Courteney Cox Sent Jennifer Aniston The Sweetest Message – And The Internet Just Couldn’t Take It

In 2004, though – and much to the dismay of fans across the world – Friends came to an end in 2004. Even so, Cox and Aniston, who had played chums on screen for a decade by that point, were seemingly determined to stay close. That same year, in fact, Cox ensured that Aniston would remain a pivotal figure in her life by asking her longtime co-star to be a godmother to her daughter, Coco.

Then, in 2005 Cox made a very public display of her affection and support for Aniston. She and her then-husband David Arquette took out an ad in The Hollywood Reporter, you see, to celebrate their pal’s ShoWest Female of the Year award. “Congratulations, Jennifer,” the message read. “Your enormous heart makes you an incredible actress and a beautiful friend. We love you. Courteney, David, and Coco.”

And Cox has proved her loyalty as a friend, too. Let’s look back at 2005, for example, which was presumably a challenging year for Aniston on a personal level. That’s because she and Brad Pitt – once regarded by many as Hollywood’s golden couple – announced that January that they were to divorce. But, luckily, Aniston had the perfect shoulder to cry on, as she revealed in a 2014 interview with More.

Specifically, Aniston told the magazine that Cox had been a rock for her during that particularly difficult time. “I’ve slept in her guest bedroom a lot,” she recalled. “Without giving away too much of my private stuff, all I can say is she’s been there for me through thick and thin.”

In fact, Aniston couldn’t stop gushing about her BFF during the interview, adding, “There’s absolutely no judgement in Court. You’ll never feel scolded. She’s extremely fair, ridiculously loyal and fiercely loving.” But naturally, the pair’s close friendship is far from a one-way street. In 2011, after all, Aniston was the one doing the comforting after the breakdown of Cox’s marriage to Arquette.

And Cox was also keen to sing her friend’s praises at the time. She told TV Week, for instance, “A lot of really close friends are kind of going through this right now – or, like, Jennifer [who] has gone through it. Things are being shaken up, and I don’t know what’s going to happen. But, yeah, Jennifer has been amazing for sure.”

Plus, there are no prizes for guessing whom Aniston chose to be her maid of honor when she got hitched for a second time. Yes, in 2015 Cox was given the duty when her friend walked down the aisle with actor Justin Theroux. And according to People magazine, Cox was the last guest to leave the wedding reception at the ungodly hour of 3:00 a.m.

What’s more, ever since musician Johnny McDaid proposed to Courteney Cox in 2014, rumors have been surfacing that Aniston will return the favor on her big day. In the intervening years, the Snow Patrol guitarist and the Friends star briefly split; ultimately, though, they got back together in 2016. And after news of the couple’s reunion broke, the media has been patiently waiting to see whether Aniston will take on the maid of honor role at Cox’s wedding.

It turns out, too, that Aniston actually played a part in McDaid’s marriage proposal. You see, during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Cox revealed that the musician had popped the question during a birthday bash for Coco. And said get-together just so happened to take place at Aniston’s home.

Then, in 2017 Cox and Aniston continued to enchant the world with their friendship when they vacationed together – accompanied by their respective partners. Alongside McDaid and Theroux, then, the actresses visited Mexico as a way of celebrating Aniston’s 48th birthday. And a year after that, Cox organized a 49th birthday party for her BFF at her Malibu home.

Before these trips, though, Cox had yet again proved her loyalty to her buddy. In 2016 Aniston had found herself under the spotlight owing to Brad Pitt’s divorce from Angelina Jolie; Cox was having none of it, however. In fact, she publicly defended her friend, telling Entertainment Tonight in no uncertain terms, “I feel like we’re exacerbating it by even talking about it. It’s not about her.”

What’s more, the pair have continued to support each other professionally, too. In 2015, for instance, Aniston attended the premiere of dark comedy Just Before I Go, which marked Cox’ first time in the director’s chair. And as Aniston posed for a photo at the event with two enthusiastic thumbs up, it was clear that the movie had her seal of approval.

