Jennifer Aniston has hardly seen a life outside of the limelight throughout her career, and she has the credits to prove it. Being such a public figure certainly has its peaks and troughs, and though the actor has stood atop the mountain multiple times with her accolades and praise, some of the pitfalls come with outside intrusion into her personal life. Luckily, as an industry vet, she’s no stranger to rumors and speculation; Aniston has been around long enough to transition from seeing her name in tabloids to squashing internet discourse.

That being said, she’s still human, and false accusations can be damaging to the psyche. During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in December 2021, the “Friends” alum spoke on the sometimes dangerous, ever-evolving nature of media. “It’s almost like the media handed over the sword to any Joe Schmo sitting behind a computer screen to be a troll or whatever they call them and bully people in comment sections.” She went on to express how even with her status, the gossip can be suffocating. ” … I don’t know why there’s such a cruel streak in society. I often wonder what they get off on.”

That being said, there have certainly been some rumors about Aniston that could have very well been true, or fans simply hoping that they are, that are hard to ignore. From those who thought Ross and Rachel were endgame in real life, to ongoing speculation that she’s the cause of Michelle Obama and Barack Obama’s rumored divorce, let’s dive into some of the hearsay that Aniston has been subjected to throughout her career.

Fans believed Ross and Rachel made it behind-the-scenes

J. Vespa/Getty Images

After the “Friends” reunion in 2021, we got confirmation on what could have been: a real-life romance between Ross and Rachel. Though the two never officially dated as Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer, their palpable chemistry on-screen had viewers thinking they had to have been something more.

The two went on to marry other people, but the speculation amped up after the coveted reunion special. For starters, the actors finally admitted that they had the hots for each other back in the day during the reunion, per Today. “I had a major crush on Jen. At some point, we were both crushing hard on each other,” Schwimmer said, with Aniston responding, “I remember saying one time to David, ‘It’s going to be such a bummer if the first time you and I actually kiss is going to be on national television.’” Despite their admission of attraction, they both expressed how they weren’t single at the same time back then, so their time never came.

Hope was brought back into people’s hearts following the special, though, as there were reports online via Closer that the two had been spending quality time together. During an interview with Entertainment Tonight after the special aired, Aniston reflected on the rumor mill starting up again. “That was bizarre. I could not believe that, actually. Like, really? That’s my brother,” she said. Aniston then admitted that she recognized the sentiment: “But I understand it, though. It just shows you how hopeful people are for fantasies, for dreams to come true.”