21 Surprising Secrets That Reveal The Real Jennifer Aniston

Everyone believed actress Jennifer Aniston had the 'perfect life' when she married Brad Pitt. Her husband was the most desirable man in the world, she had directors willing to throw millions at her to star in their films, she was Rachel in Friends, which was the most popular TV show at the time, and she always looked like a Hollywood goddess whenever she appeared in public. But the fairytale didn't last very long, and when everything started to head south that's when the real cracks appeared.

For many years, the media has been very focused on 'poor Jen', as she appears unable to find true love despite two attempts at marriage and many long-term romances. Following her recent announcement that she will divorce husband number two, actor Justin Theroux, E! News reported, "They fell in love and their different lifestyles didn't matter because their love was so strong. But eventually, that caused them to grow apart and realize that being a couple didn't suit them. Justin didn't want to be a part of her world anymore."

Following interviews with her ex-partners, family members, and close insiders, it appears the 'real Jen' isn't quite what we think - proving that surely nobody can be that sweet and nice of all the time.

21 Was Her Entire Marriage To Justin Theroux A Fake?

The news that Jennifer and Justin were planning to divorce was enough of a shock for fans - then came the even more shocking revelation that they may not have been married in the first place. The Associated Press reported that the couple split but they are "determined to maintain the deep respect and love" they have for each other.

The couple married during a private ceremony in the garden at their Bel Air mansion where only close friends and family were on the guest list.

But following their divorce announcement, TMZ did some digging and they could not find the marriage license that would have made this union legal.

They claimed to have checked "all the way back to 2010" but there was no record. Will be an easy divorce if there was never any marriage in the first place.

20 There Was 'No Trace' Of Justin In Their Marital Home

Before they announced their divorce, Jennifer invited Architectural Digest into her luxury Bel Air mansion and it was quite obvious things were not right between them. The luxury home is currently up for sale with an asking price of $75 million, so any potential buyers will need to have a net worth of $200 million in the bank just to get a viewing appointment.

The tour of her home was supposed to feature the married couple together, which is why the team was surprised when they showed up and only Jen was there. A source told Daily Mail, "That was one of the most bizarre experiences for the editorial team. It soon became clear it was entirely her place and not his." They added, "There was barely anything showing that Justin resided there. There was hardly any photos of the happy couple, little trace of a man living there." Poor Justin.

19 Her Marriage To Brad Pitt Was Set Up Between Their Agents

In 1998, Jen and Brad Pitt met on a blind date that was set up by their agents. It was a match made in Hollywood heaven (on a personal and professional level) as both actors were reaching a peak in their careers. Jen was shooting season five of Friends and Brad was the man of the moment after starring in Seven and 12 Monkeys. 

Less than two years later, the sweethearts married in a wedding fit for the reigning king and queen of showbiz with the ceremony costing a staggering $1 million and more than 200 guests on the invite list.

Guests had to squeeze past the hoards of paparazzi gathered outside the private Malibu mansion to catch every A-lister in Hollywood attending the event.

Both their agents got it right as they were the "golden couple of Hollywood."

18 Did She Play The 'Victim' In The Brad Pitt And Angelina Jolie Scandal?

Five years after their dream wedding, Jen and Brad split following a string of arguments about juggling family life and their careers. The New York Daily News reported, "Jen and Brad split, now they're just friends. The reasons they gave were due to their difficult schedules and disagreement on whether or not to have children." They made an official announcement on January 7th, 2005.

Six months later, Brad had clearly fallen for his Mr. and Mrs. Smith co-star Angelina Jolie and the rest is showbiz history. When the news first broke about Brangelina, the narrative came across like Jen had been left broken-hearted when Brad ditched her for the man-eater, Angelina. She told Vanity Fair, "Am I lonely? Yes. Am I upset? Yes. Am I confused? Yes. Do I have my days when I've thrown a little pity party for myself? Absolutely." But there was no foul play really as she and Brad had already split months earlier.

