Rain or shine, Jennifer Aniston’s new partner Jim Curtis continues to be her most steadfast supporter. The two made their official debut as a couple at Elle’s Women in Hollywood celebration on Thursday, Nov. 17, where Aniston was among several notable women honored for their artistry, influence, and ambition.
Although they didn’t walk the red carpet together, Aniston arrived with her publicist, Curtis was seated beside her inside the venue. Aniston, dressed in a sleek vintage black Ralph Lauren gown and her signature natural glam, shared a table with longtime friend and collaborator Adam Sandler and his wife, Jackie Sandler.
Curtis, a hypnotherapist, life coach, and author, waited patiently as Aniston joined the other honorees on stage for a group photo at the end of the evening.
He watched with a smile as she posed, and once the photos wrapped and the honorees dispersed, the couple slipped out of the event together.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
Adam Sandler shouts out Jennifer Aniston, Jim Curtis’ ‘love affair’
To close out the program, Sandler took the stage to present Aniston with her honor, delivering a heartfelt tribute to his longtime friend. “I’m here tonight to talk about one of our favorite women on the planet, the one and only, Jennifer Aniston,” Sandler said.
Later in his speech, the Happy Gilmore star added that he and Jackie are “so happy you and Jim found each other and are having the love affair you two deserve.”
“And we love you, Jim, and the whole world loves you, Jim,” he continued, prompting laughter from the crowd.
Sandler also reflected on his decades-spanning friendship with Aniston. “I’ve been friends with this spectacular genius since I was 22 years old, when I was a young, skinny, handsome boy,” he joked. “I can honestly say Jen is the best in so many ways and one of the most rock steady human beings I have ever met. I’ve only seen her angry maybe, like, two-and-a-half times in the 40 years I’ve hung out with her.”
In her own remarks, Aniston looked back on her long career, her first Elle Women in Hollywood honor in 2011, and her commitment to telling rich and nuanced women’s stories. She also noted that AI could never replicate what actors bring to the screen.
“That’s what keeps me showing up every day. It’s the friendships and the shared belief that storytelling still matters, that bearing our souls as actors and creators still matters,” she said, emphasizing that it’s “something AI will never be able to duplicate, no matter how smart it gets.”
She concluded by reflecting on how much she has grown since her first honor 14 years ago. “I’m definitely not the same person I was 14 years ago, thank God,” Aniston said. “But what I believed back in 2011 that still holds true is that in this industry: Women have to keep holding each other up, lifting each other up, and lighting the way and showing each other what is possible and leaving the door open behind us so no one has to kick it down.”
Earlier in the evening, Elle editor-in-chief Nina Garcia opened the event by recalling how its purpose has evolved. “At the first events, merely spotlighting the work of women in the industry felt like something new. But over the years, this event has become a forum for candid and meaningful reflection,” she said. She noted that for three decades, the celebration has both witnessed and shaped Hollywood history.
The night also honored Irish actress and Hamnet star Jessie Buckley, One Battle After Another stars Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You star Rose Byrne, Sentimental Value actress Renate Reinsve, The Smashing Machine star Emily Blunt, and Sinners cast members Jayme Lawson, Wunmi Mosaku, and Hailee Steinfeld, who could not attend.
What you didn’t see at Elle’s Women in Hollywood
Before the event officially kicked off, guests made their way from the rain-soaked red carpet into the Four Seasons Hotel ballroom. Aniston walked carefully to avoid slipping as water pooled inside from the storm outside.
Valet workers in bright yellow rain jackets and hotel staff continually mopped and dried the floor, ensuring no celebrity took an unexpected tumble—making them the true behind-the-scenes heroes of the evening.
From left: Ruth E. Carter, Yvonne Orji, Regina Hall, Niecy Nash-Betts, Jayme Lawson, and Thando Thabethe at ELLE’s Women in Hollywood event.
Comedian and Insecure star Yvonne Orji kept the energy high, greeting everyone with a smile and even calling over a photographer to capture a group shot featuring Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter, One Battle After Another star Regina Hall, All’s Fair actress Niecy Nash-Betts, Sinners breakout Jayme Lawson, and South African star Thando Thabethe. Orji, dressed in a metallic gold and green look, cheered enthusiastically for the night’s honorees.
Director Ryan Coogler and his producing partner and wife, Zinzi Evans, took their time reaching their seats as attendees stopped them to praise the success of their film Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan.
Zinzi Coogler and Ryan Coogler attend ELLE’s 2025 Women in Hollywood Celebration presented by Ralph Lauren and Bvlgari on Nov. 17, 2025, in Los Angeles, California.
Inside the ballroom, guests mingled, finished drinks, and snapped photos. Selma Blair, braving the chilly LA weather in a mini dress, caught up with Jessica Alba.
The evening brought a few surprises, too. Kerry Washington dashed from the mid-Wilshire premiere of Netflix’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery to fill in for Kevin Hart, who missed the event due to filming conflicts. She stepped in to present Teyana Taylor with her Women in Hollywood honor