Jen&brad TOGETHER EXCLUSIVE AGAIN!

Jennifer Aniston turns to Brad Pitt after her split with Justin Theroux

When Brad Pitt learned that his ex-wife, Jennifer Aniston, would be appearing on the February cover of Architectural Digest, he texted her to send his best wishes. Brad, who was featured on the magazine himself in 2008, “couldn’t help but send Jen a little note,” says a source. “Design is so important to both of them.” But the text didn’t go over well with Jen’s husband, Justin Theroux. “He saw the message on Jen’s phone and was annoyed his wife was texting with her ex over their love of design.”

Brad and Jen are now free to do much more than just text. On Feb. 15, Jen, 49, and Justin, 46, confirmed the news that In Touch reported in December: It’s over. Their two-anda-half year marriage crumbled under the pressure of their differing personalities and lifestyles, long stretches spent apart and frequent disagreements over where to live and whether to start a family. “We have decided to announce our separation,” the pair, who began dating after connecting on the set of the 2012 film Wanderlust, said in a statement. Now Brad, the very man who left her for Angelina Jolie in 2005, is providing comfort for Jen at this tough time. And their newly rekindled friendship has paved the way for a second chance at love for the pair. “Brad and Jen are spending more and more time together,” says a family friend of Brad’s, who adds that the relationship is moving quickly. “Those close to the pair wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve even had secret sleepovers.”

SURPRISE VISIT Brad helped Jen come to terms with the end of her marriage. During the last year

of their union, Jen and Justin were spending an increasing amount of time apart. While Jen, a homebody, remained in LA, he would flee to his apartment in NYC when he wasn’t on location filming in places like Australia and Europe. “Justin was finding more reasons to be apart from his wife,” says a source close to Jen. “In addition to hating Hollywood, he couldn’t stand her friends. He found them cliquey and boring.” (There have also been nasty rumors of Justin cheating. Some people are claiming certain blind items on the internet about a star cheating are about Justin. One commenter even claimed on a lovey-dovey photo of Justin and Jen on Justin’s Instagram that “I know a few people who saw him with his mistress in N.Y.”)

Because Brad had split from Angelina in 2016, “he really understood what Jen was going through in her failing relationship,” says the family friend. Newly clean and sober — Brad kicked his boozing and marijuana use in the wake of his split — the actor was also not one for b.s. “He has a knack for keeping it real and telling it like it is. One day, Jen showed up at his door while Justin was out of town and they were having problems. Brad sat her right down and provided the counsel that she needed. He was very no-nonsense, and really helped Jen come to terms with ending it with Justin.”

( When asked about Jen and Brad growing closer, his rep told In Touch, “No comment from Brad.”)

Jen and Justin made the decision to end their marriage during their New Year’s getaway to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. In the time since, “Jen has been MIA a lot,” notes the source close to the actress. And yes, while she celebrated her 49th birthday with pals (see box at left) on Feb. 11 and attended Ellen Degeneres’ 60th birthday bash the same weekend, the woman who constantly surrounds herself with friends and even brought them on her honeymoon has otherwise laid low. “She’s kept to herself a lot,” says the source. “She could have been spending some of that time at Brad’s house in Pacific Palisades.” There are even rumors that the two have had secret stay-overs at five-star hotels in the LA area, says the Brad insider.

FRIENDS ONCE MORE

Brad and Jen, who were married from 2000 to 2005, reconnected in 2016 when Brad reached out to Jen following the death of her mother, Nancy Dow. They continued to keep up a friendship via texts and calls, which upset Angelina, whom Brad wed in 2014. The exes — who were first set up on a date by their agents back in 1998 — continued to bond more as Brad’s marriage to Angelina fell apart that September. According to sources, his bitter split and custody battle over Maddox, 16, Pax, 14, Zahara, 13, Shiloh, 11, and 9-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox made him realize how terribly he treated Jen during their marriage, and he finally said he was sorry. “Through texts and con- versations, Brad apologized to Jen for the heartbreak he caused her when he left her for Angelina,” says the Brad insider.

That opened the door for more intimate moments. Brad vented about Angelina, and even introduced Jen to several of his children on one occasion. Jen, meanwhile, told Brad about her own rocky marriage. She continues to lean on him in the wake of her split from Justin. “What’s surprising about her separation from Justin is that one of her greatest supporters is her first husband,” says the Brad insider, noting that the Fury actor has “turned out to be a true champion for Jen.”

Could a do-over on their 2000 wedding — when he pledged in his vows to “split the difference on the thermostat,” and she promised to always make Brad’s “favorite banana milkshake” — be in the cards? The possibility grows more likely with each passing day. “Brad and Jen have come full circle,” says the Brad insider. “It’s definitely getting serious again. I think their fans are rooting for them. In the end, doesn’t everyone just want Brad to be with Jen? They were meant to be back together!” ◼

Angelina would hit the roof if she learned Brad and Jen have had secret sleepovers” — A BRAD INSIDER