Justin Theroux Opened Up About How He Feels Toward Jennifer Aniston

The first thing Theroux addressed was a rumor that the media had latched on to immediately after the couple’s 2018 divorce. According to the worldwide press, then, the schism in Theroux and Aniston’s relationship had been caused by a major disagreement — one that neither side could resolve. But the actor was quick to put that to bed.

You see, Aniston and Theroux had owned a house in Bel Air, California, before they got married. In fact, their wedding had actually been held on the property. Yet outlets such as Hello! reported that — despite those good memories of California — one of the pair wasn’t too keen to stay in the state.

According to the rumor, Theroux was the one pushing for a move away. Yep, he apparently preferred the idea of putting down roots in New York City. But the story was that NYC wasn’t particularly appealing for Aniston. Instead, the Hollywood actress reportedly wanted to live in Los Angeles, California. So Theroux really wanted to set the record straight.

When the split was announced, of course, neither Theroux nor Aniston commented upon this rumor. Perhaps that is partly why the media decided to run with this angle — and Theroux was seemingly happy to let them do it. Now, though, The Leftovers star focused on this particular rumor during his candid chat with Esquire.

“That’s a narrative that is not true, for the most part,” Theroux told Esquire. “Look, people create narratives that make themselves feel better or simplify things for them. That whole, ‘This person likes rock ’n’ roll, that person likes jazz. Of course!’ That’s just not the case. It’s an oversimplification.” Yet that wasn’t all the actor had to say about the relationship.

After all, it wasn’t the only rumor doing the rounds about the marriage at the time. There was another especially intriguing story that allegedly explained Theroux and Aniston’s breakup, for instance. This one had ties to the Friends star’s past, too. Could there be an air of truth to this rumor?

You might guess that this rumor involved Brad Pitt. Aniston and Brad Pitt were husband and wife for around five years, with that coupling coming to a dramatic end at the start of 2005. Their breakup was eventually rubber-stamped in the fall. But there is always talk of the pair still holding flames for each other.

And we know that Pitt and his subsequent wife, Angelina Jolie, also broke up — leaving Pitt free and single from 2016 onward. And that’s where Theroux and Aniston’s relationship (or lack thereof) comes into it. The rumor suggested, you see, that some old fires might’ve indeed still been burning.

This particular story cropped up in Us Weekly a few days after Aniston and Theroux’s split announcement. It hinted that Pitt had played an unwitting role in the breakup. According to the article, a pivotal moment in the Theroux-Aniston marriage took place just as Pitt and Jolie were winding down as a couple.

Theroux had allegedly been searching through his and Aniston’s home when he found keepsakes from his wife’s time with her previous husband. An apparent insider told the publication, “[Theroux] stumbled upon old Post-it notes [Pitt] had written. Sweet little Post-its like, ‘You look nice tonight,’ or, ‘Miss you already.’” Talk about a surprising find!

This eye-opening discovery reportedly led to Theroux confronting Aniston. She allegedly dismissed the notes as nothing more than mementos from the past. The apparent insider went on, “[Aniston] assured him they weren’t a big deal, but [Theroux] wasn’t thrilled… [He] had moments of insecurity like that.”

Sure, this came from an anonymous “inside source,” but it does still raise a major question. Basically, how “mutual and loving” was Theroux and Aniston’s divorce in the end? And because the two people involved weren’t telling anybody on the outside what was going on, the speculation was bound to continue. But now a few intriguing answers have finally been revealed thanks to Theroux.

That brings us back to Theroux’s surprisingly open interview. He was speaking to Esquire in the spring of 2021 when the subject of his and Aniston’s split came up. And instead of dismissing it, the Emmy winner took the opportunity to address a few points — including what their relationship is like now.

This was destined to come up because, just a week before the interview, the star had shared a birthday message for Aniston on Instagram. And you won’t be surprised to learn that his "I Love You B!” filled more than a few column inches. But while the social media post wasn’t a reunion announcement, it was still pretty telling.

“I would say we’ve remained friends,” Theroux told Esquire. “We don’t talk every day, but we call each other. We FaceTime. We text.” But that wasn’t good enough for the interviewer, who probed for more details. And then The Leftovers star had a very clear message that he wanted to get across.

“Like it or not, we didn’t have that dramatic split, and we love each other,” Theroux continued. “I’m sincere when I say that I cherish our friendship. We can not be together and still bring each other joy and friendship. Also, [Aniston] makes me laugh very, very hard. She’s a hilarious person.”

Theroux then added, “It would be a loss if we weren’t in contact, for me personally. And I’d like to think the same for [Aniston].” That’s quite the revelation. But the actor wasn’t done baring his soul — especially when the interviewer pointed out that most people don’t usually talk that way about their exes.

“I think that when you get good at relationships—and here I am, single—if you love the person the same way you loved them in the relationship, it would behoove you to love them the same way out of the relationship,” Theroux told Esquire. “Who wants to take a [dump] while you’re walking out the door?” Quite!

And Theroux wasn’t the only one to shed light on the relationship to Esquire. Will Arnett — who is friends with both Aniston and Theroux — claimed that, at the time of the Aniston-Theroux split, their pals didn’t have to pick a “team” to support. And that was largely down to how the pair had acted following their divorce.

Arnett noted, “It speaks volumes about both of them. When you’ve been with somebody in that way, you’ll always be connected. And it’s hats off to them for how much attention they give that, and how important it is to both of them to maintain that love. I think it’s really remarkable.” But Aniston wasn’t the sole focus of Theroux’s talk with Esquire.

