Jennifer Aniston Responds to David Schwimmer Dating Rumors

Jennifer Aniston is shooting down the "bizarre" rumors that she and former Friends co-star David Schwimmer are dating after rekindling some kind of spark between them after the sitcom's HBO Max reunion special aired back in May. The actress once again denied the speculation in an interview with Entertainment Tonight Monday, saying she understood where people were coming from despite their assumptions being incorrect.

"That was bizarre. I could not believe that, actually. Like, really? That's my brother," Aniston said. "But I understand it, though. It just shows you how hopeful people are for fantasies, for dreams to come true." Aniston and Schwimmer's Friends characters, Rachel Green and Ross Gellar, famously had an on-again, off-again relationship, and the two actors revealed during the HBO Max reunion that they had crushes on one another during the show's original run.

"The first season, we-- I had a major crush on Jen," Schwimmer said, to which Aniston replied, "It was reciprocated." Schwimmer continued, "At some point, we were both crushing hard on each other, but it was like two ships passing because one of us was always in a relationship. And we never crossed that boundary. We respected that."

Soon after, reports surfaced claiming the two actors were spending more time together after the reunion "stirred up feelings" for both of them. Reps from both Aniston and Schwimmer said at the time that the rumors were nothing but fantasy, but speculation continued from many die-hard Friends fans. While the HBO Max reunion might not have rekindled feelings for the two stars, it did pick up four Emmy nominations, which Aniston told Entertainment Tonight was nothing she expected. "It's very exciting, and it was, kind of, not even expected," she said. "We're in the same category as Hamilton, so that's the closest I'll get to a Broadway show. But yes, that was a nice surprise." 

Friends: The Reunion was notably nominated for outstanding variety special against Bo Burnham: Inside (Netflix), David Byrne's American Utopia (HBO), 8:46: Dave Chappelle (Netflix), Hamilton (Disney+) and A West Wing Special (HBO Max). The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards air Sunday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. ET.