Since Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux ended their two-year marriage in February, Theroux has remained relatively silent about the split. But in a recent interview with The New York Times, the actor finally opened up about what happened, and how he and Aniston are still “best friends.”
“The good news is that was probably the most—I’m choosing my words really carefully—it was kind of the most gentle separation, in that there was no animosity,” Theroux said.
He later added, “Again, neither one of us is dead, neither one of us is looking to throw hatchets at each other. It’s more like, it’s amicable. It’s boring, but, you know, we respected each other enough that it was as painless as it could be.”
Naturally, the split was still “heartbreaking,” — but “only in the sense that the friendship would not be the same, as far as just the day to day.”
Theroux continued, “But the friendship is shifting and changing, you know, so that part is something that we’re both very proud of.”
Aniston also recently discussed the breakup. “The misconceptions are ‘Jen can’t keep a man,’ and ‘Jen refuses to have a baby because she’s selfish and committed to her career.’ Or that I’m sad and heartbroken,” she said in an interview with InStyle. “First, with all due respect, I’m not heartbroken. And second, those are reckless assumptions.”
The former couple initially announced their split with a joint statement: “In an effort to reduce any further speculation, we have decided to announce our separation. This decision was mutual and lovingly made at the end of last year. We are two best friends who have decided to part ways as a couple, but look forward to continuing our cherished friendship. Normally we would do this privately, but given that the gossip industry cannot resist an opportunity to speculate and invent, we wanted to convey the truth directly. Whatever else is printed about us that is not directly from us, is someone else’s fictional narrative. Above all, we are determined to maintain the deep respect and love that we have for one another.”