Jennifer Aniston hits out at ‘cancel culture’ in candid new interview

The former Friends star has hit out at “cancel culture” in a surprisingly candid new interview, asking: “Is there no redemption?”

Jennifer Aniston. Picture: Jean-Baptiste Lacroix/AFP

Jennifer Aniston has taken aim at “cancel culture” in a candid new interview, asking why it feels there is “no redemption” for public figures anymore.

In her current role in Morning Wars, the former Friends star plays breakfast TV host Alex Levy, who is navigating the spotlight amid the high-profile fallout of a flurry of sexual misconduct allegations levelled at her ex-co-anchor (played by Steve Carrell).

The Apple TV series’ first season premiered in 2019, in the wake of former Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein’s public disgrace and the #MeToo movement.

While using Weinstein’s extreme case as an example of the benchmark, Aniston, 54, told the Wall Street Journal that she was “so over” the cancel culture that has become more prevalent in recent years.

“I probably just got cancelled by saying that,” she told the publication.

“I just don’t understand what it means … Is there no redemption? I don’t know. I don’t put everybody in the Harvey Weinstein basket.”

Aniston asked why “redemption” didn’t appear to be an option for some people. Picture: Jean-Baptiste Lacroix/AFP

The actress also opened up about her own experience with Weinstein, explaining that while she had no personal experience of his sexual harassment, she had deliberately avoided being alone with him.

“He’s not a guy, you’re like, ‘God, I can’t wait to hang out with Harvey.’ Never. You were actually like, ‘Oh, God, OK, suck it up’,” she told the WSJ.

“I remember actually, he came to visit me on a movie to pitch me a movie. And I do remember consciously having a person stay in my trailer.”

Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell in a scene from Morning Wars. Picture: Apple TV.

During the wide-ranging interview, Aniston also revealed the sweet annual gesture made by her longtime friend and three-time co-star, Adam Sandler and his wife, Jackie.

Sandler, who appeared alongside Aniston in Murder Mystery, Murder Mystery 2 and Just Go With It, has been sending her flowers every Mother’s Day since she opened up about her fertility challenges.

The actress, who does not have kids, also spoke about it to Allure magazine last year, revealing she spent a long time “trying to get pregnant”.

“If it wasn’t for going through that, I would’ve never become who I was meant to be. That’s why I have such gratitude for all those s**tty things,” she explained to the publication in November 2022.

During “all the years of [media] speculation” surrounding the topic, Aniston said she was secretly “going through IVF [and] drinking Chinese teas.