Jennifer Aniston Devastated After Her Actor Father John Aniston Dies At 89

The Hollywood star Jennifer Aniston of “Friends” fame is in mourning this week after her actor father John Aniston, who starred on the soap opera “Days Of Our Lives,” died on Friday at the age of 89.

Jennifer’s Father Dies

Jennifer, 53, took to Instagram to pay tribute to her father after his passing.

“Sweet papa…⁣ John Anthony Aniston,” she wrote alongside photos of her with her dad. “You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew. I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace – and without pain. And on 11/11 no less! You always had perfect timing. That number will forever hold an even greater meaning for me now.”

“I’ll love you till the end of time,” Jennifer concluded. “Don’t forget to visit.”

John Aniston’s History

Daily Mail reported that John was best known for playing Victor Kiriakis on “Days Of Our Lives,” which he’d starred on from 1985 until his death. He won Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2017 for his work on the soap opera, and he received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award earlier this year. This last honor was presented to him by Jennifer, and you can check out that sweet moment for yourself in the video below. 

Jennifer is the daughter of John and his ex-wife Nancy Dow, an actress who passed away back in May of 2016. John had been married to Nancy for 11 years before he walked out on her in 1979, with Jennifer telling Rolling Stone in 1999 that this was the most “painful” period in her life.

“My mom told me,” she recalled of her father leaving. “I went to a birthday party, and when I came back, she said, ‘Your father’s not going to be around here for a little while.'”

“She didn’t say he was gone forever,” Jennifer added. “I don’t know if I blocked it, but I just remember sitting there, crying, not understanding that he was gone. I don’t know what I did later that night or the next day. I don’t remember anything other than it being odd that all of a sudden my father wasn’t there. And he was gone for a while. About a year.”

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Jennifer went on to say that she did not hear from her father once during this period.

“He just called one day and said, ‘Let’s go see The Fantastickes,'” she said. “So we had a little dinner and saw the show. After that, I started seeing him on weekends, and this new way of life just unfolded.”

Jennifer would later ask her father why he left.

“Like I said, he’s not a good communicator,” she explained. “Maybe if my parents had talked more. There were signs, but also, knowing my father, he probably didn’t say anything. But, as best he could, my dad explained and apologized, and it’s enough. We’ve made up. There’s still parts that are hard for me, but I’m an adult. I can’t blame my parents anymore.”

Jennifer And John Reconcile

Jennifer and John completely reconciled, and she even admitted to calling him every day during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Jen forgave her father for walking out a long time ago. But their relationship has had its ups and downs,” a source said in 2020. “Jennifer didn’t speak to him for ages. But since the coronavirus crisis she has been on the phone almost every day. And not just brief conversations.”

“It’s like she has realized life is very short and she wants her relationship with John to be the best it can be,” the insider added. “He’s thrilled that they have reconciled.”

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Jennifer once described her father as, “Tall, six feet two inches; a gentle giant, really. One of the nicest men you’ll ever meet. Unbelievably shy and funny.”

Losing a parent is an incredibly devastating experience regardless of how old you are, so we can’t imagine what Jennifer is going through right now. Please join us in saying a prayer for her during this difficult time.