Jennifer Aniston shot back at assumptions that she sacrificed her chance to be a mother for her acting career in her new cover story for The Hollywood Reporter.
The 52-year-old star of The Morning Show blasted people who opine about her life without knowing anything about her 'personal' or 'medical' history in the profile, which was published Wednesday.
Aniston also delved into her refusal to give in to victimhood like her late mother and lightened up a bit while gushing about her new-found love of pasta and acceptance of carbohydrates.
Setting the record straight: Jennifer Aniston, 52, fought back against critics who assume she gave up on the idea of children to further her career for the cover of The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment issue
The actress has been an in-demand star since her massively popular run on Friends in the 1990s and 2000s, but that has left her fans and critics feeling comfortable enough to make unwarranted assumptions about her private life.
Aniston admitted that 'people certainly project onto you,' but she said her 'job' was to 'show you what I’m capable of, and you decide if you want to subscribe.'
'I used to take it all very personally — the pregnancy rumors and the whole “Oh, she chose career over kids” assumption,' she said.
'It’s like, “You have no clue what’s going with me personally, medically, why I can’t … can I have kids?” They don’t know anything,' she continued, calling the rampant speculation 'hurtful' and 'just nasty.'
The interviewer, Lacey Rose, cued Aniston up by recalling a conversation she had with Gloria Steinem about women's value being assessed based on whether or not they're married and have had children.
'She said, "I guess we’re in deep s***,"' Aniston recounted with a laugh, though she noted that some public figure like Dolly Parton somehow escape being defined by men or children.
Out of their depth: 'I used to take it all very personally — the pregnancy rumors and the whole “Oh, she chose career over kids” assumption,' she said, adding they have 'no clue' about her 'personally' or 'medically'
Double standard: She called the rampant speculation 'hurtful' and 'just nasty,' while pointing out how men aren't defined by marriage or children
'No one’s tried to put her in a white picket fence,' she said.
The Horrible Bosses actress pointed out the 'double standard' that many men benefit from.
'Men can be married as many times as they want to, they can marry [younger] women in their 20s or 30s. Women aren’t allowed to do that,' she said.
Aniston also responded to Matt Damon's contention that too much publicity can make audiences less interested in seeing an actor on the big screen.
She called it a 'fine line to walk' to maintain an air of 'mystery' while still living her life.
The pandemic had made it easier for the We're The Millers actress to disengage, as she dealt more with 'agoraphobia' now.
'I used to be like, “Let’s go to dinner,” and now I’m like, “No, let’s not. Come over, come over, come over.”'
The Emmy Award winner claimed she had only been to about five different restaurants since the start of the pandemic, and she liked to stick with those establishments because they required proof of vaccination to enter.
'You know, someone literally called me a “liberal Vax-hole” the other day. I don’t understand the disconnect right now, being bullied for wanting people not to be sick? I mean, that’s what we’re talking about,' she said.
Taking her own path: Aniston said her late mother Nancy Dow sat 'comfortably in victimhood' and said it was an example of 'what I'd never want to be'
When she was quizzed about she avoided the kind of 'public breakdown' that has harmed the careers of other women entertainers like Britney Spears, Jennifer shared the painful example of her strained relationship with her mother.
She attributed her resilience to a 'godsend of support — just so many evolved, positive people around me,' including friends mentioned earlier like
