Justin Theroux's Ties to Jennifer Aniston Might Sound Surprising Amid His Engagement

Justin Theroux is basking in the glow of his recent engagement to Nicole Brydon Bloom after she revealed her gorgeous ring on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival. The 53-year-old actor might be celebrating the next chapter of his life, but he’s still going to be asked about his former marriage to Jennifer Aniston. 

That might sound like a lot to process for someone in the middle of a Beetlejuice Beetlejuice promotional tour, but Theroux seems to take his connection to his ex all in stride. In fact, he still counts Aniston as a close friend. When the Friends star made an unexpected comment about vice-presidential candidate JD Vance and his criticism of “childless cat ladies,” Theroux backed the 55-year-old actress for sharing her thoughts with her fans. “She is still very dear to me so of course, yeah, I feel protective. But she batted back criticism, as well she should,” he told The Times. 

Theroux was married to Aniston from 2015 to 2017, but it seemed that their East Coast, West Coast lifestyles never really meshed. He was the artsy, broody New Yorker and she was the sun-kissed golden girl from California. Their split was amicable, but it was clear that he didn’t love the attention that Aniston’s A-list level of fame brought to his life. He told Esquire in 2021 that he now has “much more fun not being in a public relationship.” He also tries to keep the Aniston talk to a minimum in his interviews. “There’s something to, once you’re out of that, where I want all of my relationships to exist within the four walls of whatever room we’re in,” he shared. “And I’m not trying to be evasive, but I talk to Jen — I don’t talk about Jen.”

That PR strategy might get stricter in the coming months as he and Bloom get ready to walk down the aisle. Sure, the press is curious about his former relationship with The Morning Show actress, but out of respect for his fiancée, it might be best to zip it. However, things might be a little more tense in Aniston’s circles because a Life & Style source claimed that Theroux may have cashed in on his ex-wife’s connections to keep his career going.

“It’s insensitive and it looks bad! Jen is embarrassed for him, and there’s clearly a better way to handle it,” the source divulged. “Jen is pretty done with Justin in this regard, and she’s never liked people who will do anything to make it without thinking about the bigger picture.” It sounds like Theroux’s friendship with Aniston might be more complex than even he is revealing!

Before you go, click here to see celebrity exes who will always be friends.