Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer are reportedly 'dating'

Jen and David have been getting close since the Friends reunion

Author: Daisy MclurePublished 11th Aug 2021
Last updated 11th Aug 2021

It was the bombshell that sent fans into meltdown during the Friends reunion show in May – Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer finally revealed they’d secretly harboured feelings for each other in real life, which they’d had to “channel” through their characters, Ross and Rachel, as they were always in other relationships off-screen.

And, in a revelation that will no doubt send fans into a further frenzy, insiders tell Closer that the former co-stars, who are both currently single, have been growing close again since shooting the sitcom’s 25th anniversary special.

Their characters Ross and Rachel had an iconic on-screen romance

A source says: "After the reunion, it became clear that reminiscing over the past had stirred up feelings for both of them and that chemistry they’d always had to bury was still there. They began texting immediately after filming and, just last month, David flew from his home in New York to see Jen in LA.

“They’ve been spending time at Jen’s home, where she’s cooked dinners in the evenings, and have enjoyed quality time together, chatting and laughing. They were also spotted drinking wine, deep in conversation, as they walked around one of Jen’s favourite vineyards in Santa Barbara, where it was clear there was lots of chemistry between them.”

Last week, the pair seemingly flirted with each other online as they promoted merchandise for the show. In his snap, David posed in a “lobsters” T-shirt featuring a silhouette print of their characters, and tagging Jen. In return, she captioned her post: 'For the record… we were SO not on a break', in reference to their on-screen romance.

During the reunion show in May, host James Corden said it was “inconceivable” there were no off-screen romances during the show’s run from 1994 to 2004, to which David admitted: “I had a major crush on Jen,” who replied: “It was reciprocated.”

The 54-year-old actor, who shares 10-year-old daughter, Cleo, with his British ex-wife, Zoë Buckman, continued: “We were both crushing hard on each other, but it was like two ships passing. One of us was always in a relationship and we never crossed that boundary.”

Reminiscing about their iconic on-screen relationship, Jennifer, 52, added: “I remember saying one time to David, ‘It’s going to be such a bummer if the first time you and I actually kiss is on national television.’ And sure enough, it was.

“We just channelled all of our adoration and love for each other into Ross and Rachel.”

Check out which celebrity couples give us serious goals:

Travis Scott and Kourtney Kardashian

These two have been inseparable since they started dating in 2020, and in October 2021, Travis proposed to Kourtney with one of the most romantic proposals ever!


The couple then got married in May 2022 and and welcomed their son Rocky Thirteen Barker in 2023.

Ed Sheeran and Cherry Seaborn

Superstar singer Ed Sheeran delighted fans across the world when he announced he'd proposed to his long-term girlfriend Cherry Seaborn.


Despite keeping their relationship relatively private, Cherry often pops up on Ed's Instagram account and the pair now have two children together.

Gemma Atkinson and Gorka Marquez

After meeting on Strictly, actress Gemma Atkinson started dating pro dancer Gorka in 2018. The pair went on to have two children together, Mia and Thiago, with Gorka popping the question on Valentine's Day in 2021.


In February 2024, the pair celebrated their sixth anniversary together.

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom

Pop princess Katy and Hollywood actor Orlando give us serious goals, especially after announcing their engagement on Valentine's Day in 2019.


Although they were forced to postpone their wedding in 2020 due to the Coronavirus, the pair welcomed a baby girl in 2020 and reports suggest they have plans for a 2024 wedding.

Perrie Edwards and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Despite their busy work schedules, Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards and England footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain never fail to delight us with their super cute photos.


The pair always support each other in their careers as well! Perrie often attends Alex's football games, whilst he regularly turns up to Perrie's shows and events.


The happy couple welcomed a baby boy called Axel into the world in August 2021 and Alex popped the question to Perrie in June 2022.

Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Andre Gray

It seems love is totally in the air for the Little Mix girls right now. Leigh-Anne Pinnock is also super loved up with her footballer boyfriend Andre Gray.


During lockdown in 2020, Andre popped the question to Leigh-Anne in the couple's back garden as the pair celebrated their fourth anniversary.


The couple welcomed twins into the world in August 2021 and got married in 2023.

Jade Thirlwall and Jordan Stephens

Another Little Mix girl in love is Jade Thirlwall! Jade started dating Rizzle Kicks star Jordan Stephens after enjoying Zoom dates during lockdown! The pair have since been smitten and in 2024 they'll celebrate their fourth anniversary.

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively

They first met on the set of the Green Lantern in 2010 and after confirming their romance in 2011, the pair haven't looked back!


The married couple, who have four children together, often post hilarious photos to their social media accounts mocking one another.

JAY Z and Beyoncé

They are potentially one of the coolest celebrity couples around, and after 14 years of marriage, JAY Z and Beyoncé show no signs of toning down their PDA.

