After Many Heartbreaks, Jennifer Aniston Has Realized What She Really Values

Making a relationship work requires compromises and sacrifices on both sides. Yet, that cannot be enough, and even the biggest love stories can come to an end. Jennifer Aniston has always put a lot of effort into keeping her relationships strong, but she has eventually realized how essential it is to value herself above all else.

The men in her life

Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt made everyone’s dreams come true when they were a couple. Not only were they at the peak of their careers, but they were very much in love when they tied the knot in 2000.

They met in 1994 after Brad had broken up with actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer had ended her relationship with actor Tate Donovan. Their relationship grew so strong that they married and stayed together for years.

Despite having demanding jobs, they both wanted to start a family and crown their love with the birth of a baby. The couple was hesitant to display their love in public, but the Friends star did so once: “I know that we have something special [...] it’s nice to have somebody who’s anchored and really knows all of you.”

Jennifer let her heart fall for someone else when she met famous actor Justin Theroux in 2007, after they met on the set of Tropic Thunder, which Theroux co-wrote with Jennifer’s longtime friend, Ben Stiller.

It’s unclear exactly when the 2 began dating, but rumors started to flow once they collaborated on the film Wanderlust in 2011, which is when the relationship really took off. Things quickly became serious, and a year later, at her birthday party, Justin proposed to her.

However, they did not walk down the aisle until 3 years later — they had a private and small ceremony, inviting only their closest friends. Unfortunately, their relationship did not last as long as they had hoped, and the couple announced their divorce in 2018: “We have announced our separation. We are 2 best friends who have parted ways, but look forward to continuing our cherished friendship.”

The separation from Brad and the allegations of infidelity

Many tabloids have talked about, and still talk about, Jennifer and Brad’s divorce in 2005. Everyone was shocked when they announced their breakup, so the couple decided to be upfront about everything to put any rumors to rest. “This decision is the result of much thoughtful consideration. We happily remain committed and caring friends with great love and admiration for one another.”

On the other hand, there were a slew of factors that precipitated their scandalous split, some of which were never confirmed. A well-known fact is that shortly after his divorce from Aniston, Brad Pitt, who was working on the film Mr. and Mrs. Smith with Angelina Jolie, began his long-term relationship with her.

Many rumors about Pitt cheating on Aniston were circulating, but neither side ever came forward to confirm them. On the one hand, Aniston made the choice to play it cool for her ex-husband’s relationship with Jolie. When questioned about a photo of the new couple, she only admitted, “Is it odd timing? Yeah. But it’s not my life. He makes his choices. We’re divorced, and you can see why.”

On the other hand, shortly after the divorce, Pitt gave some dubious interviews in which he implied that the cheating rumors were most likely true. But he later retracted his declarations, saying, “It grieves me that this was interpreted this way. Jen is an incredibly giving, loving, and hilarious woman who remains my friend. It is an important relationship I value greatly.”

Jennifer has learned to value herself above everything else.

After 2 divorces and several breakups, Jennifer is ready to start over. The actress has no desire to be in a relationship, and she has no plans to marry again. She is now on good terms with both of her ex-husbands — they are friends who support one another. However, it hasn’t always been this way, and Jennifer regrets giving too much of herself to the person she was with.

Talking about Brad, she has confessed: “I wouldn’t give over so much of myself, which I did at times. It was that thing about being a nurturer. I love taking care of people, and I definitely put his needs before mine sometimes.”

Aniston is regaining her identity and strength after putting them on hold while she was married. “I feel like I’ve broken the pattern now. I’ll never let myself down like that again. I feel like my sense of self is being strengthened because of it.”

Jennifer has consistently attempted to prioritize her career and relationships over her love of herself, which has caused her to gradually lose a part of herself. Because her marriages did not work out, the actress has been the target of many stereotypical misconceptions, like: “Jen can’t keep a man,” and “Jen refuses to have a baby because she’s selfish and committed to her career.”

Jennifer, like any respectable, strong woman, has learned to walk her path and rely solely on her own strength. She is fully cognizant of her skills and the benefits of gaining self-assurance on her own. She disregards any rumors about her public persona and does not dwell on the past: “I don’t feel a void. My marriages, they’ve been very successful.”

How would you have dealt with 2 divorces? Do you believe that prioritizing yourself in a relationship is difficult?