Tragic Losses Jennifer Aniston Has Suffered

Ask anyone who grew up during the 1990s and early 2000s who their celebrity crush was during that time, and you're bound to hear Jennifer Aniston's name pop up. Without a doubt, Aniston is the golden girl of Hollywood and one of the most famous actors of our time. From her pivotal role as good girl Rachel in "Friends" to starring as the love interest in just about every 2000s romcom ever, Aniston's work in front of the camera has earned her the title of "America's Sweetheart."

Because she is known and beloved for her constant bright smile and kind demeanor, her fans might not realize that the actress has actually lost many people close to her. Unfortunately, many of these tragic deaths happened in an unexpected and shocking manner. Despite this, Aniston has continued to show a strong face and even reached out to help those who were also affected by the deaths. Here are all the tragic losses that Jennifer Aniston has suffered in her life.

On July 4, 2022, Jennifer Aniston was rocked by the sudden death of someone she worked with. Gunnar Mortensen, a camera assistant who was employed with Aniston's series "The Morning Show," died after suffering injuries from a fatal motorcycle accident. At the time, Mortensen had been working with Aniston and the other cast and crew for two seasons.

In response to his tragic death, Aniston took to social media to express her heartbreak. "This past week, we suddenly and tragically lost Gunnar Mortensen," she captioned her Instagram story. "One of the bright lights on our @themorningshow set." (via Independent). The actor went on to ask her more than 40 million followers to donate to a GoFundMe page that was set up to support Mortensen's surviving wife and their young son. She finished her tribute by stating "We are going to miss you, Gunnar."

The GoFundMe page blew past its original goal of $20,000 to raise over $150,000 for Mortensen's family.

One of the most shocking celebrity deaths of 2022 had to be that of Stephen "tWitch" Boss, the famous DJ and executive producer from the "Ellen DeGeneres Show." The cheerful husband and father never seemed to have a bad day, which is why so many people were shocked when tWitch was found dead in a motel room after committing suicide. The tragic end to such a peaceful soul shook those who knew him down to their core, including Jennifer Aniston.

Aniston shared a touching video tribute to the late talent on her Instagram story. The video shows a glowing Aniston holding tight to Boss' arm as he escorts her across the stage. Both look completely happy and at ease. "Heartbroken," Aniston captioned the video, as captured by Hello!. "The pure love and joy you brought into this world will be deeply missed."

Per Ok!, the sweet clip of Aniston and Boss hugging was taken from the final season of the "Ellen" show, which aired in May 2022. Boss had been with the popular talk show since 2003 and met with the actor during her many guest appearances.

Jennifer lost her father, John Aniston, on November 11, 2022. He was 89 years old. Like his daughter, John was a recognizable face on TV. He is best known for his longtime presence on the soap opera "Days of Our Lives."

The relationship between Jennifer and her father John was complicated, to say the least. John is believed to have walked out on Jennifer when she was still a child, which led to the actress needing years of therapy to undo the damage. A source with the Daily Mail claimed the father and daughter were estranged for years until Jennifer extended the olive branch. She forgave her father for leaving their family and started trying to mend their bond as the coronavirus pandemic began.

Jennifer's forgiveness was shown in the Instagram carousel she posted that honored her father after his death. "Sweet papa ... John Anthony Aniston. You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew," the actor wrote. "I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace — and without pain."

While Jennifer Aniston has had a variety of roles since, she became an international sensation when she landed the part of a lifetime as Rachel Green in the quintessential '90s sitcom "Friends." The lovable girl next door was a fan favorite, and so was her quippy pal, Chandler Bing, who was played by none other than Matthew Perry. Their personalities played off each other so well that the stronger-than-she-looks sweetheart and her dry-witted neighbor with a heart of gold simply charmed viewers. Though Perry has admitted it was hard to work with Aniston at first, their chemistry blossomed onscreen to the point where the two remained great friends offscreen as well.

It was Aniston who approached Perry and asked about his alcohol addiction, as Perry revealed during an interview with Diane Sawyer. In a separate interview, Aniston admitted through tears that she and the rest of the "Friends" cast weren't equipped to handle their friend's addiction, but they did what they could to help. Aniston's support never wavered. As the years went by and "Friends" came to an end, Aniston continued to check in on her struggling friend. "She was the one who reached out the most. I'm really grateful to her for that," Perry said in his interview with Sawyer.

Matthew Perry tragically passed away on October 28, 2023. TMZ reported that law enforcement was called to the actor's house after he apparently drowned after suffering a cardiac arrest.