David and Victoria Beckham

Posh and Becks are one of the ultimate celebrity super couples! Marrying in 1999, the couple now have four children together and still post super loved up photos of each other.


The pair kept fans up to date with their romance during lockdown, often posting photos and videos of each other to their Instagram pages, and now they've recently opened up about the past struggles in their marriage in new Netflix series Beckham.

Tyler West and Molly Rainford

KISS presenter Tyler West met former EastEnders actress Molly Rainford when the pair both took part in the 2022 series of Strictly Come Dancing. After going public in April 2023, the pair have been smitten since, moving in together in early 2024. Both Tyler and Molly also share the most adorable photos together on social media.

Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin

Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin got married twice back in 2018 and since then their social feeds have been flooded with loved-up snaps, with Biebs often publicly announcing his love for the model.


The pair celebrated their fifth anniversary in 2023, and in May 2024 announced they are expecting their first child together.

Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling

Former Love Island host Laura Whitmore and legendary Love Island voiceover Iain Stirling continue to give us goals!


In 2020 the loved-up couple got married in a secret ceremony and welcomed their first child together in early 2021.

Joe Swash and Stacey Solomon

Ever since they started dating back in 2016, Joe Swash and Stacey Solomon have been unbreakable, with the couple welcoming their first child together, a boy called Rex, in May 2019.


Joe proposed to his girl on Christmas Eve in 2020 and in October 2021, welcomed a baby girl called Rose. The couple then expanded their family again in 2023, with Stacey giving birth to another baby girl, as well as the couple getting married.

Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black

Olympian Tom Daley and his husband Dustin Lance Black have proved that age is just a number! Despite having a 20 year age gap, the happy couple welcomed their first child together in 2018.


The happy couple married at a stunning ceremony with close friends and family back in 2017.

Tom and Giovanna Fletcher

They've gained a massive online fan following for their super cute videos, and Tom and Giovanna Fletcher took things to the next level when they welcomed their third child into the world in 2018.


Tom was also so supportive of his wife when she appeared on the 2020 series of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. As was she when he appeared on the 2021 series of Strictly.

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis

After meeting on That 70s Show, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis's friendship blossomed into a romance in 2012. The pair are now married and have two children together.

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel warm our hearts with their super cute red carpet appearances. The pair look so loved up and can never take their eyes off each other!


The couple welcomed their second child together in 2020 after a 'secret pregnancy' during lockdown.

Kate Wright and Rio Ferdinand

Former TOWIE star Kate Wright's romance with footballer Rio Ferdinand is going from strength to strength. Not only are these two cute together, Kate is adorable to Rio's three children after they tragically lost their mum to cancer.


The pair got married in a lavish ceremony in Turkey in September 2019 and welcomed their first child together in 2020, a baby boy called Cree. In 2023, Kate gave birth to the couple's first daughter together.

A year after the sitcom finished in 2004, Jen’s five-year marriage to Brad Pitt ended amid his rumoured affair with Angelina Jolie, with whom he is now embroiled in a bitter divorce battle.

Following Jen’s second divorce from Justin Theroux in 2018, fans hoped she and Brad would reunite after they were seen hugging at an awards ceremony in 2020, but she recently insisted they were just “good friends”.

The pair have been hanging out a lot recently

Instead, she began dating an unnamed TV producer last November , but Closer revealed last month that it had ended due to his insecurities over her close relationships with her exes.

Despite David, who has dated singer and actress Natalie Imbruglia and former S Club 7 star Tina Barrett in the past, being snapped with a mystery woman, pals say his feelings for Jen have distracted him from other love interests.

And 25 years after Ross Geller got his “lobster” – Rachel Green, whom he ended up having a baby with on the show – pals say the pair could finally act on two decades of buried feelings.

The source says: “David’s smitten with Jen and the feelings are definitely mutual.

“While there’s the obvious distance issue between them, as they live on opposite sides of the country, they are keen to keep the spark alive and make it work.”

And pals say their co-stars, Courteney Cox, 57, Lisa Kudrow, 58, Matt LeBlanc, 54, and Matthew Perry, 51, are already joking about wedding bells.

The source adds: “Jen had to ask Courteney and Lisa to rein in their excitement after they got carried away and started talking of an engagement!

“It’s still early days and Jen’s trying not to focus too much on the future or put pressure on it, but there’s a deep affection between them with the solid base of a long-term friendship.”

You can read the full story in this week's Closer Magazine.

How to listen to heat radio:

If your favourite music icons are the Spice Girls and your favourite Ks are Kylie and the Kardashians, you need heat Radio in your life! heat Radio is portable, so you can listen to us on the move. Simply download our app from your phone’s app store, listen online at heatradio.com and at heatworld.com. We’re on all the smart speakers too, just say “play heat Radio".