It has been over years since Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt called it quits, but for fans of Hollywood’s once-“Golden Couple,” the wound still feels fresh.
Now, the Morning Show star is looking back at that world-shifting moment with the kind of wisdom only time can provide. In a deeply personal new cover story for Vanity Fair, Aniston, , finally shared the exact seven words she used to navigate the fallout of her divorce.
When asked how she handled the end of her marriage while the entire world watched from the sidelines, Jen revealed her internal dialogue was surprisingly simple.
“Just pick yourself up by the bootstraps,” she told the publication, before adding the ultimate mantra: “Keep on walking, girl.”
The split remains one of the most documented events in pop culture history, occurring just years after Pitt’s iconic guest appearance on Friends as the president of the “I Hate Rachel Green Club.” But while the world was busy choosing sides—remember those “Team Aniston” vs. “Team Jolie” t-shirts?—Jen was privately struggling to stay afloat.
Reflecting on the tabloid circus that followed the announcement, Aniston admitted that the “tearing down” process was deeply painful.
“It’s a shame that it had to happen, but it happened,” she shared candidly. “And boy did I take it personally.”
She noted that the constant media scrutiny felt like a trap, explaining that she didn’t always feel equipped to handle the pressure. “I didn’t have a strong enough constitution to not get affected by it,” she recalled. “We’re human beings, even though some people don’t want to believe we are.”
The Friends alum also pushed back against the idea that fame means forfeiting the right to have feelings. “They think, ‘You signed up for it, so you take it.’ But we really didn’t sign up for that,” she added.
The pair’s “fairytale” began back in when they were introduced by their managers. They made their red-carpet debut at the Emmy Awards and famously announced their engagement on stage at a Sting concert just two months later. Their $ million Malibu wedding in July was the envy of the industry.
However, by January , the dream ended. In a joint statement shared with PEOPLE at the time, the couple maintained that the decision was the result of “thoughtful consideration” and that they remained “committed and caring friends.”
Decades later, that friendship seems to be intact. While Jen is currently sparking romance rumors with wellness expert Jim Curtis, her history with Brad remains a poignant reminder of her resilience.
As Nichola Murphy, lifestyle editor and weddings expert, notes: “When you’re Hollywood’s golden couple, put on a pedestal as the rulebook to a ‘perfect’ relationship, it’s inevitable you’ll end up disappointing some people.”
But as Jen’s -word response proves, the only person she was truly worried about disappointing was herself. By choosing to “keep on walking,” she didn’t just survive the split—she became a Hollywood icon of strength and self-love.
