“You Were One Of The Most Beautiful Humans I Ever Knew”: Jennifer Aniston Says As Father John Anthony Died At 89

Jennifer Aniston has lost her father, John Anthony Aniston, who died on Friday at the age of 89. The Friends actress shared some pictures of her and the deceased on Instagram in an emotional post to pay tribute to him.

“Sweet papa,” she wrote, “John Anthony Aniston. You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew. I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace – and without pain. And on 11/11 no less! You always had perfect timing. That number will forever hold an even greater meaning for me now.” 

Jennifer’s message to her father ended with a promise to love him “till the end of time” as well as a reminder for him to visit.

John was an actor well known for playing Victor Kiriakis on ABC Daytime Drama Days of Our Lives from 1985 till his death. His performance earned him a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2017. He also featured in other notable series, including Mission Impossible, Star Trek: Voyager, and Gilmore Girls. Earlier this year, he was presented with a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award.

John was married to Nancy Dow, Jennifer’s mother, from 1965 to 1980. Nancy, known for her role as Athena in The Beverly Hillbillies, died in 2016 at 79 years old. According to a source, he had walked out on the actress and Jennifer when she was ten years old. He had then gone on to marry Sherry Rooney, a co-star on Love of Life with whom he had a son, Alexander.

Jennifer recently spoke about the impact her parents’ divorce had on her. The memories of the toxicity between the two left her with a sense of lack of safety that followed her into adulthood. According to a source, she did not speak to John “for ages.” She was also estranged from Nancy for a long time. But now, she has forgiven both her parents for the pain their separation caused her.

Speaking of how hard growing up was, the actress shared that she realized that Nancy was affected terribly by the divorce. Now she understands the limitations women from her mother’s generation were faced with. “Back in that generation it wasn’t like, ‘Go to therapy, talk to somebody. ‘Why don’t you start microdosing?’ You’re going through life and picking up your child with tears on your face and you don’t have any help,” she explained.