Jennifer Aniston was one of the first people to contact her ex-husband Justin Theroux after he secretly tied the knot with his new wife Nicole Brydon Bloom, according to an insider.
It is also understood that the actress was taken by surprise when she learned of the wedding in news reports on Monday, along with the rest of the world.
53-year-old actor and director Theroux – who was married to Aniston from 2015 to 2018 – enjoyed an intimate beach ceremony with actress Bloom in Tulum, Mexico this weekend after the pair got engaged in August 2024.
Now an insider close to Aniston, 56, has revealed how she reacted to the news of their nuptials.
‘Jennifer was one of the first ones to congratulate Justin on getting married,’ the insider exclusively told the Daily Mail. ‘Yes, it took her by surprise but they have maintained a close friendship, and she is happy for him that he has found true love.’
The source noted that the news was somewhat bittersweet for the actress, despite the fact she approves of Theroux’s 30-year-old new spouse.
Jennifer Aniston was ‘one of the first to congratulate’ her ex-husband Justin Theroux after he tied the knot with his new wife Nicole Brydon Bloom
An insider exclusively revealed to the Daily Mail that the actress was taken by surprise at the news of Justin’s secret wedding
‘She cannot help be somewhat reminiscent of what they had together, but she knows what a good man he is, and she thinks that his new wife is wonderful,’ the source added. ‘This gives Jennifer hope that her Prince Charming is out there.’
A second insider further downplayed any suggestion that the Friends star had been left upset by the news: ‘Nobody should feel bad for Jen, she’s fine. She’s loved and lost like the rest of us, but her life is still pretty good. If she ends up with anyone down the line, that would be beautiful.’
Aniston has a habit of remaining friendly with her exes, including Theroux, and most notably her first husband Brad Pitt, to whom she was married from 2000 to 2005.
The second insider continued: ‘So whether it is Brad or Justin, she had her chance with them and loved it while it was great, now she is on a different path as they are in their lives.
‘She only feels joy for her exes’ successes. She’s old enough to not cry over spilled milk. If anything is on her mind about Justin it would be, let Justin be happy.’
This is the second marriage for Theroux, who was famously married to Aniston from 2015 to 2018
The source explained: ‘Yes, it took her by surprise but they have maintained a close friendship, and she is happy for him that he has found true love’
Theroux and Aniston had married in a backyard ceremony at their shared Los Angeles home, in front of a handful of close friends in 2015.
But just two years later, the couple announced their shock split and finalized their divorce in 2018.
A joint statement at the time read: ‘We are two best friends who have decided to part ways as a couple, but look forward to continuing our cherished friendship.’
Eight years on and they appear to have maintained that amicable separation – they’ve even vacationed together and often celebrate ‘Friendsgiving’ with their pals.
Most recently Theroux admitted that his former wife was ‘still very dear to me’ in a September 2024 interview with The Times.
‘The friendship is shifting and changing, you know, so that part is something that we’re both very proud of,’ he reflected.
‘I’m sincere when I say that I cherish our friendship. We can not be together and still bring each other joy and friendship. Also, she makes me laugh very, very hard. She’s a hilarious person. It would be a loss if we weren’t in contact, for me personally. And I’d like to think the same for her.’
Monday morning saw news of the actor’s intimate beach ceremony nuptials with Bloom makes headlines, after the pair got engaged in August 2024
Meanwhile Bloom is a New York–based actress who played Caroline Stuyvesant in season two of The Gilded Age and Jane Driscoll in hit Hulu series, Paradise.
She graduated with a degree in acting from Elon University in North Carolina in 2017 and started her career on the stage in regional theatre in Kentucky.
The star was first spotted with Theroux in February 2023 at a Netflix event at the social club Zero Bond in New York City.
In August 2023, they were seen packing on the PDA at Altro Paradiso, a restaurant in Manhattan.
They made their Instagram debut in a selfie from Nicole’s twin sister’s wedding in December 2023 and attended Naomi Watts’ and Billy Crudup’s wedding in Mexico City in June 2024.
Theroux has previously talked about how he prefers keeping his relationships out of the public eye.
He told Esquire last year that, for him, it’s ‘much more fun not being in a public relationship. There’s something to, once you’re out of that, where I want all of my relationships to exist within the four walls of whatever room we’re in.’