17 Brad Pitt Basically Said She Was Boring

Brad knows Jen better than anyone - or at least he did. Apparently, everyone's favorite comedy actress isn't that much of a hoot behind closed doors as he opened up about their less-than-perfect marriage to Parade magazine. The Fight Club actor revealed, "It became very clear to me that I was so intent on trying to find a movie about an interesting life, but I wasn't living an interesting life myself."

He continued, "I think that my marriage (to Jen) had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn't."

Ouch! Talk about telling it how it is. When Brad hooked up with Angelina, the couple were spotted in Cambodia riding around on scooters together without a care in the world - clearly enjoying the carefree life he was craving.

16 She Stole The Role Of Rachel From Courtney Cox

We couldn't imagine any playing the main cast of Friends other than the famous six, but things could have been very different. Way back in 1994, Courteney Cox auditioned to play Rachel Green before she lost out on the role to Jen. Even though playing Monica was her second choice, Cox said she just felt "fortunate" to be part of the show no matter what the role.

Co-creator Marta Kauffman also wanted Cox for the role, and if she did land the part then it would have meant a much "darker" Rachel for everyone. She told Vanity Fair, "We originally offered Rachel to Courteney Cox. When we originally wrote the role, we had Janeane Garofalo's (American standup comedian) voice in our head. Darker and edgier and snarkier, and Courteney brought a whole bunch of other colors to it." Still, there was no bad blood as the two actresses are still BFFs for life.

15 Even Though Her Films Are A Flop - She Still Demands Millions

Late last year, it was revealed that Jen still makes more money than almost any other actress in Hollywood. That year alone she banked $25.5 million, which put her in second place on Forbes' annual list of the world's highest-paid actresses in the world - she was only beat by Emma Stone.

Jen can still command the big bucks for her movies even though she hasn't had that much success at the box office or with critics lately.

Office Christmas Party scored only 41% on the critic website Rotten Tomatoes.

Mother's Day co-starring Julia Roberts scored 6% and took just $48 million at the box office compared to a $25 million budget. Horrible Bosses 2 was supposed to be one of her most promising films but that scored just 34%. Hollywood just won't stop throwing money at her.

14 She Revealed She Was A 'Goth Nightmare' In School

Jen hasn't always been the bubbly, blonde, tanned California-loving goddess she is today, as she admitted during her high school days she was a "goth nightmare." She told People magazine, "High school was tragic. Just not well informed. You know, you're experimenting. It was the '80s and I looked like a goth nightmare." Jen attended Manhattan's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. 

Even though she's made a name for herself being as one of the most desirable women on the planet, during her teenage years she purposefully wanted to look a wreck. She added, "I wasn't going for the most beautiful. It was, 'How can I be the most rebelliously unattractive?'" She has clearly grown out of this phase and for the better.

13 Does She Call The Paparazzi On Herself?

After splitting from Brad, Jen co-starred in The Break Up with Vince Vaughn and the two quickly fell for each other. The relationship didn't last long, as the comedy actor said Jen was "great" but he was tired of all the paparazzi attention she gets. He told Playboy magazine,

"For me personally, I never enjoyed the paparazzi side of (the relationship)."

"You like someone and you're spending time with them; that's separate and that was all fine. But I really spent most of that time finding ways not to be drawn into the attention."

Brad also complained about how much paparazzi attention his ex-wife commanded, as he told Parade magazine, "It wigged me out a bit. I started to get sick of myself sitting on a couch… hiding out. It started feeling pathetic."

12 Her Own Mother Cut Her Out Of Her Will

Jen always had a close relationship with her mother, Nancy Dow, until she wrote a tell-all book about her famous daughter, From Mother To Daughter To Friend: A Memoir. Then Jen fired back, as she revealed, "(She) was very critical of me. Because she was a model, she was gorgeous, stunning. I wasn't. I never was. She was also very unforgiving."

Nancy didn't even get an invite to both of Jen's weddings to Brad and Justin, so she canceled her daughter out of the family will before she passed in 2016. The news came as shock for the Mother's Day actress, as In Touch Weekly revealed, "(Nancy) changed her will about a year (before her death) and no one in the family knew a thing about it."

