"They hugged and chatted for a bit, but Jen was busy making sure all of her other guests had an amazing time," a source tells PEOPLE
Brad Pitt attended his ex Jennifer Aniston’s birthday party on Saturday, but a source tells PEOPLE his presence didn’t define her night.
“Jen didn’t really pay any special attention to Brad,” the source says. “They hugged and chatted for a bit, but Jen was busy making sure all of her other guests had an amazing time.”
As for why Pitt, 55, received an invitation to the actress’ 50th birthday bash at the famed Sunset Tower Hotel in Los Angeles, the source explains, “Basically, every single person who loves Jen attended. This included Brad. The party was a celebration of Jen’s life.”
“Brad, for long, was a very important part of Jen’s life. She debated back and forth with friends if she should invite him,” the insider continues, adding that the actress “was very happy that he showed up.”
PEOPLE previously confirmed that Pitt was spotted on Saturday at the celebration, which was also attended by Pitt’s ex Gwyneth Paltrow as well as Aniston’s Friends costars Lisa Kudrow and Courteney Cox.
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In a series of sweet photo booth images taken from the bash, Aniston was seen smiling and getting goofy for the camera while posing with some of her closest pals.
“Love these ladies 💕Celebrated this beauty last night ✨Happy Bday JA! We all love you sooo!” Kate Hudson wrote on Sunday, alongside a series of shots of herself, Aniston, and Paltrow.
Hinting that there had been a rule about posting images from the celebration, fellow guest Katy Perry jokingly commented on the post, “NO SOCIAL MEDIA.”
In her own post, Paltrow wrote, “Happy birthday (last night and tomorrow) to #jenniferaniston our ray of sunshine, example of perpetual goodness. We love you so much and you make 50 LOOK 🔥.”
Although Aniston celebrated on Saturday, her actual birthday is on Monday.
Following the news of Aniston and ex-husband Justin Theroux‘s split in February 2018, a source with knowledge of Pitt and Aniston’s relationship told PEOPLE the stars — who were married from 2000 to 2005 — had “been over each other for longer than they were ever together.”
While Aniston and Pitt had remained friendly over the years, the source said the two weren’t especially close. “They aren’t in regular contact, beyond an occasional text back and forth to wish each other the best when there’s been a new project or big event,” the insider said at the time.
Pitt and ex Angelina Jolie called it quits in September 2016 after two years of marriage and 12 years together.
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Opening up about her personal life in the January 2019 issue of Elle, Aniston shared that even though her relationships with Pitt and Theroux didn’t last, that doesn’t mean both relationships were unsuccessful.
“I don’t feel a void. I really don’t,” the Dumplin’ star explained. “My marriages, they’ve been very successful, in [my] personal opinion. And when they came to an end, it was a choice that was made because we chose to be happy, and sometimes happiness doesn’t exist within that arrangement anymore.”
“At the end of it, this is our one life and I would not stay in a situation out of fear. Fear of being alone. Fear of not being able to survive. To stay in a marriage based on fear feels like you’re doing your one life a disservice,” she added.
Aniston went on to share that despite the fixation people have about her marital status, she’s never placed a high priority on tying the knot.
“I also was never a kid who sat around and dreamed about a wedding, you know? Those were never my fantasies. When I was first popped the question, it was so foreign to me,” she told Elle, adding that her priorities were “always about finding a home that felt safe.”