Who said exes can’t be friends? Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston are proof that just because things didn’t work out, doesn’t mean you have to be done with each other forever.
This week, the actress celebrated her 52nd birthday, and in keeping with his yearly tradition, Theroux was one of the first to send her a sweet message via Instagram.
“Happy birthday @jenniferaniston,” he wrote alongside a black and white photo of The Morning Show star appearing at the bottom of a staircase. “[red heart emoji] you B!”
Theroux and Aniston tied in the knot in 2015, but announced their separation in February 2018, just days after the actresses’ 49th birthday. The couple’s decision to split “was mutual and lovingly made at the end of last year,” they told Associated Press at the time.
“Normally we would do this privately, but given that the gossip industry cannot resist an opportunity to speculate and invent, we wanted to convey the truth directly,” they said in the statement at the time. “Whatever else is printed about us that is not directly from us, is someone else’s fictional narrative. Above all, we are determined to maintain the deep respect and love that we have for one another.”
Despite their split, the actor sends his ex a birthday message on social media every year, always using his sweet nickname for her—B.
In 2020, Theroux shared a hilarious pic of Aniston “grabbing 2020 & another year just like…”, along with “happy Birthday, B ❤️.”
Fans still have no idea what Theroux’s “B” stands for, and E! News has previously attempted to decode the moniker. “There is no telling what exactly the Leftovers star meant by ‘B’ considering that’s neither her first or last initial, and her middle name is Joanna. Must mean it’s a sweet—and possibly secret—nickname Justin has for his former love.”
In February 2019, before Aniston even joined social media, Theroux celebrated his ex-wife’s 50th birthday with another social media post. He wrote, “Happy Birthday to this fierce Woman. Fiercely loving. Fiercely kind. ….and fiercely funny. ❤️ you B.”
Now, here’s hoping next year’s birthday post contains a detailed explanation behind “B”.