Jennifer Aniston's ‘Critical’ Mom Left Her Out Of Her Will When She Passed

Oct 27, 2023

After rising to fame as Rachel Green on the hit television sitcom “Friends,” Jennifer Aniston has been one of themost beloved actresses to grace the world of entertainment. The role earned the actress a handful of awards, and it’s clear that her career has only taken off since her breakthrough. 

Between winning awards and constantly working, Jennifer made sure to keep some time available in her personal life. She met and began dating fellow actor Brad Pitt in 1998, and their relationship instantly gained widespread media attention. They got married two years later and seemed to be happily in love. However, the couple shockingly announced they were going to end their marriage in 2005, and their divorce was finalized later that year.

Jennifer didn’t give up on love, though, and in 2015, she married again. She and actor Justin Theroux started their relationship back in 2011 and got engaged the following year, before tying the knot in 2015. However, the couple separated at the end of 2017 and announced their divorce the following year.

Fortunately for Jennifer, she has found some peace in her personal life over the years. She lives in a very “zen” filled home and has kept much of her private life out of the media aside from her previous relationships. On top of that, she has stayed on a successful career trajectory and has also remained friends with her exes.

Jennifer has also learned how to heal old wounds, such as by overcoming a toxic relationship with her mother – the late actress Nancy Dow. Read on to find out more about their relationship over the years.

On the hit sitcom “Friends,” Jennifer played the iconic role of Rachel Green. Her character went through plenty of personal ups and downs, especially when it came to relationships. Rachel had a rollercoaster relationship with Ross over the course of the series and at times had to put in the effort to make her friendships work. She also had to learn how to balance the dynamics of her parents' fresh divorce. In her real life, Jennifer has also had to learn how to navigate some tricky parental relationships.

Jennifer's father is John Aniston, an actor best known for his time on the soap opera “Days of Our Lives.” Her mother was the late model and actress Dow. They lived as a married couple from 1965 to 1980, which is when the former suddenly disappeared from Jennifer's life without warning. Dow was also caught off-guard and did her best to adjust as a newly single mother. However, there were some complications along the way.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter back in 2015, Jennifer talked about how critical her mother used to be of her during her childhood. She explained: 

“She was critical. She was very critical of me… She was also very unforgiving. She would hold grudges that I just found so petty.” 

When it came to arguments, Jennifer found that her mother had “a temper,” and didn’t seem to take her frustrations seriously.

The actress explained in an interview with Elle: 

“She was from this world of, ‘Honey, take better care of yourself,’ or ‘Honey, put your face on,’ or all of those odd sound bites that I can remember from my childhood.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jennifer and her mother didn’t speak for many years. However, ABC News reported that the actress' divorce from Pitt was actually one of the turning points in rekindling their relationship.

“It’s been really nice,” Jennifer said at the time. “It’s crazy what, you know, your life kind of being turned upside down will lead you to. For us it’s … it was the time, and it was going to happen when it was supposed to happen. So this is good. It’s baby steps.”

According to Radar Online, Dow hadn’t been invited to her daughter's wedding to Pitt as they had a huge falling out, but Dow was invited to Jennifer's wedding to Theroux. “Nancy and Jennifer have had their ups and downs, but they’re going to let bygones be bygones and she will be invited to her daughter’s wedding ceremony,” a family insider had said.

Jennifer and Dow's relationship became more strained in 1996 when Dow gossiped about her daughter to a tabloid. They became estranged when Dow released a tell-all book “From Mother and Daughter to Friends: A Memoir,” against Jennifer's wish. Still, the actress forgave her mom. 

In 2015, Jennifer spoke about her relationship with her mother to The Hollywood Reporter, when she said, “We’re fine.” The following year, Dow passed away at the age of 79.

In 2018, the actress reflected more on her “challenging upbringing” with her mother, as she told Elle magazine how Dow had always told her that she needed to learn how to take care of herself.

“My mom said those things because she really loved me,” Jennifer reasoned. “... I think she was just holding on and doing the best she could, struggling financially and dealing with a husband who was no longer there.”

With time, Jennifer and her mother became friends, which made it quite shocking that Dow didn't leave anything to her daughter in her will. 

According to In Touch Weekly, Dow didn't bequeath any inheritance to Jennifer even though the star took care of her bills towards the end of her life. Instead, Dow gave her home, money, and property to another relative. 

A source revealed that the late model “changed her will about a year ago, and no one in the family knew a thing about it.” 

Dow left the relative over a million dollars, including the alimony she got from Aniston's dad. She also left materials that could cause potential damage to her daughter to the unnamed person. 

“Nancy wrote down everything about Jen, and that material is now in the hands of someone who could profit from it,” the insider shared. 

Nevertheless, the actress, who no longer has “anything to hide,” has forgiven her mom. 

“It’s important (to forgive),” she told Allure. “It’s toxic to have that resentment, that anger. I learned that by watching my mom never let go of it. I remember saying, ‘Thank you for showing me what never to be.’”

In fact, the celebrity has opened up on more parts of her life that remained hidden for years and gave rise to several untrue speculations, including her fertility. In her interview with Allure, she shared that no one knew about her struggle to conceive. 

“All the years and years and years of speculation... It was really hard,” she said. “I was going through IVF, drinking Chinese teas, you name it. I was throwing everything at it. I would’ve given anything if someone had said to me, ‘Freeze your eggs. Do yourself a favor.’ You just don’t think it.”

Were you surprised to learn about Jennifer Aniston’s relationship with her mother? What do you think of Jennifer’s willingness to forgive easily? Let us know — and be sure to pass this to your family members and friends, too.