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Jennifer Aniston previously gave her then-husband Brad Pitt a sweet birthday surprise when he turned 40.
Chef Jamie Oliver recalled his meeting with Aniston in the early 2000s during an episode of the Fitzy and Wippa with Kate Ritchie radio show, which aired on July 31. During the interview, she revealed how she had previously cooked for celebrities, including Pitt.
“I was actually Brad Pitt’s 40th birthday present from Jen,” he revealed. “She called and we hung up on her three times because we didn’t believe it was her. We thought it was someone trying it on. So she had to talk to my agent through her agent, but I didn’t have an agent, so it took a while.”
Oliver, who previously hosted a popular British cooking show. The Naked Chef – he continued to reflect on his conversation with the Friends alumnus, noting that Pitt was a great admirer of his work.
“She said, ‘Would you cook for Brad?’” he explained. “He’s very into it. The Naked Chef And all that, like I saw it on TV and all that. I said, 'Absolutely, and I'll do it for love, because I love them.'”
He explained how he brought two members of his then-small team to cook for the former couple, and shared that Pitt's co-star from Fight ClubEd Norton and Aniston's co-star FriendsCourtney Cox was at the birthday celebration.
While Oliver acknowledged that he doesn't have to make a habit of “deliberately cooking for celebrities,” he made an exception for Pitt. The chef also shared that he still keeps in touch with the former couple.
“[I] “I only do it if I’m working at the restaurant and they’re there, or if someone I love or admire asks me to, which was the case with Jen and Brad,” she explained. “Brad turned 40, so I’ve known him for 20 years… They’re both beautiful people. I haven’t seen Brad in a while. I saw Jen a couple weeks ago and she’s everything you’d expect her to be, and more.”
In 2014, Oliver's wife Jools also spoke about attending Pitt's 40th birthday celebration. During an interview with Red magazine, she confessed how nervous she was to talk to Cox and Aniston.
“Jamie was making dinner, so I had to sit and socialize with Brad, Rachel and Monica,” she said, referring to the celebrity characters on the 90s sitcom. “I was so embarrassed I didn’t know what to say. Brad had just done Troy “And he was taking off his shirt to show me his abs. From that point on, I just kind of backed away from it all, it was too much.”
Aniston and Pitt were one of Hollywood's most beloved couples after they began dating in 1998. They officially tied the knot in 2000, before announcing their decision to split four years later.
However, Aniston has made it clear that since their split, she and her ex have remained on good terms. During an appearance on SiriusXM's The Howard Stern Show In 2021, she spoke about her friendship with Pitt and the opportunity they had to work together again for a live table read to raise money for Fast times at Ridgemont High.
“It was absolutely fun. Brad and I are friends,” she said, noting that there is nothing weird between them after the breakup as they remain in touch.
“And we talked, and there’s nothing strange about it at all, except for everyone who probably saw it and wanted there to be, or assumed there would be,” he said. Morning show said the star.