Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon have shared a close friendship for many years. However, even after a quarter of a century, Jennifer recently discovered that Reese’s name isn’t actually Reese.
The duo, known for their roles as sisters in Friends and now as co-stars on The Morning Show, participated in a ‘Do You Even Know Me?’ game with LADbible, where their friendship was put to the test.
During the game, which included humorous anecdotes like Aniston’s haunted first apartment and Witherspoon’s viral Sabrina Carpenter error, the question about Reese’s real middle name (found at the 3:40 mark) left Aniston completely surprised.
Aniston guessed “Jane” as Reese’s middle name. However, Witherspoon corrected her, revealing that it’s actually ‘Jeanne,’ adding, “I’m Laura Jeanne.”
Aniston, taken aback, exclaimed: “Laura Jeanne!?”
Witherspoon affirmed: “That’s my real name, yeah.”
Aniston, visibly shocked, exclaimed: “What, who the hell’s Laura!?” before jokingly agreeing to call her “Laura Jeanne” from that moment on.
Reese further explained that her full name is Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon, with “Reese” coming from her middle name.
Curious, Aniston asked: “What made you go with Reese for your acting name?”
With a laugh, Reese said: “I didn’t change it; my name was just always Reese,” also admitting she didn’t know Aniston’s middle name, which is “Joanna.”
Reese was equally surprised, saying: “What?…I was today years old…”.
Buzzfeed’s Instagram account joined in the conversation, reminding everyone that Reese’s real name had been mentioned over a year ago when she discussed it with Nicole Kidman in a Vanity Fair interview, around the 8:45 mark in the video. Nonetheless, the information had somehow eluded Aniston.
Fans enjoyed the candid reaction, with one commenting on the YouTube video: “Jen’s reaction to Laura Jean is priceless. Like, she couldn’t believe it.”
Many echoed the sentiment, some humorously quoting “WHO THE HELL IS LAURA?!” on Instagram.
This revelation only reinforced the pair’s status as one of Hollywood’s most delightful friendships. Despite their long history, from sitcom collaborations to press tours, surprises still await them.
After the revelation, Aniston & Witherspoon joked: “Jennifer Joanna. Jennifer Joanna. J.J. Does anybody call you J.J? Well, I do now.”
Even after 25 years of friendship, there’s always something new to uncover.