Not many eyes were left dry when Friends ended in 2004. Neither viewers nor the cast had an easy time bidding farewell to one of the most memorable sitcom journeys of this era. However, for Jennifer Aniston, who was arguably the biggest star to emerge from it, the pain was doubled by the fact that her marriage with Brad Pitt was ending simultaneously. Caught between these two endings, one can only imagine the heavy heart she carried at the time. 

The Rachel Green star relayed her emotions years later and gave a surprisingly optimistic take on it all. 

Jennifer Aniston once revealed her bittersweet thoughts from that time

In an interview with Screen Rant from 2022, Jennifer Aniston opened her heart about that chapter of her life. With “the ending of Friends” and her “divorce” colliding, she confessed that she let go and simply “leaned into the end”. She was ready to “end everything” and “start new” with a “completely new chapter” now. According to the Murder Mystery star, “it worked great” eventually. 

She had gone “into therapy” and was working on a new project, The Break-up, riding into the sunset with a refreshed perspective. Although she struggled with moving on from her failed marriage for some time afterward, the Friends star did everything in her power to find her peace. From immersing herself in Budokon Yoga and throwing pity parties for herself, she did it all. 

As difficult as the relationship’s ending was, filming the Friends finale was no less emotional for Aniston. 

The BTS clip from Friends that showed Aniston’s sorrow

When Friends’ last episode aired, the question whether Rachel got off the plane was on everybody’s minds. That scene was the most undeniably heart-breaking, yet equally relieving as Aniston’s character ultimately came back and embraced Ross tightly. An uncut sequence from the scene’s shoot showed Aniston and David Schwimmer refusing to let go of each other even after the director yelled “cut“. 

The emotion-laden moment just goes to show how deep their dedication towards their show and love for each other was. Later, Aniston confessed they had feelings for each other, which they got to live out through the NBC show despite never dating each other in real life. Their genuine adoration for each other spilled through the lens and encapsulated the bond their on-screen personas will eternally share. 

What do you think of Aniston’s comments on that difficult time in her life? Share your thoughts in the comments.