Cox then returned the favor three years later when she showed up to cheer Aniston on at the premiere of her first Netflix venture. And both actresses smiled for the cameras at the first showing of 2018’s Dumplin’ at Los Angeles’ Sunset Tower. The comedy drama sees Aniston playing a one-time beauty queen whose plus-sized daughter unexpectedly announces plans to follow in her footsteps.

It’s worth noting, too, that Aniston and Cox have also shared the screen together on numerous occasions since Friends went off the air. In 2010, for instance, Aniston guested on the “All Mixed Up” episode of Cox’s hit sitcom Cougar Town. And three years previously, Aniston had briefly appeared in another Cox vehicle: the short-lived drama Dirt.

But, of course, it goes without saying that most Friends fans are still hoping that the pair will reprise their roles of Rachel and Monica one day. And in a 2018 interview on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Aniston revealed that she and Cox are both open to the idea; not all of their cast-mates apparently share their enthusiasm, however.

In fact, it seems that the prospect of a Friends reunion has seen the male and female stars of the show somewhat divided. “Listen, the girls always say we would love to do it again, and the boys are a little less excited about it for some reason,” Aniston told Corden. “And so, we’ve decided that we’ll just do… a remake of The Golden Girls in 40 years.”

Just a few months previously, Cox had also discussed the possibility – or rather impossibility – of a full-blown Friends reunion. “I don’t know if there’s a way to redo it,” she told People. “I just don’t see it happening. Even though I would do anything to be in a room with all of those people, acting and having a great time. But I don’t see it happening.”

Now, get ready to feel even older. In 2019 Aniston celebrated her 50th birthday – and she made the headlines several times while doing so, too. Firstly, she threw a big bash at Los Angeles’ Sunset Tower Hotel, which was attended by the likes of Ellen DeGeneres, Kate Hudson and, unsurprisingly, Cox. However, it was Brad Pitt’s surprise showing that sent the tabloids into a frenzy.

And a week later, Aniston extended her birthday celebrations by flying to the Mexican resort of Cabo San Lucas with her best girlfriends – including Cox, of course. But it’s probably fair to say that their trip didn’t exactly get off to a relaxing start. Shortly after leaving Los Angeles International Airport, you see, the plane the group were on lost both a tire and a wheel.

Luckily, though, after spending four hours in the air burning fuel, the craft landed safely at Orlando International Airport. And Cox later discussed the incident in a chat with Extra, saying, “I’m not afraid of flying at all – my dad was a pilot – but I was really scared because when we were taking off, we heard this really loud bang. I was like, ‘Oh, that sounds like we should probably check that tire.’”

The event had spooked Cox so much, in fact, that she had felt the need to message her nearest and dearest during her time in the air. She revealed, “I sent a little text to Coco – ‘I love you.’ I didn’t say why. And to Johnny – I told him everything that was going on, and I FaceTimed him after.”

Thankfully, though, Cox didn’t appear too traumatized by the airplane malfunction, given that she also found the time to tell Extra all about the gift that she had acquired for Aniston’s 50th. In particular, the actress revealed that she’d teamed up with several other friends to buy the birthday girl an antique table. And the group also forked out for a pottery wheel – as well as lessons on how to use it.

But a week prior to the flight drama, Cox had taken to Instagram to send Aniston a very special birthday message. Incidentally, the star had only joined the social media site a few weeks previously; it’s fair to say, though, that both her first post and her choice of profile photo ensured that she made headlines in the process.

Specifically, Cox shared a picture of herself sitting alongside fellow Friends star Lisa Kudrow – and in a mock-up of Central Perk, no less. And Cox’s profile pic was Friends-related, too; the actress used a screenshot from her character’s early years, when she was cruelly known as “Fat Monica.”

