 2005, she requested to revert to her original last name. The split was highly publicized, largely due to the widely reported relationship between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, his co-star in the film Mr. & Mrs. Smith, who he later married.
I remember when the whole Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, and Angelina Jolie situation was everywhere in 2005! Even the Kitson boutique in LA got in on it, selling t-shirts so you could pick a side – ‘Team Aniston’ or ‘Team Jolie’ – for just thirty bucks. I was definitely on Team Aniston, and apparently, a lot of other people were too! I read in that famous Vanity Fair article about Jennifer – the one where they called her ‘Unsinkable’ – that her shirts were selling a whopping 25 times more than Angelina’s. It was a clear sign of who the public was rooting for!
Jennifer Aniston has frequently taken legal action against the paparazzi for invading her privacy. For example, in 2000, she sued two magazines for publishing unauthorized topless photos taken in her backyard. Later, in 2006, she reached a settlement with a paparazzo after she proactively sent copies of the same topless photos to various celebrity magazine editors.
Aniston stated in court papers that she experienced significant emotional harm – including shame, distress, and a violation of her privacy – when photos were taken inside her home again. She also felt humiliated, embarrassed, and deeply upset.
I always got the sense that Jennifer Aniston meant a lot to John Mayer. He definitely seemed heartbroken when they split up back in 2010, and he even hinted a few times that she was ‘the one’ he regretted losing.
He admitted to Rolling Stone that the breakup still affected him deeply. He described it as a very difficult period in his life and expressed regret that the relationship didn’t work out, saying he sometimes wishes things could be different.
For decades, Jennifer Aniston’s romantic life has made her a constant target for tabloids. She’s been endlessly featured in headlines about her relationships, breakups, and the ongoing speculation surrounding her, Brad Pitt, and Angelina Jolie. The tabloids also frequently spread rumors about her being pregnant.
In 2016, Jennifer Aniston grew tired of constant media speculation about her personal life and wrote a strong opinion piece for The Huffington Post called “For the Record.” In it, she criticized the way the media often objectifies both her and women in general.
Just to be clear, I’m not pregnant. I’m simply tired of it all,” she explained. “I’m sick of the constant, harsh judgment of my body, disguised as news and justified by freedom of the press and the public’s interest in celebrities.
She also criticized the constant and often intrusive attention from the paparazzi, and the media’s tendency to portray her life as lacking fulfillment simply because she doesn’t have children. They consistently framed her story as if it were unfinished, a failure, or unhappy due to her choice not to have kids.
She beautifully stated that a woman doesn’t need marriage or children to feel fulfilled. We all have the power to create our own happiness and define what a satisfying life looks like for ourselves. Absolutely!
Jennifer Aniston has traveled extensively, but her favorite place to vacation is Cabo San Lucas. She frequently invites her celebrity friends, including Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Courteney Cox, Jason Bateman, and his wife Amanda Anka, to join her. If you’re looking for a sunny getaway like Aniston’s, she often stays at the One & Only Palmilla.
It seems Mexican food is good for you, or at least that’s what Jennifer Aniston suggests! She’s openly shared her fondness for classic dishes like chips, guacamole, and tacos. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she mentioned her love for ‘fluffy crispy tortilla chips with guac’.
She loves margaritas, and told Yahoo! Beauty her ideal recipe is simple: just tequila, lime juice, and a tiny bit of Cointreau – she says it’s delicious.
It’s well known that exercise is good for your health, and Jennifer Aniston is always open about the effort she puts into staying in shape.
I typically enjoy a mix of workouts. I usually aim for a ‘trifecta’ – 15 minutes on the bike, 15 on the elliptical, and then a 15-minute run. On the elliptical, I alternate between 90-second bursts of speed and 30-second recovery periods, finishing with interval training. I also like to incorporate yoga, but recently, due to an injury, I’ve been doing Barre instead, which is surprisingly challenging!
