Jennifer Aniston and boyfriend Jim Curtis couldn’t have looked more in sync during their public debut at the Elle Women in Hollywood event on November 17. The couple sat side by side between Aniston’s besties Andrea Bendewald and Kristin Hahn with matching expressions and their hands clasped under their chins as they listened to Aniston’s longtime pal Adam Sandler gush about the actress. “I can honestly say Jen is the best in so many ways and one of the most rocksteady humans I’ve ever met,” Sandler said before turning his attention to Aniston’s handsome new guy. “Me and [my wife], Jackie, are so happy that you and Jim found each other and are having the love affair you two deserve. We love you, Jim.”
Five months after Us Weekly revealed Aniston, 56, and the hypnotist were dating, the romance has become one of the actress’ most public-facing relationships to date. (They were first spotted together on vacation in Spain over July 4 weekend with Aniston’s close friends Jason Bateman and his wife, Amanda Anka.) On November 2, in honor of Curtis’ 50th birthday, she posted a sweet black-and-white photo of them alongside a caption reading, “Happy birthday my love. Cherished.” Several of Aniston’s celebrity pals expressed their adoration for the couple in the comments, with Amy Schumer gushing, “Beautiful couple. Healing kind angels.”
In an Elle cover story published shortly after, Aniston praised Curtis, calling him “quite extraordinary” and “very special, very normal, and very kind.” Sources say it’s the real deal, and that Aniston wants to shout it from the rooftops. “Jen is more public with Jim because she feels confident in their relationship and where it’s going,” says one source. Adds a second: “They are solidly in the ‘This feels different’ zone. There are no games, and there’s no hiding.”
It’s been green flags from the start for Aniston and Curtis. (In July, Us reported they were set up by a mutual friend; the first source says they began “quietly dating” earlier this year.) There were hints of their brewing romance on social media in the spring: In May, she posted a carousel of photos that included his book Shift: Quantum Manifestation Guide, and she began steadily liking nearly every one of his Instagram posts, including a reel he shared about finding love in June. “It’s always a slow burn at first for Jen,” says the first source, noting that while she was initially cautious, Curtis’ “consistency” helped her open up again.
Their connection keeps getting stronger. “As time goes by, they uncover another layer about each other,” says the second source. The pair spent Thanksgiving with mutual friends (they were seen grabbing brunch in NYC’s West Village on November 29), and on December 25, Aniston shared photos from their first Christmas together. The second source says they are also planning a vacation and may travel to Aspen around New Year. “Things have progressed,” says the first source. “They are very serious at this point.”
Jennifer Aniston and Boyfriend Jim Curtis’ Relationship Timeline
Aniston has been pretty guarded about her love life — until now. Curtis accompanied her to the NYC premiere of season 4 of The Morning Show in September (where he supported her from the sidelines while she posed with costars Reese Witherspoon and Billy Crudup), two days after she soft-launched him on Instagram with a photo of what appeared to be the back of his head looking out at a sunset. Curtis included multiple shots of Aniston at his birthday party in a November 4 Instagram post. “If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up,” he captioned the carousel, which led with a shot of Aniston with her arms wrapped around him. He also made an appearance in an ad for her LolaVie line that she shared on Instagram on November 25. “Cute,” she says while tousling his hair.
Sources say it’s a testament to how secure she feels with Curtis. “He’s brought her so much happiness and security that she feels comfortable sharing,” says the first source. Curtis is Aniston’s first serious boyfriend since her 2018 divorce from Justin Theroux (she was also married to Brad Pitt from 2000 until 2005). “It takes a special person for her to be open again after her public divorces.” She’s not scared of “jinxing” things, the second source adds. “She finally feels secure enough to share without any fear. Jen’s saying this is her person. She wouldn’t do that unless she was sure. She’s tired of hiding her joy.”
It helps that Curtis is unbothered about being thrust into the spotlight as Aniston’s plus-one. “Jim’s whole career has been supported by working with high-profile people, so cameras and gossip don’t rattle him,” explains the second source. “He’s been around fame, so it’s not shocking to him, but it also doesn’t govern his life. He’s down to earth.” Aniston doesn’t have to worry about the glare of the spotlight pushing him away, adds the second source: “They are laughing about [the attention] instead of stressing over it.”
They have a surprising amount in common. “Jen has taken a very holistic approach to life in the last five years, and that’s what they bond over. They are both heavily into wellness and mindfulness and meditation,” says the first source. Aniston has made no secret of her spiritual side. “I’ve always been more into metaphysical things and ‘What if there’s something bigger out there than all of us?’” she said in an August Vanity Fair cover story. They even do hypnotherapy together: Back in April, Aniston told Travel + Leisure that she was using the practice to overcome her fear of flying. (Talk about a relationship reveal breadcrumb…) “She’s slowing down,” says the second source. “Instead of working 24/7, Jim is helping her find balance.”
Who Is Jim Curtis? Everything to Know About Jennifer Aniston’s Boyfriend
They also share “a weird sense of humor” and have the same taste in obscure documentaries (not to mention their love of rescue dogs!), says the source. “Friends say they finish each other’s sentences in a way that’s almost spooky because they are so connected.” He’s her calm from the storm. “A lot of her past relationships have had fireworks,” the source adds. “This is quiet.”
For now, they’re bicoastal, with Aniston in L.A. (she owns a $21 million mansion in Bel Air) and Curtis in NYC. “Jen loves NYC but doesn’t want to live there,” says the first source. “California will always be home. They are going back and forth together and basically live together. It’s working for them.” (The second source says the distance has understandably been “an annoyance,” adding, “they’re trying to figure it out.”) When they’re not working, they’re ordering sushi or cooking and watching movies. “They are homebodies,” says the second source, “who value connection over flashy nights out.”
The first source says Aniston isn’t ruling out marriage, “but it’s not a priority for her,” adding, “She’s loving this phase and is very happy.” Speaking about the possibility of tying the knot for a third time, the actress told Allure in 2023, “Never say never, but I don’t have any interest.” She added: “I’d love a relationship. Who knows? There are moments I want to just crawl up in a ball and say, ‘I need support.’ It would be wonderful to come home and fall into somebody and say, ‘That was a tough day.’”
Justin! Brad! A Timeline of Jennifer Aniston’s Dating History
She’s found that comfort with Curtis, and they appear to be in it for the long haul. Both sources say Aniston has met Curtis’ teenage son, whom he shares with his ex-wife. The life coach admitted in his 2017 book, The Stimulati Experience, that he and his son were not close at the time. “Things have improved over the past year,” says the first source, “and Jen is open to building that connection.”
Friends couldn’t be happier for Aniston. The actress and Curtis have been seen on several double dates with her pals since the summer, including dinner at Nobu Malibu with Courteney Cox and her partner, Johnny McDaid, in August. “Jim blends in seamlessly. He’s really social and outgoing. Jen can bring him anywhere, and it’s easy. They’ve become one big, happy group,” says the first source of the star’s inner circle. “Everyone who knows Jen is so happy for her,” adds the second source. “She’s an amazing person who’s universally loved. They all think this is going to last and that Jim is The One.”
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