Posted Nov. 11, 2008

If Jennifer Aniston ever wanted to escape from the tabloid Bermuda Triangle that constantly links her ex-husband Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, all hope is now lost. In the December issue of Vogue, the actress responds to Pitt-centric comments Jolie made last year in the pages of the magazine.

(©Vogue)

"There was stuff printed there that was definitely from a time when I was unaware that it was happening," says Aniston, 39. "I felt those details were a little inappropriate to discuss."

She's referring to Jolie's January 2007 sit-down, in which she indelicately revealed the genesis of her love connection with the then-married Pitt as they filmed "Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

"I didn't know much about exactly where Brad was in his personal life. But it was clear he was with his best friend, someone he loves and respects," Angelina said at the time. "I think we were the last two people who were looking for a relationship. I certainly wasn't."

But what really set Aniston off was when Jolie recollected, "Because of the film, we ended up being brought together to do all these crazy things, and I think we found this strange friendship and partnership that kind of just suddenly happened. I think a few months in I realized, 'God, I can't wait to get to work.'"

Head-shakes an incredulous Jen, "That stuff about how she couldn't wait to get to work every day? That was really uncool."

(Also presumably "uncool" to Aniston was Jolie telling the New York Times last month how she eventually wants kids Maddox, 7, Pax, 4, Zahara, 3, Shiloh, 2, and 4-month-old twins Knox and Vivienne to see the action flick because "not a lot of people get to see a movie where their parents fell in love.")

And while many of you (hey, don't look at us) are kvetching, "Geez, would the two of you just let it go already. It was nearly four years and six kids ago," Aniston insists the actual parting of ways with the "sensitivity chip"-deficient Pitt wasn't the self-proclaimed "pity party" that was painted in the press, although she herself admitted she found it "very cathartic" after the breakup to scream at the ocean.

"It was never that bad," she plays down. "I mean, look, it's not like divorce is something that you go, 'Ooh, I can't wait to get divorced!' It doesn't feel like a tickle. But I've got to tell you, it's so vague at this point, it's so far away in my mind, I can't even remember the darkness."

And while Aniston and Pitt purportedly took pains to avoid a close encounter at the Toronto Film Festival in September, she says they're still on good terms.

Brad and Jen crack each other up at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2004. They announced their split eight months later. (©Retna Ltd.)

"I mean, in the end, we really had an amicable split," she stresses. "It wasn't mean and hateful and all of this stuff that they tried to create about Brad can't talk to Jen and Jen can't talk to Brad because this person won't allow it. It just didn't happen. The marriage didn't work out. And pretty soon after we separated, we got on the phone and we had a long, long conversation with each other and said a lot of things, and ever since we've been unbelievably warm and respectful of each other."

She adds, "Whoever said everything has to be forever, that's setting your hopes too high. It's too much pressure. And I think if you put that pressure on yourself -- because I did! Fairy tale! It has to be the right one! -- that's unattainable."

The former golden couple, who vowed to remain "committed and caring friends" in their January 2005 divorce statement, "have exchanged a few very kind hellos and wishing you wells and sending you love and congratulations on your babies," reveals Aniston, adding, "I have nothing but absolute admiration for him, and ... I'm proud of him! I think he's really done some amazing things."

As for her tabloid-fueled reputation of being "needy" or "clingy" with squeezes in the post-Pitt world, she scoffs, "This whole 'Poor lonely Jen' thing, this idea that I'm so unlucky in love? I actually feel I've been unbelievably lucky in love. Just because at this stage my life doesn't have the traditional framework to it -- the husband and the two kids and the house in Connecticut -- it's mine."

Self-affirms Aniston, "It's my experience. And if you don't like the way it looks, then stop looking at it! Because I feel good. I don't feel like I'm supposed to be any further along or somewhere that I'm not. I'm right where I'm supposed to be."

One of the stops she made on that journey was in Vince Vaughn-ville: The pair hooked up while filming "The Break-Up" a few months after she called it quits with Pitt.

"I call Vince my defibrillator," laughs Aniston. "He literally brought me back to life. My first gasp of air was a big laugh! It was great. I love him. He's a bull in a china shop. He was lovely and fun and perfect for the time we had together. And I needed that. And it sort of ran its course."

Jen and John are spotted at Los Angeles' Sunset Tower Hotel on Oct. 28. (©X17Online.com)

So did her romance with John Mayer, only to have them rekindle the flame last month.

"We care about each other," she shares. "I deeply, deeply care about him; we talk, we adore one another. And that's where it is.'

Still, we're not betting on a happily-ever-after given her thoughts on the crooner's post-breakup indiscretion, when he publicly announced that he'd dumped her "because I don't want to waste somebody's time if something's not right."

"Trust me," declares Jen, "you'll never see that happen again from that man."

And even though Aniston is willing to go on the record about Mayer, she apparently doesn't want the ins-and-outs of the relationship (the age difference, his lothario reputation, her desire for kids, which she reiterates to the mag, proclaiming, "I've said it so many times: I'm going to have children. I just know it") dissected.

"People need to mind their own business!" she points out. "Did you ever think Claudia Schiffer and David Copperfield made sense?"

(And no, we're not sure who's the supermodel and who's the annoying magician in this scenario.)

Besides, observes Jen, "Love just shows up and you go, 'Oh, wow, this is going to be a hayride and a half,'" which maybe -- and we say this with lots of affection -- is something she can take a tiny bit of comfort in the next time Angelina uncooly reminisces about how she fell for Brad.