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Jennifer Aniston Still Feels Shamed By The Media, A Year After Publishing Powerful Op-Ed

Jennifer Aniston Still Feels Shamed By The Media, A Year After Publishing Powerful Op-Ed
Michael Tran via Getty Images
HOLLYWOOD, CA - JULY 26: Jennifer Aniston attends the ceremony honoring Jason Bateman with a Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame held on July 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Tran/FilmMagic)
Michael Tran via Getty Images

A little over a year ago, Jennifer Aniston wrote a candid essay for HuffPost on the topic of tabloids and celebrity gossip sites, and their relentless pursuit at dissecting every aspect of her private life.

The actress was sick of being scrutinized, body-shamed and picked apart in the media, so she voiced her opinion.

Aniston wrote, in part, "... The reality is the stalking and objectification I've experienced first-hand, going on decades now, reflects the warped way we calculatea woman's worth," adding of all the pregnancy stories surrounding her, "I resent being made to feel 'less than' because my body is changing and/or I had a burger for lunch and was photographed from a weird angle and therefore deemed one of two things: 'pregnant' or 'fat.'"

Although she hoped things would slightly shift after she spoke out, it appears tabloid coverage has remained the same. In a new interview with Vogue, Aniston says, "I don't think it's getting much better," and explains the effect this culture is having on young women.

"I think the problem is the tabloids and the gossip columns taking the human body and putting it in a category. They're either fat-shaming, or body-shaming, or childless-shaming. It's a weird obsession that people have and I don't understand exactly why they need to take people who are out there to entertain you, and rip them apart and bully them? Why are we teaching young women this? It's incredibly damaging," Aniston said.

Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux.
Michael Tran via Getty Images
Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux.

The actress, who has been tabloid fodder for years now, has learned to shut out the chatter around her, but is still agitated by the lack of respect the media has for people's personal decisions. (Like Aniston and her husband Justin Theroux's choice to have a child or not.)

"I was finally like, This has just got to stop! I couldn't hear this narrative anymore about being pregnant or not pregnant; you have no idea what is going on personally in our lives and why that is or is not happening and it feels ... In my own brain, I've shifted my perspective, so who gives a shit!" Aniston announced, continuing, "If you're going to walk out and have your nipples showing, or your belly is a little bloated, or you're not at the weight you want to be — you are perfect no matter what you are and no matter where you are and who cares! You have to tune out the noise, which is fine by me, because I just know that I'm happy and healthy and doing everything I can to be good in the world and to the people I work with. But, it's hard."

Unfortunately, Aniston doesn't see things changing until the public switches their own views on ingesting celebrity news.

"It's something that people are addicted to: Salacious stories," she said. "Maybe [gossip magazines] will be dead one day. Who ever thought Donald Trump would be the President of the United States? I didn't. I can't predict squat anymore."

Head to Vogue for the full interview.

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