Jennifer Aniston reflects on IVF struggles and ‘baby’ rumours in new interview

Jennifer Aniston has opened up about the years of speculation around her childlessness. Photo / XNY/Star Max/GC Images.

After years of rumours and speculation about her personal life, Jennifer Aniston has given an honest account on the emotional toll of her infertility trials.

In a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Aniston acknowledged the media’s fixation on her relationship to motherhood was upsetting.

“They didn’t know my story, or what I’d been going through over the past 20 years to pursue a family, because I don’t go out there and tell them my medical woes.”

During the actor’s five-year marriage to Brad Pitt, it was widely rumoured that their relationship was being strained by her disinterest in having children.

“But there comes a point when you can’t not hear it - the narrative about how I won’t have a baby, won’t have a family, because I’m selfish, a workaholic.”

Aniston admitted the stories did affect her - as did the constant theorising about whether she was pregnant.

In 2022, the Friends actress spoke to Allure about her struggles with fertility, confessing “the baby-making road” had been “challenging” for her.

“All the years and years and years of speculation...It was really hard. I was going through IVF, drinking Chinese teas, you name it”, she said.

“I was throwing everything at it. I would’ve given anything if someone had said to me, ‘Freeze your eggs. Do yourself a favour.’ You just don’t think it. So here I am today. The ship has sailed.”

Aniston’s home life has been the subject of particular scrutiny since her marriage to Pitt ended in scandal, the New York Post reports.

Pitt met Angelina Jolie on the set of Mr and Mrs Smith, shortly before his 2005 split with Aniston, and began dating the Lara Croft star soon after.

They went on to have six children together, Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne.

Now 56, Aniston said she is disinterested in engaging with the gossip.

“The older I get, the less I care about correcting a narrative, because it will happen eventually”, she said to Harper’s Bazaar.

She married fellow actor Justin Theroux in 2015, and though they split in 2018, Theroux told Esquire the pair are still on good terms.

He said “it would be a loss” if they had not stayed in contact after the divorce.

“Like it or not, we didn’t have that dramatic split, and we love each other. I’m sincere when I say that I cherish our friendship. We can not be together and still bring each other joy and friendship.”