What’s more, much to fans’ delight, Cox continued the Friends theme when she congratulated Aniston for reaching the big 5-0. And the sweet Instagram message suggests that the pair remain just as close now as they were in the show’s heyday. Cox wrote, “The world definitely got brighter the day this girl was born. Happy Birthday, sweetheart! I love you!”

Perhaps inevitably, then, Cox’s post whipped Friends fans up into a frenzy. “This friendship is everything,” wrote one particularly excited follower. Another user, meanwhile, commented, “Two inspiring beauties. Happy birthday, Jen. You both are wonderful.” And in a nod to the style in which each Friends episode is titled, another posted, “The one where Rachel turns 50. Happy birthday.”

But Cox wasn’t the only high-profile person in Aniston’s life to send her an adorable birthday message on Instagram. Justin Theroux, for example, also congratulated his ex-wife on the social media site with a black and white photo that was captioned, “Happy birthday to this fierce woman. Fiercely loving, fiercely kind… and fiercely funny. Love you, B.”

And Reese Witherspoon similarly took to Twitter to post a congratulatory message to her longtime pal. The actress wrote, “What a joy to work with this talented lady every day! She is gorgeous, hysterical and lights up the whole world with her sunshine. Happy birthday, Jen!” She then added, “Also, how does your hair look that good every day?? Seriously.”

But back to our favorite Friends duo. And Cox’s birthday message to Aniston was not only adorable, but it also served another purpose; in particular, it quashed some rumors that the pair had actually fallen out. You see, Woman’s Day had previously reported that Cox and Kudrow were collaborating on a show that was being produced through Cox’s company. And according to the Australian magazine, Aniston was “devastated” at not being asked to join the project.

However, Woman’s Day apparently has form when it comes to spreading false rumors about Aniston. In 2018, for instance, it supposedly went as far as to allege that the actress had fallen pregnant with the baby of ex-husband Pitt. And with no other official trade outlets reporting the news about a Cox and Kudrow project, either, it appears as though the publication was simply stirring the pot once more.

But Woman’s Day isn’t the only magazine to have falsely reported a rift between the pair. In fact, 2018 saw several stories about the two Friends stars supposedly squabbling. An In Touch Weekly report in September, for example, claimed that Cox had incurred the wrath of Aniston after she had continued to keep in contact with Theroux.

And the National Enquirer jumped in with another piece of fake news, too. In December 2018 the tabloid alleged that Aniston had been forbidden from attending Cox’s Irish wedding. Unfortunately, there was just one problem with its story: there was no Irish wedding from which to be banned.

Aniston was even asked about the imaginary wedding snub during an interview with The Irish Sun. And in a rather diplomatic response, the actress told the newspaper, “I haven’t been invited; it’s as simple as that. Of course I’d go if she asks me to, but so far she hasn’t.”

So, while a full Friends remake may not be on the cards anytime soon, fans still have plenty of opportunities to see both Cox and Aniston on screen. In 2019, for instance, Cox began hosting a show on Facebook Watch that centers on the subject of pregnancy. 9 Months with Courteney Cox follows ten different couples as they prepare to welcome children into the world.

And if you’re wondering why Cox chose to front such a show, she explained to Extra, “It’s such a perfect place to be on Facebook because you can interact and ask questions and learn and share your own experience.” She added, “I love real subject matters. This is not a sensationalized show at all; it’s just raw.”

As for Aniston, meanwhile, she’s heading back to the small screen in 2019 for her first recurring role since Rachel Green. The star joins Reese Witherspoon – who you may remember once appeared in Friends as one of her character’s sisters – in The Morning Show. The web series tracks the happenings behind the scenes of a Good Morning America-style program and will also star Steve Carell, Mark Duplass and Billy Crudup.

What’s more, following the success of Dumplin’, Aniston is set to return to Netflix for two more projects in 2019. First Ladies sees her star alongside Tig Notaro as the first ever lesbian president of the United States. And eight years after working with Adam Sandler on Just Go with It, she is reuniting with the comedian for crime-comedy Murder Mystery.