No, David Schwimmer and Jennifer Aniston Are Not Dating

Seventeen years after their on-screen relationship came to an end, Friends fans are apparently still shipping Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer getting together in real life.

On Monday, the tabloid Closer published a report claiming that the two former co-stars had recently become romantically involved after having “grown close” again while shooting the Friends 25th anniversary special for HBO Max earlier this year. This notion that the actors, who played one of TV’s most iconic on-again, off-again couples, might be in an actual relationship got social media so worked up that Schwimmer’s rep had to issue a statement to The Sun to let the public know that there is “no truth” to these rumors.

This speculation about the nature of their relationship seems to have all began at the Friends reunion taping. At one point, host James Corden asks if any of the cast members developed real-life crushes on one another throughout of the show. Aniston prompts Schwimmer to respond, and the actor confesses he had a “major crush” on her at the time. He continued, “At some point, we were 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.” Aniston replied, “Honestly, 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 going to be on national television.’ Sure enough, first time we kissed was in that coffee shop.” She added that instead of acting on those feelings for each other, they “channeled” it into their characters instead.

During an interview on The Howard Stern Show in June where she was joined by Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow, the Golden Globe winner further explained, “We were in relationships and it was always never the right time and it wouldn’t have worked. The beauty of that was that whatever feelings we had we just literally channeled everything into Ross and Rachel and I think that’s maybe why it resonated the way it did. But no, we never, on my life [got together]. And Courteney and Lisa would know if it did because they would’ve heard about it. They can vouch for me.” Aniston concluded with a laugh, “I would proudly say I banged Schwimmer if that happened, but no.”