Jennifer Aniston is opening up about her difficult childhood. The Friends star, who just turned 51, spoke about her growing up feeling “unsafe” in a new interview with Sandra Bullock for Interview Magazine.
Sandra, 55, said to the Friends star, “You really have a way of pushing joy and positivity. You do that in your work, but you also do it so effortlessly with everyone you allow into your home and into your life. Anyone who has the honor of being in your home and in your life doesn’t want to leave because it’s safe, it’s emotional, it’s joyous.”
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Sandra asked, “What is it that allows you to stay buoyant and keep from getting discouraged when things don’t go the right way?”
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Jennifer replied, “First of all, that was the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.” Then, she explained how she thinks her childhood affected the way she decided to lead her adult life.
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She said, “I think that it comes from growing up in a household that was destabilized and felt unsafe, watching adults being unkind to each other, and witnessing certain things about human behavior that made me think: ‘I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to be [like] that. I don’t want to experience this feeling I’m having in my body right now. I don’t want anyone else that I ever come in contact with ever to feel that.’”
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The Morning Show star added, “So I guess I have my parents to thank. You can either be angry or be a martyr, or you can say, ‘You’ve got lemons? Let’s make lemonade.’”
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Jennifer’s parents, John Aniston and Nancy Dow, split when she was a child. They were both actors. John joined Days Of Our Lives in 1985 and has appeared continuously since.
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Nancy and Jennifer were reportedly estranged for years after Nancy published a book about their relationship called
From Mother and Daughter to Friends: A Memoir in 1999. They reconciled after
Jen’s 2005 divorce from Brad Pitt.
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Jennifer
said at the time, “It's been really nice. It's crazy what, you know, your life kind of being turned upside down will lead you to. … For us it's … it was the time, and it was going to happen when it was supposed to happen. So this is good. It's baby steps.” Nancy died in 2016.
Sandra asked, “What is it that allows you to stay buoyant and keep from getting discouraged when things don’t go the right way?”
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Jennifer replied, “First of all, that was the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.” Then, she explained how she thinks her childhood affected the way she decided to lead her adult life.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
She said, “I think that it comes from growing up in a household that was destabilized and felt unsafe, watching adults being unkind to each other, and witnessing certain things about human behavior that made me think: ‘I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to be [like] that. I don’t want to experience this feeling I’m having in my body right now. I don’t want anyone else that I ever come in contact with ever to feel that.’”
Photo credit: INSTARImages
The Morning Show star added, “So I guess I have my parents to thank. You can either be angry or be a martyr, or you can say, ‘You’ve got lemons? Let’s make lemonade.’”
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Jennifer’s parents, John Aniston and Nancy Dow, split when she was a child. They were both actors. John joined Days Of Our Lives in 1985 and has appeared continuously since.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Nancy and Jennifer were reportedly estranged for years after Nancy published a book about their relationship called
From Mother and Daughter to Friends: A Memoir in 1999. They reconciled after
Jen’s 2005 divorce from Brad Pitt.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Jennifer
said at the time, “It's been really nice. It's crazy what, you know, your life kind of being turned upside down will lead you to. … For us it's … it was the time, and it was going to happen when it was supposed to happen. So this is good. It's baby steps.” Nancy died in 2016.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