Jennifer Aniston enjoys boxing, finding it to be a therapeutic outlet. She explained to InStyle that it’s a healthy way to release pent-up frustration and process daily stressors. She likes imagining who she’s ‘punching’ during workouts, offering a mental escape. She’s thankful she can channel those feelings safely, even if she has a specific person in mind sometimes.
Thanks to her relatable yet glamorous image, Jennifer Aniston has partnered with brands like Aveeno, Smartwater, and Eyelove. Forbes estimates she earns more than $10 million annually from these endorsements.
Jennifer Aniston says the key to her great skin is simple: drink plenty of water! She often tells her friends to stay hydrated, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and eat a healthy diet when they can, as she does herself, according to an interview with The Cut.
Jennifer Aniston surprisingly enjoys watching reality TV. She confessed to People magazine in 2015 that she’s a fan of the Kardashians and Jenners, calling it a ‘guilty pleasure’.
Jennifer Aniston also admits to enjoying The Bachelor franchise. She even appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2016 to share her predictions for Nick Viall’s season, and she correctly identified Rachel Lindsay (who later became the Bachelorette) as a frontrunner, proving she has a good eye for potential couples.
The actress admitted she loves the show, even though she calls it ‘guilty pleasure’ television. She described it as highly entertaining, but also a bit of a mess, and pointed out that the characters often bring their troubles on themselves, all for the sake of providing entertainment.
Despite previously stating she would never use social media, Jennifer Aniston surprised everyone by joining Instagram in 2019, briefly causing the platform to crash.
Before creating her own social media accounts, Jennifer Aniston confessed to sometimes looking up people’s Instagram profiles. She also shared her pride in keeping a completely empty inbox. “I never let emails pile up,” Aniston explained. “Every morning, I respond to everything I need to and clear it all out.”
Jennifer Aniston shared a story about first meeting Dolly Parton, whom she collaborated with on the Netflix film Dumplin’. She explained that she was a huge fan even before they worked together, recalling being starstruck when she was introduced to Parton eight years prior.
She explained to Jimmy Kimmel that she’d met her idol that night because she’d been a fan since childhood. She fondly remembered pretending to perform as a child, singing into a hairbrush like Dolly Parton, and even shared that she’d named her dog after the singer.
Besides Dolly, her white shepherd named after Dolly Parton, Jennifer Aniston also had a dog named Norman, who she deeply loved. Norman passed away in 2011 at the age of 15, and Aniston honored him with her first tattoo – his name on her right foot.
She famously shared with James Lipton on Inside the Actor’s Studio that “Norman” was the word she loved most. (It was a very emotional moment!)
Since then, Aniston, along with her former husband Justin Theroux, has welcomed two dogs into her family: a pitbull named Sophie and a terrier named Clyde.
Even without a show airing in 2018, Jennifer Aniston was still among the highest-paid TV stars that year, according to Variety. She and Reese Witherspoon were expected to earn $1.1 million per episode for The Morning Show, which debuted on Apple TV+ in 2019. Both actresses are also executive producers of the series.
Everyone always asks celebrities about their celebrity crushes. It seems Jennifer Aniston is a popular answer among men in Hollywood! Both KJ Apa and Cole Sprouse, stars of Riverdale, have admitted to having crushes on her.
In an interview with Cosmopolitan, Apa confessed he has a crush on Aniston, surprisingly admitting he’s never actually watched Friends. Meanwhile, Sprouse fondly remembered working with her on the show, as he and his twin brother Dylan played the role of Ross’s son, Ben.
He admitted to the New York Post that he struggled to work with Jennifer because he was deeply in love with her. He described being infatuated and so flustered around her that he would forget his lines and go completely blank, making the experience very challenging.
Those popular young actors aren’t the first to have a crush on Jennifer Aniston – several other well-known men admitted their feelings for her years ago.
Jake Gyllenhaal, who acted alongside Jennifer Aniston in The Good Girl, admitted he had a long-time crush on her and found it difficult to work with her because of it. He told People magazine that being around her was lovely, but he stumbled over his words trying to explain his feelings, ultimately saying, “That’s all I’m going to say.”
