Jen & Justin’s nightmare neighbour
(& it’s not ugly naked guy)
Next time you complain about your nightmare neighbour, spare a thought for Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux. Over the last few months, the lawyer living next to the couple’s New York apartment has accused them of harassment and animal cruelty; before that, Justin sued him for bullying, ‘tyrannical conduct’ and intimidation.
Now, their feud has deepened further. In new court documents seen by grazia, Justin has claimed that the couple’s neighbour, Norman Resnicow, has been spying on their Greenwich Village home and taking photos through their windows. A pyjama-clad Norman was even caught on camera, filming them from his deck.
The situation must be particularly galling for Jen, who has the name ‘Norman’ tattooed on her ankle in memory of her beloved late dog (true story!).
According to insiders, Jen’s belief that Norman is ‘harassing’ them is only adding to tensions between the couple over how often Justin is in New York. Jen, 48, is well known to dislike the city, preferring to spend her time in LA. Last week, she told architectural digest of their California home, ‘ There’s nowhere else I want to be.’
Now that Justin’s legal battle has intensified, Jen is said to have refused to stay in the NY apartment until it is resolved. ‘It’s causing a lot of tension between them and Jen’s barely travelling to New York any more,’ said a source. ‘She’s an incredibly private person and hates the feeling that she might be spied on. It is a huge sticking point for her and Justin.’
The battle over the property began when Justin started renovations in a flat above Resnicow’s home. The lawyer, 70, insisted that Justin add $30,000 of soundproofing; when Justin didn’t, he began what the actor has described as a ‘ bizarre, troubling obsession with my life’. He accused Norman of threatening to cut off water and electricity and alleging that Justin’s builders had damaged the marble entrance.
Last year, Justin sued Norman for $300,000 and claimed the lawyer had threatened to start a smear campaign about the couple. Justin also accused his neighbour of ruining his ivy growing on the building. Norman said the pair had once had ‘friendly relations and co-operation’ and that Justin’s claims were ‘as fictional as the TV series in which he recently starred.’ Norman’s lawyer exclusively told grazia, ‘ They want to make Norman look like Dracula. The allegations about nuisance and trespassing, it’s all burlesque.’
A source added, ‘Jen won’t feel comfortable if someone can just peer through the window at any time. Justin loves that place, and has spent a lot of money renovating it. There’s no way he’s just going to give up. They’ve reached a stalemate.’
WARNING: CONNER IVES will make you feel like an underachiever. At just 21, the emerging designer has already seen his work on the Met Ball red carpet (on Adwoa Aboah), worn by Rihanna and championed by some of the most influential names in the fashion industry. Impressive feats for designers twice his age, Conner’s prodigious talent is all the more remarkable when you consider that he’s juggling it with studying full-time at Central Saint Martins, London’s most famous art school.
‘I’m still a student trying to make ends meet – there’s definitely been a lot of toast!’ says Ny-born Conner, who’s in the second year of his womenswear BA course. His life has become a surreal back and forth between the glamour of being a fashion world darling and the graft of being a student. Saint Martins remains his priority, however. ‘I dreamed my whole life of coming here,’ he says from his Tottenham live-work space – a ‘shoebox’ with a bed in one corner and studio in the other.
The latest string to Conner’s bow is a capsule collection of graphic handmade separates for Browns (which may help with the toast situation). The legendary London boutique has a track record of spotting the next big thing – it was the first store to carry John Galliano and Christopher Kane. ‘ We came across Conner through Instagram and instantly became obsessed,’ says Ida Petersson, womenswear buying director. ‘He has an amazing eye for patterns and colours and is not afraid of taking a new direction. I love his collection even more when you consider the sustainability element of it.’
Indeed, Conner leads the charge of a new generation of designers for whom sustainability isn’t a luxury – but a necessity. His Browns collection is spliced together from hundreds of graphic vintage tees (‘I can look at walls and walls and walls of used clothing that people have thrown out and see a gold mine,’ he says). So, each handcrafted design isn’t just a one-off, but a foray into the world of sustainable fashion. ‘I’m completely dissatisfied with the fashion industry over-ordering, over-producing. We clearly have a consumption problem,’ he says.
Yes, his clothes might carry the worthy ‘sustainable’ label, but Conner’s triumph is to make you want to wear them, first and foremost, because they’re great designs: effortless, modern and unlike anything else. ‘I’m not saying my work is trying to save the world – but it’s definitely a place to begin.’ We couldn’t agree more.