Entertainment
Just one day after Valentine's Day, actors Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux announced their breakup after seven years together. The celebrity couple, who were married for two-and-half years, separated quietly at the end of last year.
This week, they released a joint public statement through Aniston's longtime publicist Stephen Huvane. The statement to the Associated Press reads:
Normally we would do this privately, but given that the gossip industry cannot resist an opportunity to speculate and invent, we wanted to convey the truth directly. Whatever else is printed about us that is not directly from us, is someone else’s fictional narrative. Above all, we are determined to maintain the deep respect and love that we have for one another.
Aniston and Theroux said their decision to split was made "mutually and lovingly." The actors also described themselves as “two best friends who have decided to part ways as a couple, but look forward to continuing our cherished friendship.” Their decision to separate without dramatic public fanfare also matches their marriage — the two wed in secret in 2015.
The Hollywood couple have often appeared together on the red carpet over the years. While their romantic relationship is no more, Aniston, 49, and Theroux, 46, seem to have parted on good terms. Let's take a look back on how it all started.
2007: Ben Stiller Introduces Jen And Justin On The Set Of 'Tropic Thunder'
It turns out Ben Stiller was the mutual connection. (Stiller appeared in Along Came Polly with Aniston and Zoolander with Theroux.) In 2007, while on the set of Tropic Thunder, Stiller introduced Aniston to his co-screenwriter for the film — yup, Theroux.
Aniston's first impression of Theroux was not exactly swoon-worthy. She reportedly said, "I remember thinking he was very dark. At first you think he could be like a serial killer."
2010: Jen And Justin Film 'Wanderlust' Together
Years later, in 2010, Theroux and Aniston would reunite — again on a film, but this time for a movie they would both appear in. This was where Aniston and Theroux reportedly started falling for each other, although at the time Theroux had been with stylist Heidi Bivens for 14 years.
2011: They Announce They're Dating — After First Denying It
In May, rumors began swirling that the two were an item after they were photographed dining together at The Tower Bar in West Hollywood's Sunset Tower Hotel. Aniston's rep told Us magazine there had been three other people with them and that it was just a "friends dinner."
But by June, Aniston and Theroux couldn't deny their romance when they were spotted being affectionate with each other at an MTV Movie Awards afterparty. Shortly afterward, Theroux left the apartment he shared with his now-ex in New York and moved in with Aniston in Los Angeles.
2012: Theroux Proposes
Then in August 2012, on Theroux's 41st birthday, the actor popped the question to Aniston — and she accepted! Aniston got teary-eyed when she spoke about the engagement with friend and talk show host Chelsea Handler on Chelsea Lately.
"I just got verklempt," the actress said. Aniston and Theroux would enjoy their engagement for a few years before they finally tied the knot.
Also 2012: The Couple Adopts An Adorable Dog
Aniston and Theroux welcomed a rescue dog to the household, a pitbull-boxer mix named Sophie. The dog parents adopted Sophie after Aniston's dog Norman died the previous year. Sophie has a playmate, though: Aniston's white shepherd mix Dolly.
2015: Wedding And Honeymoon
On Aug. 5. 2015, the couple wed in a secret nighttime ceremony in their backyard. Aniston and Theroux's secret wedding was an intimate affair, disguised as a 44th birthday party for Theroux. Famous guests included Jason Bateman, Lisa Kudrow, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Ellen DeGeneres, and Howard Stern.
Their honeymoon in Bora Bora was a group vacation joined by two other couples: Courteney Cox and her musician fiancé, Johnny McDaid of Snow Patrol, plus Jason Bateman and wife Amanda Anka.
2016: Pregnancy Rumors And Jen Blasts Paparazzi
It's no surprise that Aniston faced (sexist) scrutiny as a single childless woman after her breakup with Brad Pitt.
Pestered for years by questions about having children and pregnancy rumors, Aniston blasted the gossipers once and for all in a searing op-ed for the Huffington Post:
For the record, I am not pregnant. What I am is fed up. I'm fed up with the sport-like scrutiny and body shaming that occurs daily under the guise of "journalism," the "First Amendment" and "celebrity news."
2018: The Couple Separates
After growing apart, the couple called it quits at the end of 2017. In February 2018, Aniston and Theroux made their separation public.
