Justin Theroux is basking in the glow of his recent engagement to Nicole Brydon Bloom after revealing her gorgeous ring on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival. The 53-year-old actor may be celebrating the next chapter of his life, but he’ll still be asked about his previous marriage to Jennifer Aniston.

This may seem strange to someone who is in the middle of a Beetlejuice Beetlejuice promotional tour, but Theroux seems to take his connection to his ex quite calmly. In fact, he still counts Aniston among his close friends. When the Friends Star made an unexpected comment about vice presidential candidate JD Vance and his criticism of “childless cat ladies,” Theroux supported the 55-year-old actress for sharing her thoughts with her fans. “I still care deeply about her, so of course I’m protective. But she’s pushed back on the criticism, as she should,” he said The times.

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Theroux was married to Aniston from 2015 to 2017, but it seemed like their east and west coast lifestyles never really meshed. He was the artsy, brooding New Yorker and she was the sun-kissed golden girl from California. Their split was amicable, but it was clear he didn’t like the attention Aniston’s A-list fame brought to his life. He told esquire in 2021 that he now “enjoys not being in a public relationship a lot more.” He also tries to keep talk about Aniston to a minimum in his interviews. “Once you get out of there, I want all of my relationships to happen within the four walls of the room we’re in right now,” he shared. “And I’m not trying to be evasive, but I talk to Jen – I don’t talk about Jen.”

This PR strategy may become more rigorous in the coming months as he and Bloom prepare to walk down the aisle. Sure, the press is curious about his past relationship with The morning Show actress, but out of respect for his fiancée, it might be best to keep quiet. In Aniston’s circles, however, things might be a little more tense because a Life & Style A source claimed Theroux may have exploited his ex-wife’s connections to advance his career.

“This is insensitive and looks bad! Jen is ashamed of him and there is clearly a better way to handle this,” the source revealed. “Jen is pretty fed up with Justin in this regard and she has never liked people who do everything to get it without thinking about the bigger picture.” It sounds like Theroux’s friendship with Aniston might be more complex than even he is letting on!

Before you go, click here to see the celebrity exes who will always be friends.

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