11 She HATES The Haircut That Made Her A Huge Star

In 1995, Jen's volumized haircut 'The Rachel' first made its debut on Friends, turning her from sitcom actress to household name and style icon. Thousands of women and girls ran to the nearest hair salon to beg for the exact same style. Even Victoria's Secret models walked the runway with 'The Rachel' and Tyra Banks revealed the $3 Million Dollar Dream Bra with the signature bob.

The truth is - she hates it and called it "ugly". She finally confessed to Glamour magazine,

"I was not a fan of 'The Rachel.' That was kind of cringe-y for me." She added, "I think it was the ugliest haircut I've ever seen." 

So what hairstyle would she prefer? "Long, natural-looking beachy waves. That feels most like me," she told Glamour.

10 She Also Can't Stand The Friends Theme Song

The Rembrandts' I'll Be There For You is one of the most well-known and loved TV theme songs of all time. The only person who won't be enjoying the nostalgia is Jen as, just like 'The Rachel', it's another thing about the show that she can't stand anymore. She revealed on BBC's The One Show, "No one was really a big fan of that theme song. We (the main cast members) felt it was a little… I don't know. Dancing in a pond? A fountain felt sort of odd. But we did it."

She might in the future want to do a better job of it herself as she mentioned being a director is something that would interest her. She added, "Being in front of the camera for so many years, you start to realize you've collected so much information and knowledge about it and how much fun that would be to step out from in front of the camera and go behind and see what you can do."

9 She Keeps Her Royal Heritage Out Of The Press

Jennifer Aniston's real name is Jennifer Joanna Anastassakis but her family changed her last name so it was easier to pronounce.

According to the website NY Blueprint, her mother, Nancy Dow, is a direct descendant of the royal House of Stuart of Scotland - something which Jen hasn't acknowledged in any interviews before, likely due to her estranged relationship with her mother.

Jen herself was born in Sherman Oaks, California. Her father is the actor John Aniston who is most famous for his role as Victor Kiriakis on the NBC daytime drama series Days of Our Lives but also appeared in smaller roles on Gilmore Girls, My Big Fat Greek Life, Star Trek: Voyager, and Mad Men. It's obvious that the search for the spotlight runs in the family blood.

8 She Has A Dark Jealous Side

There are many who have speculated over why Jen and Justin called it quits and one source revealed it was due to her jealous side. Life & Style magazine revealed "her jealousy and his flirty relationships with other women" was the reason the couple is now heading to divorce court. The source added, "He's a classic ladies' man and flirt, and it has always driven her up the wall."

Justin told Mastermind Magazine that he won't "lose any sleep" over the rumors about his flirtatious behavior. He stated, "I've stopped caring about what other people think of me. I just keep working, which is the only thing you can do. So, when someone I've never met in my life comes up to me and asks me a personal question, I say 'I don't know what you're talking about.' I don't lose any sleep over it."

7 She Makes Some Very Bad Career Decisions (Like The 'Awful' Emirates Ad)

She might be one of the highest paid actresses in the world but Jen needs to have a word with her casting agent. She appeared in an ad for Emirates airlines and people called it "the snobbiest ad ever."

The advert stars a panicked Jen who has just woke from a nightmare where she was on a flight that - gasp - didn't have a cocktail bar or a shower.

Air Stewardess Jennie Jordan told the Mail Online, "Oh, Jennifer what were you thinking? You were always my favorite Friend. But what possessed you to star in the new Emirates advert?" Another angered fan tweeted, "Good luck finding a shower in economy class in Emirates. All I usually find is cramped conditions, bad food, and poor service." Clearly, the tongue-in-cheek tone of the ad was not for everyone.

6 She's So Scared Of Internet Trolls She Won't Leave The House

Jen isn't the best with technology and she has previously admitted that she's so frightened of internet trolls she locks herself in the house. When you are one of the most famous women on the planet, there is always going to be people having an opinion about you and your work - but she doesn't want to hear any of it.

