Justin Theroux has just candidly opened up about his divorce from Jennifer Aniston

Including a little on the reason why, ultimately, they broke up

(Image credit: Jason Merritt)

Including a little on the reason why, ultimately, they broke up

Everyone's already talking about the Friends reunion show, set to air on HBO Max seventeen years after the original show aired.

And this week, Jennifer Aniston's ex husband Justin Theroux has spoken candidly about their break up and subsequent divorce for the first time since they split.

Speaking to Esquire magazine, he shared: “Like it or not, we didn’t have that dramatic split, and we love each other."

This also comes during a week where it's been reported Jennifer is considering adopting a baby girl—although whether these rumours are true are yet to be confirmed.

Justin and Jennifer went their separate ways in 2018 after seven years together. Details about why have never really been shared - until now.

When they split, reporters shared that it was over a disagreement in living location. They said at the time that Justin wished to live in New York, whereas Jen was more keen to stay in LA.

Touching on those reports, Justin shared: “That’s a narrative that is not true, for the most part. 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.”

Despite the break up, he also went to to say that they have 'remained friends' - no, they don't talk every day, but they do 'call [or] FaceTime each other' semi regularly to catch up.

The same is thought to be true of Jennifer and Brad Pitt, who started dating in 1998 and split in 2005. They recently started working together for the first time since the split, who joined forces for a virtual live table read of Fast Times at Ridgemont High in August last year.

They were joined by a number of Hollywood stars including Julia Roberts, Matthew McConaughey, Shia LaBeouf, Morgan Freeman, Henry Golding, Dane Cook and Sean Penn.

But back to Justin, who shares that he's 'sincere when [he] say[s] that [he] cherish[es] [their] friendship'. “We can not be together and still bring each other joy and friendship," he shared. "Also, she makes me laugh very, very hard. 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.”

Sweet.

Ally Head
Senior Health, Sustainability and Relationships Editor

Ally Head is Marie Claire UK's Senior Health, Sustainability, and Relationships Editor, nine-time marathoner, and Boston Qualifying runner. Day-to-day, she works across site strategy, features, and e-commerce, reporting on the latest health updates, writing the must-read health and wellness content, and rounding up the genuinely sustainable and squat-proof gym leggings worth *adding to basket*. She's won a BSME for her sustainability work, regularly hosts panels and presents for events like the Sustainability Awards, and saw nine million total impressions on the January 2023 Wellness Issue she oversaw. Follow Ally on Instagram for more or get in touch.