Jennifer Aniston’s Mother Nancy Dow Has Died, Actress Asks For Privacy
Jennifer Aniston is currently mourning the loss of her mother, Nancy Dow, who died after a long illness. According to People.com, Aniston and her mother had been estranged for years, but the actress decided to end the feud when her mother became very ill so she could be at her bedside.
In a statement to People.com, Aniston said the following of her mother’s passing.
“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. We ask that our family’s privacy be respected as we grieve our loss.”
Jennifer Aniston’s mother dies: She “passed peacefully surrounded by family and friends.” https://t.co/WCzS87RR07 pic.twitter.com/yEDVq9swth
— Inside Edition (@InsideEdition) May 26, 2016
Despite the infamous rift between the two, a source close to the situation told People.com, that this is a heartbreaking time for Jennifer Aniston.
“No matter how complicated and difficult the relationship between Nancy and Jennifer may have been, it is heartbreaking for any daughter to lose her mother.”
The source continued as follows.
“Nancy fought a very long battle, with many ups and downs, and Jennifer is grateful for the happy times they shared. She is pulling close to her husband and family and feels so supported by their love.”
Jennifer Aniston is mourning the loss of her mother Nancy Dow: https://t.co/Q49lnLhkzY #abc13 pic.twitter.com/MfWPoRRKFS
— Houston News (@abc13houston) May 26, 2016
Last year, she spoke to the Hollywood Reporter about her relationship with mother Nancy Dow. Aniston alluded that she didn’t have a picture-perfect family life. Coming from a broken home, Aniston said she struggled with dyslexia and having anger issues while being raised by her mother, who she called “critical” at the time.
Although she said her relationship with her mother was “fine” she detailed one instance that haunted her.
“She had a temper. I can’t tolerate that. If I get upset, I will discuss [things]. I will never scream and get hysterical like that. [But] I was never taught that I could scream. One time, I raised my voice to my mother, and I screamed at her, and she looked at me and burst out laughing. She was laughing at me [for] screaming back. And it was like a punch in my stomach.”
Aniston continued.
“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.”
The two were estranged for well over ten years when their relationship suffered the ultimate betrayal at the hands of Dow. Back in 1999, Jennifer Aniston’s mother wrote a tell-all about her daughter called, From Mother and Daughter to Friends: A Memoir. Due to this, Dow missed out on Aniston’s first wedding to actor Brad Pitt.
Although for most of her adult life she was estranged from her mother, Aniston was always supported by her father, actor John Aniston. In 2012, the actor attended her Hollywood Walk of Fame event. Despite falling in and out of it with her mother, Aniston said that she has learned a lot from her parents.
“Time moves really quickly these days, I don’t know why. How many times did our parents say, ‘Stop wanting everything to rush’? You want summer to be over, you want Christmas to be over, you want this to be over, you want everything to be over just so you can get to the next thing. And boy, you really wish you’d listened to a lot of the things they said.”
[Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images]