The notorious recluse told The Express, "You do the best you can but it feels like it's getting worse and very nasty because of bullying on the internet. Even movie critics don't just comment on the film, they tear people apart on a human level." She added, "I don't know why that is happening but it is… we just stay home so there really isn't anything to report." We know it's tough when having to face all that criticism but locking yourself away isn't the answer, Jen.

5 She 'Hates' New York And Will Never Leave L.A.

Jen was born and raised in California and aside from Central Perk being like her second home on Friends, in reality, she can't stand New York. Justin was born in Washington D.C. but his heart is truly in the Big Apple, but, unfortunately, his then-wife was reluctant to ever move there.

According to Page Six, the couple's arguments over which coast had a better quality of life had "doomed their marriage."

An insider revealed, "Jennifer is more comfortable in Los Angeles with her close-knit group of friends, but Justin doesn't feel as at home in LA, nor with Jennifer's friends, he loves New York and the edgier crowd in the city." Marriages are all about compromise, but, for Jen, she's staying in her home state no matter what.

4 She Split From John Mayer Because He Used Twitter Too Much

Jen and singer John Mayer were an unusual pairing from the beginning, and in less than a year of dating, they had split several times. John is a known serial dater who has previously hooked up with Katy Perry, Jennifer Love-Hewitt, and Jessica Simpson. The odd couple finally decided to call it quits and close friends to the actress revealed to Star magazine it was because of his excessive social media use.

The source said, "John suddenly stopped calling her or returning her emails and when she would finally catch up with him, he'd say: 'I've been so busy with work. I'm sorry I haven't had time to call you back." They continued, "Jen was fuming. There he was, telling her he didn't have time for her and yet his page was filled with Twitter updates."

3 She Didn't Invite Matthew Perry Or Matt LeBlanc To Her Wedding

The cast of Friends has always claimed they are seriously close - even 14 years after the show ended. However, in reality, things proved something different when both Matthew Perry and Matt Le Blanc were not invited to Jen and Justin's wedding. During a press event in L.A, the Joey actor told reporters, "I think they're a great couple. I think she's happy. And that's all I care about is that Jen's happy. If she wanted me there, I would have been there."

When Matthew Perry was asked why he didn't attend, he told People in typical Chandler deadpan style, "I wasn't invited. So what can you do?" Adding, "It was a surprise to me as well. They're a lovely couple, and I'm happy for them."

Maybe things aren't as rosy as they would like us to think?

2 She Unfairly Mocked A Woman On SNL Who Was Mentally Unstable

Back in the late '90s, when Jen was dating Brad, his stalker, Athena Marie Rolando, had shockingly climbed inside his Hollywood Hills home. Police found the stalker asleep in the actor's bed whilst wearing his clothes. She was arrested and placed on three years probation instead, with the conditions that she attends psychological counseling sessions for at least a year. It was quite clear the woman suffered from mental illness but that didn't stop Jen from mocking her during a comedy sketch on Saturday Night Live.

According to Justin, his soon-to-be ex-wife was always quite the comedian. He told Loaded magazine, "It's a laugh a minute. When we get on a run, it's pretty fun. There's been a couple of times when she has brought me to my knees laughing and me her."

1 She Is Always On The Rebound

Jen is one of those stars that appears to always be on the rebound. It's rare she spends anytime enjoying being single as she moves onto the next guy pretty fast. Funnyman, Paul Rudd could be considered her 'first love' when the pair started dating in 1998 after meeting on set. After they split, she quickly moved on to Brad Pitt and she was the real winner in this rebound. Sadly it was not meant to be and shortly after her divorce, she hooked up with her The Break-Up co-star, Vince Vaughn.

Then there was British model Paul Schulfor, followed by her on-again-off-again romance with John Mayer, then a leap over to her The Bounty Hunter co-star Gerard Butler before she met her future (now ex) husband Justin Theroux in 2011.

With a pending divorce on the cards, it will be interesting to see who she will date next…