Jennifer Aniston Says She ‘Understands’ Those David Schwimmer Dating Rumors

Jennifer Aniston has graciously addressed one of the most chaotic rumors of all time.

These days, anyone can say whatever they want online, and people might take it seriously enough to believe it’s true. Over the summer, for example, questionable rumors surfaced that Friends stars Aniston and David Schwimmer were dating IRL. And people believed them.

The rumors were born out of a speculative report in the U.K. publication Closer detailing the time Aniston and Schwimmer were allegedly spending together. During the Friends reunion, which aired on HBO Max in May, Schwimmer admitted he initially had a crush on Aniston. In return, Aniston admitted to having a crush on Schwimmer. (I mean, who wouldn’t have a crush on Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer in 1994?)

“The first season I had a major crush on Jen,” Schwimmer said in the reunion. In response, Aniston said, “It was reciprocated.” 

“At some point, we were crushing hard on each other,” Schwimmer said. “But it was like two ships passing because one of us was always in a relationship, and we never crossed that boundary. We respected that.” 

Schwimmer and Aniston added that instead of turning their romance into a real one, they kept it professional and channeled their crushes into their performances together. 

In August, Schwimmer’s reps confirmed the IRL dating rumors were false. Aniston is aware of the chatter, as well, and recently told Entertainment Tonight exactly how she feels about it. 

“That was bizarre,” she said. “I could not believe that, actually. Like, really? That’s my brother! But I understand it, though. It just shows you how hopeful people are for fantasies for dreams to come true.”

Aniston is clearly aware of the deep nostalgic connection people have with Ross and Rachel, but she’s not letting fans run wild. She and Schwimmer were acting on Friends, after all. Maybe they were just too good at it.