Off The Record
She Heard Her Mother Say, “You’re Ugly And You Have A Big Nose,” Every Day.
Jennifer Aniston who is best know for her fantastic role in Friends, among many well-know movies like We’re the Millers and Horrible Bosses.
However, Jennifer Aniston had a tough life growing with her mother. Every step of the way she was scolding her and causing her trauma which resurfaced later on in life. Nancy Dow, Jennifer’s mother who is also an actress, struggled to raise her child.
Jennifer was aware of the detrimental marriage between her parents which ended up as a divorce. After the split up, she stayed with her mother who constantly criticized her every step of the way for her physical “defects”, including her nose being too big, her eyes being too far apart, as well as the few pounds she gained throughout puberty.
Growing up Jennifer thought she was “ugly” since that has been the only thing she was reminded of by her mother which destroyed her confidence and self-esteem. Even though she lived with an extremely beautiful mother, she couldn’t physically or mentally resemble her.
Jennifer wasn’t close with her father and relied on the unpredictable behaviour of her mother. When Jen stood up to her mother scolding one time, she laughed in her face, “teaching” her to take criticism in silence.
She also had dyslexia which is a learning difficulty that mainly causes problems with reading, writing and spelling. It caused her harsh academic problems.
But in the midst of it all, Jennifer realized she wasn’t as horrible as she was forced to believe and questioned if her mother was wrong about her.
After getting the first job in Hollywood, Jen gained more confidence, especially after getting a nose job. But her mother wasn’t happy with her success. The huge success of the American television sitcom “Friends,” Jennifer Aniston’s happiness was tarnished by interviews with her mother, who persisted in downsizing her in public. Jennifer then promised herself that she will never talk to her mother again, and skipped the wedding of her and Brad Pitt. She didn’t talk to her mom for 15-years.
After years of therapy of all those harsh years growing up, Jen had a deep revelation. She feels that despite all the scolding and harsh criticism her mother threw at her, made her more resilient today.
“My mother spoke to me in this way because she loved me and wanted the best for me. She didn’t mean to be cruel; she just wasn’t aware that the suffering she was giving me would only end after years of therapy.” Jennifer Aniston said that her upbringing is the reason she is the way she is.
