Ever since she rose to prominence as a 90s screen icon in go-to comfort sitcom Friends, Jennifer Aniston has found herself hijacked by some rather patronising media narratives.

First, we had the “poor Jen” dialogue that dragged on for years: Aniston was supposedly left in the shadows by erstwhile lover Brad Pitt.

This belittling thread of celebrity gossip conveniently ignores the fact that, like all of us, Aniston is a grown-up woman with full agency over her own relationship choices. Moreover, she’s so evidently satisfied and successful, why on earth would she still be haunted by a failed marriage 15 years prior?

Why is it such a surprise that Jennifer Aniston can act? Twitter jumps to defend Friends star’s “effortless” screen presence