The Hollywood star Jennifer Aniston has been hit with major backlash this week after comments that she made about Hollywood that many have found to be out of touch.
“I feel so lucky that we got a little taste of the industry before it became what it is today. More streaming services… you’re famous from TikTok… you're famous from YouTube… you're famous from Instagram… it’s almost like it’s diluting the actor’s job.”
— Jennifer Aniston pic.twitter.com/gUf5RJH8cK
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) June 13, 2022
Aniston’s Comments On Hollywood
Aniston sat down with the Hollywood star Sebastian Stan this week to talk about acting and fame in 2022 for Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series. While talking about Stan playing Tommy Lee in the miniseries “Pam & Tommy,” and the musicians infamous sex tape he made with Pamela Anderson, Aniston lamented that it was around that time (late 90s/early 2000s) when the idea of being famous for being famous came about.
“Right at the time when the internet really shaped a new culture about people becoming famous,” Aniston said, according to Yahoo News. “This thing of people becoming famous for basically doing nothing. I mean — Paris Hilton, Monica Lewinsky, all those.”
“I feel so lucky that we got a little taste of the industry before it became what it is today,” the “Friends” star added. “More streaming services — you’re famous from TikTok, you’re famous from YouTube, you’re famous from Instagram. It’s almost, like, it’s diluting the actor’s job.”
Related: Jennifer Aniston Reveals What’s She’s Looking For In A Relationship
Check out this full segment for yourself below.
Aniston Hit With Backlash
Aniston was immediately attacked for these comments by internet users who pointed out that she is the daughter of the famous actors John Aniston and Nancy Dow, prompting some to call her a “nepotism baby.”
jennifer aniston (nepotism baby) wants to talk about diluting the actors job. right. https://t.co/ODZtBDzDVU
— sk (@kirkxxs) June 13, 2022
mind you, her parents are actors. https://t.co/bcqe2RboIU
— Ivy 🫧 (@IvyKungu) June 13, 2022
do NOT google jennifer aniston parents https://t.co/eZQDqFhYPa
— ٍ (@givemeurdisease) June 13, 2022
https://twitter.com/rebelmooned/status/1536394635492610048
We not just gonna act like Jennifer Aniston isn’t a child of nepotism https://t.co/TsXSn2aTUZ
— Catrina (@Catrinalovely1) June 14, 2022
Other social media users pointed out that Aniston’s success in Hollywood may not have been based on merit either.
Casting directors literally used to go up to pretty girls they randomly met and offer them roles if they ‘said’ they could act 💀 https://t.co/Fpc1XSvZk0
— 𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗖Ʊ𝗥𝗬 🇵🇸 (@theeSNYDERVERSE) June 13, 2022
"i miss it when you could only get famous when you were already privileged and rich" thats what shes saying https://t.co/VTEs8fHupN
— nayane (@lesbianenhancer) June 13, 2022
back in my day you needed to WORK to get famous from an all-caucasian tv show set in new york city https://t.co/GMckkfCOQX
— neal (@ne_al_) June 13, 2022
Still others thought that the comments made by Aniston were not a good look for her in general.
people are so angry that the industry is more diverse, more inclusive of people from all backgrounds who had nothing but a phone to prop up to showcase their dream when their communities were probably underfunded and overlooked. let’s keep making em mad. https://t.co/HlcN2uedDB
— JD • they/he (@jd_occasionally) June 13, 2022
Pivotal Year In Aniston’s Life
Last month, while appearing on the series finale of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Aniston talked about just how pivotal the year of 2005 was for her. This year came just after “Friends” ended, and after her divorce from the Hollywood star Brad Pitt.
“Well, I got a divorce and went into therapy,” Aniston recalled. “And then I did a movie called The Break-Up. I just kinda leaned into the end. I just was like, ‘You know what, guys? Let’s make this a completely new chapter. Let’s just end everything and start new.’ It worked great.”
Check out that interview for yourself below.
Aniston On Marriages
Aniston previously opened up about her marriages to Pitt and the actor Justin Theroux, both of which ended in divorce, in a 2019 interview.
“My marriages [to Brad and Justin Theroux], they’ve been very successful, in [my] personal opinion,” she said, according to People Magazine. “And when they came to an end, it was a choice that was made because we chose to be happy, and sometimes happiness doesn’t exist within that arrangement anymore.”
“Sure, there were bumps, and not every moment felt fantastic, obviously, but at the end of it, this is our one life and I would not stay in a situation out of fear,” Aniston continued. “Fear of being alone. Fear of not being able to survive. To stay in a marriage based on fear feels like you’re doing your one life a disservice.”
Related: Unsealed Records Reveal Harvey Weinstein Wanted Jennifer Aniston ‘Killed’
“When the work has been put in and it doesn’t seem that there’s an option of it working, that’s okay. That’s not a failure,” she concluded. “We have these clichés around all of this that need to be reworked and retooled, you know? Because it’s very narrow-minded thinking.”
While Aniston’s comments about marriage and divorce were wise, her latest comments about Hollywood appear to have her in some serious hot water. It remains to be seen if she’ll weather this storm, or if she’ll end up being yet another victim of cancel culture.
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