Jennifer Aniston is in her soft-romance era — and the world is loving it.
The Friends star, 56, took to Instagram on Sunday to wish her boyfriend Jim Curtis a happy birthday, sharing a rare black-and-white photo of the two wrapped in a warm embrace. In the picture, Aniston hugs Curtis from behind while he flashes a wide smile.
“Happy birthday my love,” she wrote sweetly. She added a simple, sentimental, “Cherished ❤️” — letting the photo do most of the talking.
Aniston and Curtis first sparked dating buzz in July when they were spotted looking close aboard a yacht. Since then, Curtis — a wellness author and hypnotherapist — has quietly appeared alongside her at The Morning Show season 4 premiere in September, and the pair stepped out for dinner dates, including one with Jason Bateman and his wife Amanda Anka.
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Sources close to the actress say the relationship started as friendship and grew naturally. Aniston had already read Curtis’ work and admired his approach to wellness long before meeting him. Those close to the couple say Curtis brings something new to Aniston’s life — calm and grounding energy.
“He’s very different from anyone she’s dated before,” one insider said. “He’s helped her slow down and turn inward, especially since she’s always moving at 100 miles an hour.”
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Curtis, who has spent over 20 years helping people “step into the fullest version of themselves,” is said to be one of Aniston’s biggest supporters. He appreciates her success — but even more so, the woman behind it.
“He supports her in a way that feels new,” the source said.
While Aniston remains private about her love life, she hasn’t completely hidden this one. In early September, she casually debuted Curtis in a summer photo dump captioned “Thank you summer,” and the two have been spotted enjoying quiet dinners, from Malibu to New York.
When asked about him in a recent red carpet interview, Aniston smiled and kept things simple: “That’s very nice,” she said when told Curtis seemed like “a really special guy.”
Sometimes the sweetest love stories don’t need many words — just a hug, a smile, and a soft “happy birthday.”
