Jennifer Aniston has for long been America’s pinnacle of glamour and fashion lexicon. The actress who made her breakthrough with the NBC sitcom, Friends, etched herself as a household name with a brilliant portrayal of Rachel Green. The most defining part of her character was the on-screen, on-and-off romance with Ross Geller, played by David Schwimmer. Their iconic love story made its way into fans’ hearts and still stands as a beloved pop culture moment.

Along the lines of their on-screen fling, rumors long circulated since the show’s first season aired of the duo following suit off-screen. To further add to their “history,” Aniston’s 2003 interview with Oprah Winfrey brings out some unraveled emotions.

Jennifer Aniston once broke down while reflecting on David Schwimmer

The first season of Friends aired in 1994 and, a decade later, the last aired in 2004. Giving countless laughs and gags, the show left a lasting testament of love and its eventual fulfillment with Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer’s character arcs. With a ten-year-long history of being romantically paired on-screen, the duo shared a lot of screen time. Thus, the Rachel Green actress could hardly hold back her emotions when Oprah Winfrey asked her about Schwimmer during their farewell interview. “We have a lot of history,” acknowledged the actress.

“I can be really honest with David and speak my mind,” she added before crumbling down to tears. The entire cast was meeting the talk show host and expressing their feelings about one another. While Aniston spoke past Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox, she broke down on Schwimmer, or “Shcwimy Schwimster,” as she addressed him. The pair had also confessed to having mutual crushes on one another during a 2021 reunion episode.

Furthermore, along with fans and paparazzi, the Aniston-Schwimmer dating idea stayed with the duo even after the show ended.

From Rachel Green and Ross Geller, the Friends flame came close to reality

After confirming crushing on one another in the Friends reunion episode in 2021, the pair were equally quick to add that it never went past that. David Schwimmer dropped a bombshell when he admitted that “The first season, I had a major crush on Jen.” Taking the fandom off their feet, was Aniston’s reply, “It was reciprocated.” The special episode that aired after nearly eighteen years of the show cemented fan theories that the duo’s chemistry on-screen did have some base off the cameras.

However, despite the hype, the love stood unrequited. Schwimmer added that despite having crushes, they were “like two ships passing because one of us was always in a relationship.” The pair’s Central Perk kissing scene back in season two of the show had their feelings make their way onto the show. Something which Aniston admitted was a “bummer”. Regardless, as much as fans would have wanted to see it happen, their love sailed past one another.

What do you think of Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer’s pair on Friends? Let us know in the comments below.