Brad Pitt & Jennifer Aniston: Why Reuniting At Her Holiday Party Was ‘Meaningful’

Brad Pitt going to Jennifer Aniston’s Christmas party doesn’t mean they’re getting back together. It was a ‘meaningful’ and ‘therapeutic’ experience that gave Brad a chance to reignite his friendship with his ex, and see old pals, we’ve learned exclusively.

Fans were utterly delighted to see Brad Pitt arriving at Jennifer Aniston‘s annual Christmas bash on December 15, but nobody was more excited about the party than Brad himself. Despite fans’ wishes, the former spouses, who divorced in 2005, aren’t pursuing anything romantic. Brad, 55, was just truly happy that he and his ex-wife could be in such a good, friendly place all these years later, a source close to the Ad Astra star told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “Spending time with Jen in a friendly atmosphere was therapeutic for Brad, who never wanted things with her to end on a sour note,” the source said. “It makes him happy, and it shows him that people really can figure out their differences and move forward. He finds it promising that he’s been able to rectify past faults and be in a great place again with Jen.”

Since their respective divorces from Angelina Jolie (Brad) and Justin Theroux (Jennifer), the exes have spent a little bit of time together. Much to fans’ shock, Brad attended Jennifer’s 50th birthday party in February. The Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood star tried to keep a low profile, but there’s obviously no way that appearance could go unnoticed. He tried something similar for the Christmas party, which was held at Jennifer’s home in Bel Air. Amidst a sea of celebrity guests, including Jen’s Morning Show co-star Reese Witherspoon, and Tom Hanks, Brad tried to slip inside unnoticed while wearing a cap. The truth is, Brad was there to see those other celebs as much as Jennifer! “Most of Jennifer’s friends are Brad’s friends too, so it was a nice chance for him to see a lot of people he cares about all at once,” a second insider told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “It was like a reunion.”

Jennifer’s decision to invite him to her tree trimming party after all these years apart is deeply “meaningful” to Brad, as Jen started the tradition not too long after they started dating nearly 20 years ago,” our first source said, adding that, “it’s actually pretty heartwarming.” We have to agree! They stressed that fans shouldn’t get their hopes up about a romantic reunion — “it’s just not happening.” The second source echoed that statement, revealing that Brad’s hoping their friendship will last a lifetime.

HollywoodLife reached out to Brad Pitt’s rep for comment on this story, but did not hear back as of press time.