Jennifer Aniston Shares Rare Details About Her 'Vulnerable' Period After Divorce from Brad Pitt

"The Morning Show" actress touched on the media storm that followed the split and the lasting impact it had on her relationship with fame and privacy.

Jennifer Aniston is revisiting the period following her 2005 divorce from Brad Pitt, a chapter of her life that unfolded under an intense public gaze. In a new interview, she reflects on the vulnerability she felt at the time.

Nearly two decades ago, ahead of the release of her film "Derailed," Aniston welcomed Vanity Fair writer Leslie Bennetts into her Malibu beach house. It was her first major interview after her split from Pitt.

"I haven't looked at that article in forever. I just remember the experience of doing it — which was kind of jarring. It was also such a vulnerable time. But yeah, that was one for the memoirs," she noted.

The article is a snapshot of the actress's life when she was navigating heartbreak in the full glare of the spotlight. She recalled, "Journalism back then felt more like a form of a sport. There's obviously some PTSD we all have."

The 2005 profile, titled "The Unsinkable Jennifer Aniston," captured her optimism and resilience but also contained personal reflections on her breakup and Pitt's relationship with Angelina Jolie.

These details ignited a tabloid frenzy, fueling the celebrity gossip boom of the mid-2000s, which has since made Aniston more cautious about giving interviews. She worries that her words could be misinterpreted or taken out of context, with even a single phrase having the potential to spark unwanted headlines.

The 2005 period became defined by what Aniston calls "the love triangle," a storyline devoured by gossip blogs and magazines such as Dlisted and Perez Hilton, in the absence of daytime soap operas.

For Aniston, the experience was deeply personal. She likened the treatment to being built up only to be torn down, at times feeling like a piñata for public entertainment. When asked how she got through it all, she replied, "Just pick yourself up by the bootstraps and keep on walking, girl."

Still, Aniston admitted she didn't have the emotional armor then to remain unaffected, pointing out that celebrities are often denied the grace of being seen as human. In her view, no one truly signs up for the level of intrusion that period brought. Therefore, while she has moved forward, the memories remain etched in her personal and professional story.

Back then, in the months following her separation from Brad Pitt, Aniston lived under intense scrutiny, retreating to a modest rental where she tried to navigate the emotional toll of the breakup. While the split itself was difficult, the relentless media circus that followed proved even more overwhelming.

She faced a barrage of headlines about Pitt and unfounded rumors about her own life, all while being pursued by paparazzi determined to capture her every moment. Photographers stationed themselves on the beach outside her home, invading her privacy and making it nearly impossible to find peace in her own space.

At the time, she revealed, "I haven't been feeling emotional lately, really I haven't." Still, beneath the surface, she was struggling. Adding to the heartache of her marriage ending were sensationalized tabloid claims that the split was due to her refusal to have children. The actress was portrayed as overly ambitious and consumed by her career.

The narrative was especially painful for her, as she had envisioned spending that year starting a family, not enduring such public scrutiny. Instead, she found herself confronted with false, deeply misogynistic rumors that reduced her worth to outdated stereotypes, intensifying the pain.

"A man divorcing would never be accused of choosing career over children. That really pissed me off. I've never in my life said I didn't want to have children. I did and I do and I will!" she declared.

Aniston added that the women she looks up to are those who manage to balance both successful careers and motherhood, a combination she has always admired.

The actress questioned why she would ever want to limit herself. She explained that she had always dreamed of having children and would never sacrifice that experience for the sake of her career. "I want it all," she proclaimed.

Furthermore, those close to Aniston defended her, pointing out that Pitt could have made more effort to shut down the cruel rumor that she refused to have his children.

In their view, his silence allowed the narrative to take hold, fueling the idea that he had reason to leave her for Jolie, whose public image at the time leaned heavily into motherhood. To some, this came across as blatant hypocrisy.

With the flood of outrageous headlines that followed her split, Aniston admitted in 2008 that the end of her marriage was not as catastrophic as it was made out to be.

"I mean, look, it's not like divorce is something that you go, 'Oooh, I can't wait to get divorced!' It doesn't feel like a tickle. But I've got to tell you, it's so vague at this point, it's so faraway in my mind, I can't even remember the darkness," she said.

She added that despite the media's portrayal of hostility, the split had been amicable. There was no animosity or drama, and the narratives suggesting they were forbidden from speaking to each other were entirely untrue.

Not long after their separation, she and Pitt had a long conversation, addressing what needed to be said, and since then they had maintained a warm and respectful relationship.

Aniston also acknowledged, "Whoever said everything has to be forever, that's setting your hopes too high. It's too much pressure. And I think if you put that pressure on yourself—because I did! Fairy tale! It has to be the right one!—that's unattainable."

Pitt also addressed his marriage to Jennifer Aniston at the time, admitting that part of the reason it ended was his sense that he was not leading an interesting life. He acknowledged that he had been trying to convince himself the relationship was something it was not.

However, when his remarks gained widespread attention, Pitt's rep, Justin Theroux, released a statement from the actor, saying, "It grieves me that this was interpreted this way. Jen is an incredibly giving, loving, and hilarious woman who remains my friend. It is an important relationship I value greatly."

He continued, "The point I was trying to make is not that Jen was dull, but that I was becoming dull to myself—and that, I am responsible for."

Meanwhile, in 2018, following her divorce from her second husband, Justin Theroux, Aniston reflected on her marriages, describing them as successful in her view. "When they came to an end, it was a choice that was made because we chose to be happy, and sometimes happiness didn’t exist within that arrangement anymore," she noted.

While there had been challenges and less-than-perfect moments, the actress believed life was too short to remain in a marriage out of fear, whether fear of being alone or of not being able to cope. To her, staying in a union for such reasons would be doing a disservice to oneself.

The 56-year-old emphasized that when both partners have invested in the relationship and it still shows no signs of working, walking away is not a failure. Instead, she felt society's clichéd views on marriage and divorce needed to be rethought and broadened.