There have been talks about the actress's desire to become a mother for years, and now, it looks like it's going to happen after all.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on January 11, 2021. It has since been updated.
Jennifer Aniston is a huge star and she's likely to come across several rumors about her every day. However, there was a time when she was done with the news of her being pregnant doing the rounds in every tabloid while she married to now ex-husband Justin Theroux. Fed up, she herself came forward to put a stop to the rumors.
Back in 2016, the Friends star took to Huff Post and wrote, "For the record, I am not pregnant. What I am is fed up. I’m fed up with the sport-like scrutiny and body shaming that occurs daily under the guise of 'journalism,' the 'First Amendment' and 'celebrity news.'” She added, "We don’t need to be married or mothers to be complete."
In 2007, there were reports that Aniston had filed papers for adoption, with a close friend of the star telling OK! Magazine, "She is happier and more excited than she has ever been in her life," as reported by The Daily Mail.
"Jen has been thinking about adopting for a while. But after seeing Sheryl and her son, Wyatt, together, Jen didn't know why she was still waiting." She was dating former Essex brickie Paul Sculfor at the time. However, there were no further reports after that confirming the situation.
Before Theroux and Sculfor, the actress was preparing to have a baby with ex-husband Brad Pitt. Speaking to Guardian she had said, "It's time... I think you can work with a baby, I think you can work pregnant, I think you can do all of it." What she didn't expect was for Pitt to betray her and begin a life with his Mr. & Mrs. Smith co-star Angeline Jolie.
Now, looks like the 51-year-old Just Go With It star is finally ready to embrace motherhood. According to Closer Online, the actress has been single since her 2018 divorce from Theroux. Her get together with her girl gang last year on Sandra Bullock's 56th birthday, made her think about embracing motherhood. Bullock was also 51 when she adopted and became a single mother to daughter Laila, 9, in 2015, four years after bringing home son Louis, 11.
“Jen wanted to make the most of the rare opportunity of everyone being free to meet up amid the continued lockdown in LA. She instigated the celebration, which Sandra really appreciated – especially when she arrived with a chocolate cake from her favorite bakery!" a source revealed.
“After catching up on their news, the conversation naturally progressed on to Sandra’s two children, which prompted Jen to ask more questions around the adoption and the various stages after bringing the baby home.”
The publication had previously reported that Pitt was helping her through the adoption process but the actress felt like her girlfriends were a better shoulder to lean on to. The source also revealed, “Sandra’s been quietly encouraging her to press on, talking her through the emotional and practical side of things, and generally being there to advise."
"With two young children, Sandra has been through the process much more recently and is embracing motherhood in later life. It’s helped give Jen a fresh perspective, especially as a single parent."
“Sandra told her it would be hard work and challenging and said there’d be some huge changes, but insisted she had zero regrets and, if anything, was happy she chose to do it later in life as the timing was so right. Seeing how happy she is being a mum made Jen really excited for the future.”
Another source told Closer Online that Aniston has been considering adoption for a few years, but it was only during the lockdown that began in March last year, that the star "really started pushing through with the process which is now just months away from being finalized. She’s been told by her lawyers that she could be a mum by the spring, so long as everything goes to plan."
The pandemic slowed down the entire process a little bit but "having had friends go through it, Jen knows there are still a few hurdles to get over, but she’s remaining optimistic and has vowed to finally turn her dream into a reality.”
While Aniston is preparing to welcome her child, her Friends co-star Courteney Cox, who had her daughter Coco with her ex-husband David Arquette through IVF, is considering becoming a mother once again. The Scream star has been dating musician Johnny McDaid for seven years now and cannot wait to start a family with him.
A source revealed that “holding Jen’s hand through the adoption process has sparked something inside of Courteney. She’s been inspired to start looking into it herself, saying it would be perfect timing as she and Jen could do it together."
The source also revealed that Aniston has made Cox realize that "...her age isn’t a reason to dismiss the idea of becoming a mother again."
The Bruce Almighty star is aware of Cox's desire to start a family with McDaid. So "she’s encouraged her to go for it, joking at how they could bring up their new babies together and form the next generation of BFFs!”
We've seen Aniston portray different roles on-screen with finesse and grace. We're sure she would step into the role of being a mother with the same aplomb.
References:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/for-the-record_b_57855586e4b03fc3ee4e626f?0830ynt7rezmpldi=
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-461754/Jennifer-Aniston-wants-adopt-child.html
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/feb/22/features.magazine
https://closeronline.co.uk/celebrity/news/sandra-bullock-helping-jennifer-aniston-become-mum/
https://closeronline.co.uk/celebrity/news/jennifer-aniston-courteney-cox-adoption/