They might be divorced, but Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston's relationship sounds like it couldn't be better. Unlike some other celebrity exes, they tend to talk about each other like they're the friends they were meant to be all along. Both Theroux and Aniston have discussed their 2017 split before, but in a new interview with Esquire for their April/May 2021 issue, Theroux opened up further and said that he and Aniston still "love each other."
Theroux and Aniston first got together in 2011, tied the knot in 2015, and separated at the end of 2017. There were rumors that the relationship ended because they wanted to live in different cities—him in New York and her and Los Angeles—but in the new interview, Theroux explains that this wasn't exactly the case. "That’s a narrative that is not true, for the most part," he said. "Look, people create narratives that make themselves feel better or simplify things for them."
Read on to see what else Theroux has to say about his relationship with Aniston, and for more news about this A-lister, check out Jennifer Aniston Just Shut Down This Major Rumor.
They're still close friends with a lot of love between them.
Kathy Hutchins/ShutterstockWhile fans and celebrity news media might expect or want two big Hollywood stars to have a breakup dramatic enough to be its own movie, that just wasn't the case for Theroux and Aniston.
"Like it or not, we didn’t have that dramatic split, and we love each other," Theroux told Esquire. "I’m sincere when I say that I cherish our friendship. We can not be together and still bring each other joy and friendship."
He added that the humor Aniston brings into his life is something he never wants to miss out on. "She makes me laugh very, very hard," he said. "She’s a hilarious person. It would be a loss if we weren’t in contact, for me personally. And I’d like to think the same for her."
For more on Aniston and her love life, check out Jennifer Aniston Shared the One Thing She'd Never Do in a Relationship.
Theroux believes a connection between two people doesn't need end when a romantic relationship does.
Joe Seer / ShutterstockThe Leftovers actor explained further how he views continuing to love another person once the romantic aspect of their relationship is over.
"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," he said. "Who wants to take a s*** while you’re walking out the door?"
While Theroux pointed out that he and Aniston "don’t talk every day," he said, "We call each other. We FaceTime. We text." And, as fans of Theroux and Aniston know, there are also Instagram birthday posts.
For many more exes who remain on good terms, check out 48 Celebrity Exes Who Are Best Friends Now.
Even their statement about divorcing was about friendship.
justintheroux/InstagramTheroux and Aniston's February 2018 statement announcing their split said a lot about their relationship, too.
"In an effort to reduce any further speculation, we have decided to announce our separation," their statement read in part (via Us Weekly). "This decision was mutual and lovingly made at the end of last year. We are two best friends who have decided to part ways as a couple, but look forward to continuing our cherished friendship."
For more on famous pairs, check out 12 Beloved, Long-Term Celebrity Couples, Then and Now.
They have a ton of mutual friends.
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty ImagesThe Esquire feature also points out that Theroux and Aniston have a lot of mutual friends, one of whom, fellow actor Will Arnett, spoke to Esquire and praised Theroux and Aniston for having a "seamless" transition from their relationship to a friendship.
"It speaks volumes about both of them," Arnett said. "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."
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Aniston previously said she feels her marriages have been "very successful."
Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.comWhile Aniston hasn't gone as far in depth about her current friendship with Theroux in interviews as he has, she has opened up about the divorce.
In a 2018 interview with Elle, Aniston reflected on her marriages to both Theroux and Brad Pitt, explaining that just because the marriages ended that doesn't mean they weren't successful.
"My marriages, they’ve been very successful, in [my] personal opinion," she said. "And when they came to an end, it was a choice that was made because we chose to be happy, and sometimes happiness didn’t exist within that arrangement anymore."
For more on Aniston's relationships, check out Jennifer Aniston Says This Is Her Biggest Regret About Brad Pitt.