Ashton Kutcher shared that he made a bet when he was 17, wagering he’d date Mila Kunis – whose picture was his screensaver at the time. He actually did get to date her, but it happened while she was still married to Brad Pitt.
Ashton Kutcher shared on The Graham Norton Show that he once asked Brad Pitt for permission to date his wife. Surprisingly, Brad gave him the go-ahead, but she ultimately turned him down.
Following her departure from Plan B, the production company she started with Brad Pitt in 2006, Jennifer Aniston and her close friend Kristin Hahn co-founded Echo Films in 2008. Echo Films, which has a partnership with Universal Pictures, has produced several of Aniston’s films, such as The Switch, Cake, and Dumplin’.
Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler often appear in movies together due to their close friendship, and they most recently starred in Murder Mystery 2 released in 2023.
Jennifer Aniston and George Clooney became friends when their TV shows, Friends and E.R., did a special crossover episode, and they’ve stayed close ever since. Their friendship continued even after Aniston’s divorce from Brad Pitt, who often worked with Clooney. This past summer, Aniston visited Clooney and his family – his wife, Amal, and their twins – in Italy. In a 2018 interview with Ellen DeGeneres, she shared how wonderful it was to see him as a father, saying it showed her that “anything can happen.”
Jennifer Aniston has often shared the story of how her agents pressured her to lose 30 pounds before she could audition for Friends. In a 1996 interview with Rolling Stone, she remembered her agent bluntly telling her they needed to discuss her weight. She actually appreciated his honesty, even though it highlighted a troubling aspect of Hollywood – she wasn’t getting many roles because she was considered too heavy.
She lost weight with Nutri/System and even shared her experience on The Howard Stern Show. At the time, she described her new physique as a surprising revelation, saying, “I never realized I could have a body like this.”
More than 20 years later, Jennifer Aniston has openly discussed the unreasonable standards Hollywood sets for women.
In 2018, she told InStyle that it’s time we stop defining beauty by a specific size or body measurements. She believes that idea is outdated and that we should embrace a more inclusive view of beauty.
Following the #MeToo movement, Jennifer Aniston shared her experiences with workplace harassment. In an interview with InStyle, she explained that she had faced inappropriate advances from fellow actors, which she addressed by removing herself from the situation. She also noted she’s fortunately never been subjected to abuse of power, but has experienced negative treatment – particularly verbal and emotional negativity – from other women in the industry.
Jennifer Aniston deals with a fear of flying, which is challenging given her frequent work travel and desire to take vacations.
It began when I was in my twenties with a really unsettling flight. After that, I started paying attention to news reports about plane crashes, and I became fixated on the fear of dying in a plane. It completely took over my thoughts. It’s something I really want to overcome, because it doesn’t make sense.
Jennifer Aniston is the one who typically organizes get-togethers with her close friends, according to her best friend, Kristin Hahn. Hahn described Aniston as the “social glue” of the group, telling Elle magazine that they feel lost without her when she’s away.
Although Jennifer Aniston has gone through two divorces, she doesn’t consider them failures. In an interview with Elle, she explained that she actually views her marriages as successful. She believes that when they ended, it was a mutual decision made to prioritize happiness, and that sometimes happiness simply wasn’t possible within the relationship anymore.
In an interview with Elle, Jennifer Aniston shared that the idea of becoming a mother still felt scary to her. She explained that while some people naturally feel drawn to marriage and having children, it doesn’t come as easily to her. She’s open to what the future might bring, whether that includes a child and a partner, and how that might happen – or not. She also noted that advancements in science now offer more options and flexibility for starting a family.
Jennifer Aniston, along with her fellow cast members of Friends, was deeply saddened by the death of Matthew Perry on October 28, 2023. She shared with Variety that she had been texting with him earlier that day, and he seemed like his normal, cheerful self.
“He was not in pain,” she recalled. “He wasn’t struggling.”
She shared a screenshot of their text conversation, showing Perry telling his childhood crush, “Making you laugh just made my day. It really did.”
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2026-02-11 14:20