Jennifer Aniston finally breaks her silence on the Brad–Angelina's love triangle saga: 'Impossible to brush it off'

Time of India

3 days ago

Jennifer Aniston has not exactly been handing out tell-all interviews about that Hollywood saga, you know, the Brad Pitt–Angelina Jolie–herself media circus that turned 2005 into one long gossip column. But now, in a fresh Vanity Fair profile, the 56-year-old actress has given us a rare peek into how it all really felt.
The love triangle that would not die
She admitted that the mid-2000s were 'such a vulnerable time,' likening tabloid journalism back then to a competitive sport where accuracy came second to drama. The split from Pitt in 2005 was public enough, but then came the on-set spark between him and Jolie during Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Cue the decade-long obsession with the so-called 'love triangle.'
When headlines became her Soap Opera
Aniston told Vanity Fair that the frenzy was impossible to ignore, a constant drip-feed of speculation about her relationships, her supposed feud with Jolie, and her personal choices about motherhood. She said it was 'juicy reading' for the masses, like soap operas for people who preferred their drama with paparazzi shots.
She admitted she did not have the emotional armour to brush it all off back then. The relentless coverage became personal, cutting deep, and making her wary of how any single line from an interview could be twisted out of context.
Picking up the pieces
Her coping mechanism? In her own words, she told herself to 'pick yourself up by the bootstraps and keep on walking.' Post-Pitt, she dated Vince Vaughn and John Mayer before marrying Justin Theroux in 2015, a relationship she described as ending in 'the most gentle' divorce in 2018.
Meanwhile, Pitt's marriage to Jolie eventually collapsed in 2016 amid allegations of a heated incident on a plane, which sparked years of custody battles and asset disputes. Only in late 2024 did the pair officially settle their divorce.
Beyond the tabloids
Since then, Aniston has shared more openly about the hurt caused by media myths, especially cruel pregnancy rumours and assumptions that she 'chose career over kids.' In 2022, she revealed her IVF journey and struggles with infertility, making it clear the gossip was both untrue and painful.
Friends like Jason Bateman describe her as a 'co-mum' to his daughters, always first to mark their milestones. Even Gwyneth Paltrow, another ex of Pitt, chats with her about their 'mutual history,' because, as Aniston puts it, 'How can we not?'
The memoir we are all waiting for
Aniston has not penned her memoir yet, but she says it will happen when there is 'more to share.' And if this rare Vanity Fair interview is anything to go by, when she finally decides to spill, Hollywood might just need a seatbelt.