Jennifer Aniston’s mother, Nancy Dow passed away on Wednesday May 25 in California it has been confirmed.
“It is with great sadness that my brother John and I announce the passing of our Mother Nancy Dow. She was 79 years old and passed peacefully surrounded by family and friends after enduring a long illness,” Aniston, 47, tells WHO in a statement.
“We ask that our family’s privacy be respected as we grieve our loss.”
The Friends star’s estranged mother reportedly went into hospital after a medical emergency on Sunday. It has been reported that the 79-year-old former actress suffered a series of strokes.
Jennifer Aniston, 47 and Nancy Dow had a very turbulent relationship. The two became estranged back in 1999 when Nancy published a book titled From Mother and Daughter to Friends: A Memoir. However it has been reported that Jennifer last visited her ailing mother on May 12 – the first time in nearly 5 years.
Jennifer once opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about the relationship with her mother stating, “She was critical. She was very critical of me. Because she was a model, she was gorgeous, stunning. I wasn’t. I never was. I honestly still don’t think of myself in that sort of light, which is fine. She was also very unforgiving. She would hold grudges that I just found so petty.”
Nancy Dow who was born in Connecticut married Jennifer’s father John Aniston in 1965. John, now 82-years-old, is a Greek soap opera star famous for his role as Victor Kiriakis on Days of Our Lives. John and Nancy later divorced in 1980 when Jennifer was just 9-years-old. Jennifer stayed with her mother in New York whilst her father and brother went to L.A. It was during this period that Jennifer became very close with her father’s mother.