Justin Theroux on the key to his happy marriage with Jennifer Aniston: Be nice

'Approach every situation with kindness', actor says

Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux (Getty)

After news of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's divorce was announced, a host of gifs, memes and even front pages of Jennifer Aniston emerged as fans speculated about the actresses' reaction to the breakdown of a marriage which had absolutely nothing to do with her.

Aniston has understandably remained silent on the topic while her best friend and former co-star Courteney Cox has drilled home the message: “It’s not about her”.

The 47-year-old has long moved on from her divorce which happened over ten years ago and she married her partner of five years, the actor and director Justin Theroux in 2015.

Asked what the key to his happy marriage is, Theroux had a pretty simple explanation.

“Being kind, that’s it,” he told People magazine. “I think that’s the best one. Approach each situation with kindness.”

Aniston’s 2005 divorce from Pitt triggered an obsession within sections of the media over her love life and fertility. After marrying Theroux (following years of speculation and false stories that they had already married and/or split up) the thirst from the tabloids over whether or not she was pregnant or divorcing only intensified.

She addressed the warped perception of single or childless women in a blog post in July saying she was “fed-up with the sport-like scrutiny and body shaming that occurs daily under the guise of journalism, the First Amendment and celebrity news”.

“We are complete with or without a mate, with or without a child” she wrote. “We get to decide for ourselves what is beautiful when it comes to our bodies. That decision is ours and ours alone.”