Jennifer Aniston and Selena Gomez's friendship is what every Friends fan dreams about. As a child, the Disney star fangirled over Rachel Green as well. Years later, Gomez would first run into her idol in the bathroom at a Vanity Fair party. The singer said she was there trying to calm her nerves — anxious because "nobody knew who she was." Since the two have the same manager, it didn't take long for them to formally meet. It's almost instant, how they became close friends from then on.

Despite their 23-year age gap, the Come & Get It singer and Good Morning America star share a genuine connection. It's not your typical publicity stunt friendship. Gomez would even visit Aniston's house for pizza nights. But that bond was almost ruined in 2018. That year, the 52-year-old actress announced her divorce from Justin Theroux after seven years of being together. Rumors were that shortly after the split, Theroux became romantically involved with the Hands to Myself singer. Here's what really happened.

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What Led To Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux's Divorce

Aniston and Theroux met on the set of Wanderlust in 2010. They began dating in 2011 and tied the knot four years later. In February 2018, a rep for the ex-couple released a statement about the divorce: "We have decided to announce our separation. 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." The civil split was quickly marred with speculations that the two had a far more dramatic reason for parting ways. In the last years, many believed that they broke up because they wanted to live in different places.

Theroux recently shut the rumors down. "That's a narrative that is not true, for the most part," he 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." It did seem like he was dodging the subject, but his ex-wife recently proved that they're indeed on good terms. On August 10, 2021, the Mulholland Drive actor turned 50. Aniston sent her wishes via Instagram — she shared a few candid photos of him, one captioned with "Truly one of a kind, LOVE YOU"

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Selena Gomez Reportedly Dated Justin Theroux Post-Divorce

Gomez started hanging out with Aniston in 2014. So fans thought the singer would be there to comfort the actress during her divorce. But back then, tabloids made it seem like the opposite happened. In April 2018, it was reported that The Leftovers actor and Wolves singer were "more than friends". At first, the two were said to be exchanging "flirtatious" text messages. Rumors escalated when they were spotted having lunch with other A-listers in New York City. "It was kind of an open secret that Justin was sweet on Selena when he and Jen hung out with her," an insider told Radar Online.

"To be fair they did get on well but he's asking for major trouble by trying to hang out with her so soon after his and Jen's split," they added. Another source revealed that Aniston was "furious" about the news. In May 2018, word got out that she confronted Gomez about the matter. "Jennifer called her to ask why she had been hanging out with Justin, because she felt betrayed," the source said. "She has been close to Selena for a few years and has taken her under her wing. But Jen has clearly been offended, which really affected Selena." The insider clarified that the We're the Millers star was only upset at the headlines, not at the singer.

Back in 2016, the media also attacked Gomez for her Instagram photo with another ex of Aniston's. Captioned "Just discussing #TheBigShort," fans thought the singer was getting "too close" with Brad Pitt at the Golden Globes afterparty. But it was just as innocent as the singer's friendship with Theroux. As it turned out, Pitt's children are huge fans of Gomez's music. It was more of a fanboy father moment for the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star.

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The Truth About Jennifer Aniston's Friendship With Selena Gomez Today

In 2020, the Baila Conmigo singer appeared on The Ellen Show. At that time, the Along Came Polly actress was tasked as a sub for Ellen Degeneres. It certainly didn't seem like the 2018 rumors broke down their friendship. Their smiles were proof that they've remained good friends. The atmosphere felt like that time Aniston gushed about the singer in 2014 saying, "She's just like a little cherub that I feel like I wanna take care of... She's been extremely supportive and wonderful."

Gomez also has tremendous respect for the Cake star. In 2016 she said, "She's [Aniston] been such an idol in my life from as early as I can remember, so it's cool to see how well she's handled herself." The singer also said that the actress is like a "sweet" and "cool" mentor who gives her "maternal advice." She's Team Jen all the way.

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