Is Jennifer Aniston still struggling to come to terms with her relationship with Brad Pitt?

It’s the Hollywood love story fans are clamouring for – Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt back together after years apart – and it’s been thrown off course once again after Brad was seen boarding a private jet with 27-year-old model Nicole Poturalski, seemingly confirming the pair are dating.

And, although Jen was all smiles at her recent virtual reunion with Brad, it’s thought she is feeling low after growing closer to him over the last year, and following his split from Angelina Jolie in 2016. A source tells Woman, ‘There’s still that elephant in the room over whether or not they’ll end up together again.’

So, with Brad dating other women and fans asking Are Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer dating? can they ever reunite for good?

Forced jollity

After months of not seeing each other in lockdown, Brad and Jen – whose marriage in 2000 lasted five years – were reunited online last month for a star-studded read-through of the hit 1982 film Fast Times At Ridgemont High. But, while Jen, 51, appeared relaxed and happy reading out a scene with Brad, 56, our insider tells us that the relationship is under constant strain and Jen is still struggling with the impact of Brad having started his relationship with Angelina Jolie so soon after their own split in 2005.

‘Even after Brad and Jen started speaking regularly again, they still had some very heavy and intense conversations before wiping the slate clean and setting new boundaries for their friendship,’ our well-placed source tells our sister publication Woman.

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston at the SAG Awards in January

Brad and Jen at the SAG Awards in January | Getty

‘Their split and the fact that Brad moved on so quickly with Angelina still upsets Jen, even though she’s learned to live with it now.

‘He, in turn, still feels extremely guilty about that, plus he deeply regrets some of his actions during the marriage before Angelina came along.’

Revisiting dark days

According to the insider, the former couple have ‘attended therapy’ together in a bid to resolve things. ‘Brad and Jen are proud to have worked through most of their issues and achieved a sense of closure on topics that hung over their heads for over a decade,’ the source reveals.

‘They shed a lot of tears and resolved never to discuss those dark days ever again. But it’s something neither of them will be able to forget, and a painful topic that haunts them both to this day.’

So why did they wait so long to address their problems? ‘They chose not to delve deeply into the past until a few years ago, once Brad’s divorce [from Angelina] was set in stone and he’d completed a full year of sobriety,’ the insider explains.

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‘By this point, Jen was also single following the breakdown of her marriage to Justin Theroux, and Brad didn’t have to worry about being friendly with Jen any more, which was always such a sore topic with Angelina during their marriage.’

Hope for the future?

Jen was reportedly upset when Brad was linked to US actress Alia Shawkat a few months ago, so she’s likely feeling uneasy about the latest reports of his blossoming romance with Nicole. But there’s still a glimmer of hope that things will work out between the former golden couple.

The insider reveals, ‘Brad and Jen love hanging out, they still have a lot in common and are planning things together in the near future, including a holiday to Mexico over Christmas. Publicly, their stance is simple – they’re having fun, going with the flow, keeping their dates private and not rushing into anything that could lead to pain or hurt on either side.’

However, they still have obstacles to overcome. ‘With Brad still seeing other women and Jen also going on blind dates occasionally, it’s no surprise people are starting to wonder if they’ll ever be able to give this another full-blown shot,’ the source says.

‘But, all that private angst aside, they’re still inseparable, and both of them are adamant they’ll never allow a situation to occur where they leave each other’s lives again. There’s way too much love and respect for that to happen.’

Jack White
Celebrity Content Director

Jack White is Celebrity Content Director at Future, working across Women's Lifestyle brands such as Woman&Home, Woman, Woman's Own, Women's Weekly and GoodtoKnow. When he's not interviewing your favourite stars or writing about the latest make-up/break up, you'll find Jack searching for new Gemma Collins memes, singing (badly) in the office or binge-watching crime dramas.