LONELY WORLD
Sources tell Us the A-lister has been isolating herself — and is her own worst enemy when it comes to dating
Jennifer Aniston is still Hollywood’s golden girl. Nearly 30 years after becoming a household name on Friends, the actress remains at the top of her game with her critically acclaimed portrayal of steely news anchor
Alex Levy on The Morning Show, which was recently renewed for a third season. She’s also one of the most popular stars around, counting longtime pals like Courteney Cox and Jason Bateman as members of her trusted inner circle. “Jen is a remarkable person,” Cox said during a 2019 tribute to Aniston. “She radiates warmth and joy and humor and love.” Despite all the accolades, fanfare and success, sources tell Us Aniston, 53, has been holed up alone at her 8,500-square-foot Bel-Air mansion more often than not lately. “There are times Jen just wants to curl up and disappear from the hectic pace of Hollywood,” says one
insider. “She says she’s happy in her own company and no longer feels the need to pack her social calendar just for the sake of it, but it’s weird that she’s become so reclusive.”
The insider and a second source say the situation got worse during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Jen’s home has increasingly become the place she needs to hold court, especially since the pandemic hit,” says the second source, noting that the actress sometimes feels trapped and alone in her sprawling pad. “Her house is like a $50 million prison — and Jen is both the jailer and the only prisoner!” Adds the insider: “She still welcomes friends over fairly regularly, but it’s become second nature for Jen to chill by herself in the evenings and on weekends.”
HIDING OUT
According to the second source, Aniston doesn’t have anyone to push her out of her comfort zone. “Nobody really challenges Jen to her face,” the source claims. “She lives most of her life in an echo chamber of employees-slash-friends, and even some of her oldest actor pals still kiss her butt like they just met her. No one is going to say anything critical to her because they know they won’t be invited over again.”
Her house — which she spent three years renovating — has become her sanctuary. “Jen has everything she needs there,” says the insider, “and it’s become a lot more practical to host friends [at her place] as opposed to meeting them in West Hollywood or driving into Beverly Hills for lunches and dinners. She still does it from time to time,” adds the insider, “but she was getting bored of that routine even before the pandemic.”
The second source claims Aniston’s been drinking behind closed doors. “She has used alcohol as a crutch over the years, but nobody tells her that it’s a bad idea,” the source says, adding that the star is “careful about drinking in public and can really let her hair down at home. She’s basically got a liquor store in her living room and unlimited resources to keep it stocked.”
LOCKING OUT LOVE
Some are worried her love life is suffering. Last September, Aniston revealed she was finally ready to start dating again following her 2018 split from ex-husband Justin Theroux. “I think it’s time. I think I’m ready to share myself with another,” she said in a SiriusXM interview. The second source says Aniston still feels burned by her failed romances with Brad Pitt and musician John Mayer (see box for more on her past relationships). “I think Jen would rather be alone,” notes the source, “than be betrayed by another man.”
Another issue? The star’s impossibly high standards. “Jen’s pressing need to be with somebody famous has always been her Achilles heel,” dishes the source, adding that wealthy, successful suitors have been regularly rejected by Aniston’s primary matchmakers: her agent, publicist and manager. “Jen just won’t consider dating a nobody, and unfortunately, that severely limits her options,” continues the source. “I think her plan at this point is to meet somebody on a film or TV project because using dating apps or getting set up has never been Jen’s way.”
ON THE JOB
Her career demands have also left little time for dating — or starting a family. “Jen’s been working for a long period of time now. She was filming The Morning Show through a huge chunk of the pandemic, and her
“USING DATING APPS OR BEING SET UP HAS NEVER BEEN JEN’S WAY.”
A SOURCE
schedule is pretty unforgiving with other projects and commitments,” says the insider. The source says that friends thought Aniston might adopt a child, but she hit a crisis point over baby plans. “She’s been so wrapped up in The Morning Show for the last four years that even talking about bringing a child into her life would’ve been absurd.”
The price of fame isn’t cheap.
“Jen has made tens of millions of dollars,” says the source, “but at the end of the day, she is going home to an empty, quiet house. I don’t think people realize how isolated she has become,” adds the source. “She’s really locked herself in a gilded cage, and there’s no quick fix to get out of there.”