They’ve been best pals for over 25 years, since they first met on the set of beloved sitcom Friends, supporting each other through multiple break-ups and career highs and lows.
And sources tell Closer that, during lockdown, the bond between Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox has grown stronger than ever as they have been a lifeline for each other.
Courteney, 55, recently revealed she was struggling, missing the “physical touch” from her fiancé – Snow Patrol band member Johnny McDaid, 43 – who was stuck more than 5,000 miles away in the UK when lockdown was enforced. The pair had ended their engagement in 2015 – something Courteney dubbed “brutal” – but later reconciled.
An insider shares, “Courteney has been struggling since lockdown, when she realised that she and Johnny would be apart. She’s worried about the ongoing impact of a long-distance relationship and whether they can survive being split up like this. She feels lonely and just wishes she could see Johnny in person.
“Jen’s been making sure that Courteney has nice distractions and has been calling on their social circle to regularly check in on her, and setting up Zoom calls with her friends, including [actress] Busy Philipps. And Jen and Court speak every day on FaceTime. They’ve been sharing recipes, fitness tips and supporting each other emotionally, as Jen has been worried that Courteney isn’t used to being apart from Johnny for so long.”
Jen, 51 – who is currently self-isolating with her pitbull mix Sophie – knows only too well the perils of being in a long-distance relationship, as her ex-husband Justin Theroux was based in New York while she remained in LA for the best part of their seven-year relationship.
While Jen and Justin, 48, were known for keeping their struggles private, her refusal to move to the east coast was said to be a catalyst for their split at the time, and the insider says she understands how being apart from your partner can feel worse than being alone.
Check out: Friends - A-list stars you had no idea were in the show
Friends: A-list stars you had no idea were in the show
1 of 10Dakota Fanning - The One Who Gives Joey A Should To Cry On
She made the transition from precocious child star to A-lister years ago, but aged ten, Dakota Fanning played Mackenzie, a young girl who becomes Joey's confidante. She's all grown up now – and still a bit precocious.
2 of 10Steve Zahn - The One Who's Secretly Married To Phoebe
He's starred in Dallas Buyers Club and Modern Family, but before all that, Steve Zahn played the iconic role of Canadian ice dancer Duncan, Phoebe's secret gay husband, who she married to help get a green card.
3 of 10Rebecca Romijn - The One Who's Absolutely Filthy
Back in 1997, Rebecca Romijn was a model who got her first-ever acting gig on Friends. She played Cheryl, Ross' beautiful girlfriend with a filthy apartment. We reckon the X-Men and Ugly Betty star can now afford a cleaner.
4 of 10Alex Borstein - The One-Woman Show
"Why don't you like me?" That's the big question that Alex Borstein yells as she makes her debut fronting a one-woman show that opens with the line, "Chapter One: My First Period." These days, everyone likes Alex, who voices Family Guy matriarch Lois.
5 of 10Cole Sprouse - The One Who Calls Ross Dad
Cole Sprouse played Ross' son Ben years before he caused double-trouble with his brother Dylan on The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody. Yes, they grew up and got unnervingly attractive. Consider this, guys: Ben would now be 25.
6 of 10Ellen Pompeo - The One Who Ross And Chandler Fancied In College
She's one of the highest-paid actresses on TV. But before Grey's Anatomy, Ellen Pompeo played Missy Goldberg, Ross and Chandler's former classmate, who used to make out with Chandler in the science lab after hours. Dr Grey would be appalled.
7 of 10Dan Castellaneta - The One Who Knows Something About A Monkey
You will know Dan Castellaneta by his famous alter-ego Homer Simpson. But before he was rolling in "D'oh!" he appeared as a janitor at San Diego Zoo, who tells Ross what happened to his monkey, Marcel.
8 of 10Hank Azaria - The One Who Goes To Minsk
Proving that The Simpsons and Friends universes co-exist, here we have Hank Azaria, who's best known for playing every other character in Springfield, including Moe and Chief Wiggum. Hank played David, who breaks Phoebe's heart when he moves to Minsk.
9 of 10Mae Whitman - The One Who Just Wants To Sell Cookies
Her Arrested Development character Anne was memorably known for being forgettable – so it's fitting that we'd forgotten about Mae Whitman's star-turn as Sarah Tuttle, an adorable Brown Bird girl who breaks her leg selling cookies. Correction: Ross breaks her leg.
10 of 10Jane Lynch - The One Who Sells Monica and Chandler A House
Rumour has it that Jane Lynch auditioned for the role of Phoebe. Instead, she had to make do with the slightly less significant role of Ellen the estate agent. She later made her massive mark as Glee's tyrannical Sue Sylvester.
The source says, “Jen spent a long time away from Justin within their marriage when he stayed in New York, and it would leave her feeling helpless and lonely. She knows exactly what Courteney is going through and can imagine how it’s even worse with the fear and restrictions around coronavirus thrown into the mix.”
“Jen’s determined not to let Courteney get too down, and is doing everything she can to lift her spirits. They’ve talked things through and discussed coping mechanisms.”
A 'Friends' version of Cards Against Humanity exists and we need it immediately
Jen is now said to be desperate to get Courteney – who is self-isolating with her daughter Coco, 15 – over for a socially-distanced garden party at her home in Bel Air if lockdown rules in America start to ease up.
Closer recently reported how Courteney was upset that a much-anticipated Friends reunion has now been delayed until at least November, and is worried that the other cast members won’t be able to reorganise their schedules to make it work, which is only adding to her pain.
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She’s been promoting her Facebook show 9 Months With Courteney Cox, for which Coco interviewed her recently, and pals say she’s desperately trying to distract herself with work.
The source adds, “Jen has made a vow to Courteney that she’ll be more proactive in making sure the reunion happens, and they have been trying to brainstorm new ideas together that they could both produce. She wants them to make use of this time so that Courteney doesn’t sit and dwell on the fact that she is so far apart from Johnny."
Read even more exclusive celebrity stories in Closer magazine - out now.
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