In fact, the chat also covered a few other interesting topics — such as the star’s current relationship status. Of course, the star was a singleton at the time. But that’s not to say that he wanted to remain a Hollywood bachelor forever. He’s given it some thought, too.

Theroux admitted, “What I’m most thirsty for now is friendship. Once that’s up and running, I’ll start thinking about [romance]. All [my] avenues to dating are completely shut. [I] never [use apps]. Sounds a little old-fashioned, but I actually like to get to know someone. That’s the fun of meeting people.”

Then Theroux said, “[I like] sussing them out and playing... not games, but — it all sounds predatory when I say it. The strategy. The game.” Dating can be a complex dance at the best of times, so we get what he means! And it probably isn’t always easy if you are famous.

So yes, Theroux is interested in getting back out there to find love once again. But does he have any ambitions beyond that — say, becoming a dad? Well, Aniston’s former husband offered up an intriguing response to that question when Esquire brought it up. He wasn’t exactly coy on the subject, either.

“I don’t feel that compulsion [to have children],” Theroux revealed. “I don’t have a resistance to it, but I don’t have an eagerness for it. As for wanting to continue the family line, there are plenty of Therouxs in the world who can do that for me. They’re doing a great job popping out kids.”

Yet Theroux quickly reassessed his thoughts at that stage to raise one final point. He concluded, “It would be kind of great if I got a knock on the door and someone said, ‘Hey, I’m your 16-year-old kid.’ I’d be like, ‘Oh my God, it’s amazing.’” It’d certainly liven up his next friendly chat with Aniston anyway!

But Jen is busy enough with her own developments — including answering frank questions about her infamous role on Friends. Fans go wild whenever she makes a candid TV appearance, and while they would gladly listen to her talk about anything — even the process of paint drying — it always comes back to her turn as Rachel and her former castmates.

Being one of the biggest sitcoms of the 1990s and early 2000s, Friends naturally has more than a few TV devotees. Jen knows full well that the show established her career, but she's still blown away by just how popular it still is.

For instance, when doing a press tour for the comedy Murder Mystery, Jen's co-star Adam Sandler cracked up every time reporters lobbed them a question about the decades-old show.

With the enduring popularity of Friends, Jen has even faced a slew of questions about a return of the show! This wouldn't be totally unheard of; after all, it's important to note that a reboot of sorts has already taken place.

Hoping to capitalize on the fanfare of the Friends finale, NBC launched the 2004 spinoff Joey. Though it followed the continuing adventures of a beloved character, audiences despised it. The show got canned, though rumors of a real reunion kept up.

Then, in 2017, NBC hosted a Friends reunion panel. Some viewers couldn't help but feel let down, seeing as the actors just reminisced about old moments. Plus, Matthew Perry declined to show up altogether.

Nevertheless, we are living in an age where seemingly any old show can make its way back to the small screen. Wouldn't a juggernaut like Friends be able to make that leap with ease? Jen, when pressed for her opinion, had a surprising answer.

Although Jen felt very satisfied with the conclusion of the series, in 2019 she did admit her curiosity in seeing where all the characters would be in the present day. Obviously, she said that Ross and Rachel would still be together.

However, Jen also provided the caveat that a Friends reboot would be a very different show. Because so much time had passed, the sitcom could no longer center on a group of single pals in New York.

Because the main characters left their 20s lifestyle in the dust, a hypothetical revived series would have to focus on their growing families. So, would the titular friends even find the time to hang out?

Jen predicted that Ross and Rachel would have entered full-on parental mode, with all their energy going to raise their daughter, Emma. Naturally, she would be a little more grown-up than the last time viewers saw her.

Now in her teens, Emma would already be in high school or early college! With the original actresses who played Emma — Cali and Noelle Sheldon — still in Hollywood, one or both could step right back into the role.

It's clear that Jen put a lot of thought into the potential future of Friends, considering she already had a path in mind for Rachel Green. Her support for the reboot then set off a chain reaction of sitcom nostalgia.

The entire TV world was abuzz. Of course, a few other people would need to give a thumbs-up before any kind of reboot got off the ground. Otherwise, there'd just be another lousy one-character spinoff.

Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow both expressed an openness to the idea. While Courteney added that the logistics of the reboot could prove difficult, their answers meant half of the main cast was on board.

However, the men of the cast were less than enthused. Even Jen's onscreen love interest thought their age might ruin the energy of the original. "I just don't know if I want to see all of us with crutches [and] walkers," explained David Schwimmer.

Jen didn't appreciate her colleagues' doubts and lack of interest in the reboot. "I fantasize about it," she said. "It really was the greatest job I ever had." Of course, the future of Friends really came down to two other people.

David Crane and Marta Kauffman created the series back in 1994, so they had the final word on any revival version. Unfortunately, both shared their adamant support against it. They promised that fans would only feel disappointed by a modern-day reboot.

For now, at least, Crane and Kauffman's stance brought the Friends hype train to a full stop. Jen lost a little bit of enthusiasm for it herself, as reporters wouldn't stop asking her about the possibility of a reboot. But a 2021 development brought the conversation to a fury.

HBO had TV fans everywhere going wild with the announcement of an official Friends reunion! However, it would be a unscripted, out-of-character event. Aniston explained, "I will not be Rachel, although I kind of am. Well, we’re all sort of little fragments of them."

But even if new episodes never make their way to the small screen, viewers still have ten seasons to revisit. That alone deserves a round of applause. Plus, while rewatching the series, even hardcore fans are learning things they never noticed before.