Jennifer Aniston ‘Forgave’ Her Father For 'Walking Out' On Her As A Child

Apr 21, 2022 by apost team

After rising to fame as Rachel Green on the hit television sitcom “Friends,” Jennifer Aniston has been one of the most beloved actresses to grace the world of entertainment. The role earned Aniston a handful of awards, and it’s clear that her career has only taken off since her breakthrough. 

Between winning awards and constantly working, Aniston made sure to keep some time available in her personal life. She met and began dating fellow actor Brad Pitt in 1998, and their relationship instantly gained widespread media attention. They got married two years later and seemed to be happily in love. However, the couple shockingly announced they were going to end their marriage in 2005, and their divorce was finalized later that year.

Aniston didn’t give up on love, though, and in 2015, she married again. She and actor Justin Theroux started their relationship back in 2011 and got engaged the following year, before tying the knot in 2015. However, the couple separated at the end of 2017 and announced their divorce the following year.

Fortunately for Aniston, she has found some peace within her personal life over the years. She lives in a very “zen” filled home and has kept much of her private life out of the media aside from her previous relationships. On top of that, Aniston has stayed on a successful career trajectory and has also remained friends with her exes.

Aniston has also learned how to heal old wounds, such as by overcoming a toxic relationship with her father. Read on to find out more about their relationship over the years.

On the hit sitcom “Friends,” Aniston played the iconic role of Rachel Green. Her character went through plenty of personal ups and downs, especially when it came to relationships. Rachel had a rollercoaster relationship with Ross over the course of the series and at times had to work hard to make her friendships work. She also had to learn how to balance the dynamics of her parents' fresh divorce. In her real life, Aniston has also had to learn how to navigate a tricky parental relationship.

In just a few short months, Aniston has established herself as the new reigning queen of Instagram. Although she only joined the social network in October of 2020, the star has quickly amassed a major fanbase with over 26 million followers. She now has over 40.2 million followers.

Recently, she posted a throwback pic of her with her father John Aniston, star of “Days of our Lives.” What people may not be aware of, is that although the two are close once again, John once abandoned his daughter and didn't see her for a year afterwards. 

As the 50-year-old celebrity was celebrating the holidays, she managed to spark a little internet revelry with a sweet sepia-toned throwback photo. The touching image featured her as a young child with adorable tiny arms draped around her dad's neck.

Another picture was posted soon after showing the father-and-daughter duo in more recent years. Her caption was sweet and simple: "Christmas with one of my creators. Then and now... Love you, papa."

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While everything appears rosy and charming now, the road to this present state of grace was far from easy. John and Nancy Dow were living as a married couple from 1965 to 1980, which is when the “Days of Our Lives” star suddenly disappeared from Aniston’s life without warning. Dow was also caught off-guard and did her best to adjust as a newly single mother.

As a grown-up, the actress candidly opened up regarding the pain of her family relationships during childhood. According to a resurfaced interview with The Rolling Stone from 1999, Aniston’s recollection of the life-shattering event was as follows:

"My mom told me. I went to a birthday party, and when I came back, she said, 'Your father's not going to be around here for a little while.' She didn't say he was gone forever... I just remember sitting there crying, not understanding that he was gone."

Sadly, Aniston didn't hear a thing from her absentee dad for about a year, and she openly described the time without him as numb and confusing; however, the man known best for playing Victor Kiriakis eventually reappeared out of the blue.

As “The Morning Show” producer explained,

"He just called one day and said, 'Let's go see 'The Fantasticks.' So we had a little dinner and saw the show. After that, I started seeing him on weekends, and this new way of life just unfolded."

Over the years, Aniston was slowly able to learn more about her parent's traumatizing separation. At first, there was an unhealthy dynamic where she tried to be overly well-behaved as a way to potentially stave off the threat of being left again. This made it impossible for her to process a lot of anger until much later.

When asked if John ever attempted to make his decision clear, she revealed,

"Not at first. Like I said, he's not a good communicator... But, as best he could, my dad explained and apologized, and it's enough. We've made up. There are still parts that are hard for me, but I'm an adult. I can't blame my parents anymore."

The A-list headliner also once told The Hollywood Reporter that her dad did everything he could to try and discourage her entry into the world of acting.

"My dad's advice has always been: 'Don’t do it. Become a doctor. Become a lawyer.'"

Despite his words of warning, Aniston decided to give it a shot anyway, and she got her start by contacting John's agent directly. As a result, her father was tuned into her Hollywood career trajectory, but he maintained a hands-off approach as her concerned fatherly observer.

As Aniston explained, the cautionary admonishment actually backfired, but she knew it was coming from the right place: "He didn't want me to be heartbroken because he knew it was a tough business. It compelled me to go for it even harder."

According to the Daily Mail, a source close to Aniston said that she and her dad reconnected during the pandemic and began speaking on the phone “almost every day.” The source said, “Jen forave her father for walking out a long time ago.” They added, “It’s like she has realized life is very short and she wants her relationship with John to be the best it can be.”

Were you surprised to learn about Jen's relationship with her father? It goes to show you never know what pain someone may carry in their heart. Pass this story on to fans of Jen or anyone who may need to be reassured that rifts can be healed.