Jennifer Aniston says growing up in an ‘unsafe’ household shaped her character
Aniston talked about her childhood in a conversation with fellow actress Sandra Bullock for an Interview magazine article published on the “Friends” star’s 51st birthday.

Jennifer Aniston says growing up in a household that felt “unsafe” helped to shape her character.

During a Q&A for Interview magazine, the “Friends” star chatted with fellow actress Sandra Bullock about how they first met, the time they both dated the same actor, and Aniston’s new series, “The Morning Show.”

Bullock also asked about how Aniston seems always able to exude positivity in her work and her personal life.

“What is it that allows you to stay buoyant and keep from getting discouraged when things don’t go the right way?” Bullock asked.

Aniston said she thinks it comes from living in a household that was “destabilized and and felt unsafe.”

“… watching adults being unkind to each other, and witnessing certain things about human behavior that made me think: ‘I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to be that. I don’t want to experience this feeling I’m having in my body right now. I don’t want anyone else that I ever come in contact with ever to feel that.’”

Aniston’s parents, John Aniston and Nancy Dow, split when she was a child. Her father has been a longtime cast member on the daytime soap opera “Days of our Lives” and her mother starred in a number of TV shows and movies. Dow died in 2016.

“So I guess I have my parents to thank,” Aniston told Bullock. “You can either be angry or be a martyr, or you can say, ‘You’ve got lemons? Let’s make lemonade.’”

Bullock said she thinks that sometimes the destabilizing things in a person’s life will “either sink you or invigorate you to change and do better.”

The interview was published Tuesday, Aniston’s 51st birthday. The actress celebrated its release on Instagram.

“I had no idea this would be coming out today. Feeling proud and honored to be celebrating with this cover. Thanks to the Interview team for celebrating women at every age… turns out 51 is pretty fun,” she wrote, thanking the publication and her “sister from another mister” Bullock.

Lisa Kudrow Sets The Record Straight After Jennifer Aniston Claimed She Hated This 1 Part Of Making Friends

“I was like, ‘All right, well, take it easy’.”

Lisa Kudrow has clarified recent comments made by her former Friends co-star Jennifer Aniston about one aspect of the show they had differing feelings about.

Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Lisa was asked about whether it was true she “hated” when the Friends studio audience would laugh, as Jen claimed during an interview with Variety last month.

The Emmy winner recalled that while she and the rest of the cast had no issues with the audience’s reactions: “Lisa Kudrow, by the way, hated when the audience laughed.”

“That’s not exactly [true],” Lisa insisted to ET. “It irritated me if they would laugh for too long.”

She continued: “God bless them. They were so excited to be there that sometimes the laughter would just be longer than if they would have laughed at anything else.

However, Lisa did confirm that one story Jen told during her Variety interview was true.

The Along Came Polly star claimed that in Friends’ early days, she and the late Matthew Perry once surprised Lisa by showing up to a salon where she was getting her hair done.

“I snuck up – she was in the sink – and I took the nozzle from the guy that was supposed to be doing it and just started washing her hair,” she recalled.

“It definitely flew out of control, and that was unfortunate. But the excitement we had, it feels like yesterday.”

Lisa confirmed this anecdote to be true, revealing it was on a day the group had received some major news about Friends’ future.

“That did really happen,” she shared. “I think they were just so excited because something happened – we heard we got picked up or we heard we were going to the upfronts – and so they just couldn’t stand that we weren’t all together.

“So, they came to where I was getting my hair done and visited. And yeah, I think Jen did wash my hair. It was thrilling! That’s how excited [we were], it was like puppies.”

Last month, Lisa told The Hollywood Reporter that she’d begun rewatching Friends for the first time following the death of Matthew Perry in 2023.

“I wasn’t able to watch it [before[ because it’s too embarrassing to watch yourself,” she said. “But if I make it about Matthew, then that’s OK.

“And it’s just celebrating how hilarious he was – and that is what I want to remember.”

Brad Pitt’s ‘honest’ confession to Jennifer Aniston before divorce might be the right way to end a relatio

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston’s high-profile marriage ended in 2005 after seven years. Pitt admitted to Aniston his attraction to co-star Angelina Jolie during the filming of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. This admission, while painful, was honest. Aniston gracefully moved on, calling for an end to the unnecessary rivalry narrative created by the media.

Before “Brangelina” became a global phenomenon, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were the Hollywood power couple. Their love story, filled with red carpet moments and magazine covers, seemed picture-perfect. But behind the scenes, things were beginning to unravel.

The cracks in their fairytale marriage became evident in 2005, when the pair announced their split after seven years together. Their joint statement insisted that their separation wasn’t due to “tabloid speculation” and that they remained “committed and caring friends with great love and admiration for one another.”

Yet, what made their breakup all the more fascinating was Pitt’s honesty—something that is rarely seen in Hollywood (or in most relationships, for that matter).

Brad Pitt’s Honest Confession About Angelina Jolie

At the time of their separation, Pitt had just wrapped filming Mr. & Mrs. Smith, where he starred alongside Angelina Jolie. Sparks between the two co-stars were undeniable, and rumors quickly spread that their on-screen chemistry had bled into real life.

Aniston’s Friends co-star and close friend, Courteney Cox, later revealed in a Vanity Fair interview that Pitt had been upfront about his feelings for Jolie.

“I don’t think he started an affair physically, but I think he was attracted to her,” Cox said. “There was a connection, and he was honest about that with Jen. Most of the time, when people are attracted to other people, they don’t tell. At least he was honest about it. It was an attraction that he fought for a period of time.”

Aniston’s Friends co-star and close friend, Courteney Cox, later revealed in an interview that Pitt had been upfront about his feelings for Jolie.

While Pitt’s confession may not have made the situation any less painful, his honesty was a rare moment of transparency in the world of high-profile relationships.

Did Pitt and Aniston Simply Grow Apart?

Beyond the rumored love triangle, sources at the time suggested that Pitt and Aniston’s relationship had already been struggling.

Aniston was going through a major life transition after Friends ended in 2004, while Pitt was busy on set with Jolie. A source told PEOPLE magazine, “They gradually lost sight of themselves as individuals. And despite their nice lifestyle and having everything they might want, they weren’t happy. They lost a sense of self.”

Pitt’s emotional absence reportedly left Aniston feeling isolated. The confession about Jolie may have been the final nail in the coffin, but their relationship had already been hanging by a thread.

The Aftermath—And Aniston’s Classy Response

Not long after the divorce was finalized, Pitt and Jolie made their relationship public. They went on to build a family together and eventually tied the knot in 2014. But just two years later, their own marriage crumbled, ending in one of Hollywood’s most contentious breakups.

As for Aniston, the media painted her as the heartbroken ex, pitting her against Jolie in an unnecessary rivalry. But ten years after the split, Aniston made it clear she was over the drama.

“I think it’s time people stop with that petty B.S.,” she told Entertainment Tonight in 2015. “It’s just tiresome and old. It’s like an old leather shoe. Let’s buy a new pair of shiny shoes.”

Is Honesty the Best Way to End a Relationship?

Pitt’s admission that he was drawn to Jolie might have been painful, but was it the right way to handle things? Many relationships end in betrayal, secrecy, or unspoken resentment. Instead of hiding his emotions or sneaking around, Pitt chose to be upfront—something that takes courage and, perhaps, a bit of wisdom.

Honesty in breakups is often messy, but it can also be the key to closure. Aniston may not have been happy about Pitt’s confession at the time, but looking back, it might have been the best way to move forward. And considering how gracefully she handled it, maybe she knew that too.