Jennifer Aniston’s Father Lived 2 Hours from Her & Hoped She Would ‘Come Back to Him’ before His Death

• Goodbye "sweet papa," said Jennifer Aniston in a tribute post to her late dad.

• Her family has gone through years of hurt.

• Jennifer's father "hoped" to mend their fragile relationship before he passed.

• She revealed that she forgave him and her mom.

TV and movie star, Jennifer Aniston, endured a traumatic childhood because of her parents. Her mom and dad's marriage was a roller coaster ride, and the duo ultimately filed for divorce.

Actress Jennifer Aniston's "sweet papa" actor John Aniston died at age 89 and was survived by two kids, two grandchildren, and a wife.

His first child is his daughter Jennifer, and his youngest son is Alex Aniston. While the "Friends" alum does not have kids of her own, her half-brother is a dad to two children, Ryat and Kira, whom he shares with former girlfriend, and makeup artist Adriene Hallek.

Following the news of her dad's passing, Jennifer penned an emotional tribute to him on Instagram alongside throwback photos of the father-and-daughter duo.

The Emmy Award winner revealed that her father passed away on November 11, 2022. Jennifer expressed that she felt at ease that he departed peacefully:

"Sweet papa, John Anthony Aniston. You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew. I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace – and without pain. And on 11/11, no less! You always had perfect timing. That number will forever hold an even greater meaning for me now. I'll love you till the end of time."

Jennifer and John did not have an easy father-and-daughter relationship when she grew up. The pair were estranged for years because of his marriage to her mother, actress Nancy Dow.

John's Love Affair Destroyed His Marriage with Dow

Jennifer was only nine years old when her father walked out on her and her mother. She came home one day only to find him gone without saying goodbye.

The Los Angeles native was way too young to make sense of the situation, and little did she know that John had split with her mom. Young Jennifer was unsure whether she would ever see her dad again.

In December 2019, PressReader reported that the last time Jennifer saw her then-86-year-old father was at her 50th birthday party in February 2019. She did not make an effort to go and see him even though he only lived two hours away from her, said an insider at the time.

The source explained that whenever Jennifer feels "wronged" by someone, she takes it heavily and does not hesitate to isolate herself from them:

"When Jen's been wronged, she is very quick to cut people coldly and permanently."

John and Dow were married from 1965 to 1980 and only shared their daughter Jennifer. He later remarried another actress, Sherry Rooney, in 1984, and they remained husband and wife until his death.

The Greek native, who was popularly known for playing Victor Kiriakis on the soap opera, "Days of Our Lives," including his acting stint on "Search for Tomorrow," met his second wife on the set of "Love of Life."

John and Rooney's romance began as an affair that ultimately led to his divorce from Dow. The couple welcomed their one and only child together, Alex, who is Jennifer's half-brother.

Jennifer's resentment toward her father built up from childhood. When John was in his eighties, he feared that he would die without having mended his relationship with his daughter, an insider disclosed:

"He speaks to Jen occasionally but would like to re-establish a relationship with her before it's too late."

Moreover, Jennifer was also estranged from her mother, who cared more about looks and wanted her to present herself in a certain way. Dow was also a model and desired for her daughter to follow in her footsteps.

Such expectations made the "Just Go with It" star distance herself from her mother. Jennifer remained standoffish toward Dow until her last years – as she fixed their relationship before her passing from a stroke in Los Angeles in 2016.

In addition, a source revealed that she seldom speaks with her stepmother and stepbrother. Jennifer has even gone as far as living like her half-sibling is non-existent by keeping him out of the limelight. She never mentions him in interviews and has yet to be seen with him in public. The pair are different individuals. While she is a clean-cut Hollywood starlet, he is a "crust punk."

Jennifer Forgave Her Parents - It Was 'Important'

Before John died, he reportedly wanted to patch things up with his daughter to help her heal from her traumatic childhood. The television legend hinted that although the film producer seemed bubbly from the outside, she carried emotional scarring from her childhood, which was one of the reasons why he wanted to make things right with her.

Jennifer once revealed that her parents' divorce took its toll on her mother: "I think my mom's divorce really screwed her up." She explained that during that period, there was not much help for her mom, such as seeing a therapist to talk about daunting life experiences or "micro-dosing." The award-winning star alluded that her mother once picked her up with "tears" dripping down her face.

Jennifer divulged that she forgave both her parents for what they put her through as a child and explained the importance of forgiveness:

"I forgave my mom. I forgave my father. I've forgiven my family."

Jennifer stressed that it was "important" to let go of her childhood pain because it only resulted in toxicity. She emphasized that harping on the past made her resentful, adding she noticed how it ruined her mom as she held on to it for the longest time.

The Golden Globe award winner expressed gratitude to Dow for "showing me what never to be." One of the world's highest-paid stars said she had embraced the dark periods in her life because they molded her into the woman she is today.