Jennifer Aniston joined her boyfriend, hypnotherapist and author Jim Curtis, on stage in Manhattan this week to promote his latest self-help book, an event where Curtis openly discussed his past struggles with drug use, illness, and personal relationships.

Aniston, 57, and Curtis, 50, appeared together at the sold-out event, presenting a united front. During a question-and-answer session, Aniston shared that Curtis was helping her overcome a significant fear of public speaking by moderating the event.

Curtis, in turn, acknowledged his own challenging history, admitting to making "questionable life choices" in his youth. He detailed in his 2017 book, "The Stimulati Experience," instances of recreational drug use and heavy drinking. He also recounted a car crash that occurred after consuming hallucinogenic mushrooms and a barroom brawl while undergoing intravenous treatment.

Health Crisis and Deception

Curtis also revealed that for years he fabricated a story about a motorcycle accident to explain physical ailments. In reality, he suffered from a debilitating illness in his late teens that caused chronic pain, difficulty walking, and lesions on his spinal cord. He described lying about his condition out of shame, writing in his book, "The motorcycle accident that never happened could explain my disabilities rather than admitting to people that I was sick."

The health crisis began in the summer of 1995 when, as a 19-year-old college student, Curtis engaged in what he described as "heroic drinking, drugging, and Grateful Dead shows." A car crash followed an incident at a bar where his fake ID was confiscated, and he later hit another parked car. The day after, he noticed numbness spreading in his foot, leading to years of migraines, pain, and mobility issues.

He wrote about self-medicating with drugs and alcohol to cope with his illness before his family intervened with an intervention. During a course of intravenous treatment, he was involved in a bar fight that caused his catheter to rupture. Although he took a leave of absence from the University of New Hampshire due to his illness, he later earned a business degree and pursued a career in the digital health industry, including roles at WebMD and Remedy Health Media.

Personal Relationships

Curtis's personal life has also been marked by complex relationships. He was previously married to Rachel Napolitano, whom he met in 1999. They married in 2003 and later welcomed a son, Aiden Curtis. However, the couple eventually separated.

Curtis has been open about a difficult relationship with his now 18-year-old son, Aiden, who lives primarily with his mother and her second husband. Curtis has expressed a desire for a better relationship with his son, though he has stated that it has since improved.

Before his relationship with Aniston, Curtis also spoke of an intense infatuation with a woman he referred to as "Lucy Lou" during a human potential training program around 2015. He admitted to stalking her online after their breakup and experiencing feelings of inadequacy. To cope, he immersed himself in the self-help world, exploring meditation, alternative medicine, and visiting the Brazilian faith healer known as John of God.

Aniston and Curtis were introduced by mutual friends in early 2025. Aniston made their relationship Instagram official in November. She has publicly praised Curtis, describing him as "very special, very normal and very kind, and wants to help people heal." Insiders have suggested that Aniston values the lack of competition in their relationship compared to her previous high-profile romances.