Jennifer Aniston Watch

While Jen is typically modest about her charity contributions, she does make her voice heard when she has the opportunity to raise awareness for a cause that she believes in, much as she has often done for organizations such as St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Well, she’s now putting her star power behind the U.S. Campaign for Burma, a petition campaign to back the release of Burmese political leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose democratic rule was overthrown by a military regime. Jen appears in a rather clever video on BurmaCantWait.org, and she is joined by Management costar Woody Harrelson and longtime pal (and yoga instructor) Mandy Ingber. Check out the site for Jen’s video, along with others - and for an opportunity to make your own voice heard.

Just a reminder - check out Oprah’s Big Give at 8/7c tonight to catch Jen’s special appearance! Word is that Jen appears to deliver some big news; wonder what that could be?

Jen with Eva Longoria and Orlando Bloom at Tuesday’s EBMRF dinner at Beso (WireImage)

More pictures have surfaced from Tuesday’s fundraiser for the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation at Eva Longoria’s restaurant Beso, including pictures of Jen palling around with Courteney, Eva, and Orlando Bloom. Furthermore, not only did the event raise money for EBMRF, but it was announced today that Stiefel Laboratories, a pharmaceutical company noted for its contributions in the field of dermatology, will match all funds raised via Courteney and David’s recent fundraising challenge for the cause. According to this press release, this was announced to guests at the event. At Beso, guests enjoyed good food and great company, all for a very good cause!

More pictures of Jen and friends under the jump!

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Attention Jen fans: On April 20, be sure not to miss our girl delivering some “big news” on Oprah’s Big Give. According to Us Weekly, Jen makes her appearance at a pivotal moment in the competition, which urges its contestants to “give big or go home.” Judge (and longtime Jen pal) Jamie Oliver found it hard to keep mum about Jen’s participation in the project:

“What can I possibly say that won’t get my ass kicked?” judge Jamie Oliver told Usmagazine.com before the season started. “I not allowed to say anything — but believe me, I’d love to!”

For those who haven’t already been watching the show (which airs on Sunday evenings on ABC), I do have to say that I recommend it strongly. While the Big Givers aren’t entirely exempt from the pitfalls that befall many reality show contestants (cue the “I don’t want to be eliminated” confessional), it ultimately is inspiring to see the creative, thoughtful ways that the contestants find to better the communities that they visit.

Special thanks to Caity for the heads-up!

It seems like it’s been ages since we first heard about Jen’s involvement in Oprah’s Big Give; indeed, a look through the archives confirms that it has been the better part of a year, and with other recent excitement, it is one project that seems to have fallen off the radar of some Jen fans. However, a recent advertisement and addition to the ABC website confirms that the show is set to premiere on March 2nd, with Jen making a special appearance; check out the commercial here.

This advertisement also clarifies any confusion about the format of the show, which in early news items was somewhat unclear; some seemed to suggest that Jen and other celebrities would actually be among the contestants, when in fact her role in the program is slightly different. The premise of the show is to “give big or go home”. Contestants will be given a sum of money, with the task of finding the most effective way of helping others with it. It seems that Jen, along with other celebs including John Travolta and Jada Pinkett Smith, will be on hand to surprise the contestants as they progress through the competition and participate in escalating challenges across the country, while Jen’s friend Jamie Oliver is on the judging panel. At the end of the show, the biggest giver will be surprised with one million dollars!

Looks like a unique premise, and definitely something to look forward to! Be sure to tune in! More screencaps of the advertisement under the jump.

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Jen has been a longtime supporter of St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, a pediatric cancer treatment center famous for its generosity with families who could otherwise not afford treatment. Through her friendship with Marlo Thomas, who played Sandra Green on Friends, Jen has been involved in raising funds for St. Jude over the past decade; she has been involved in the Thanks and Giving campaign since its inception, and she has even appeared in their Runway For Life event, with “Mama Marlo” by her side.

Jen has continued her commitment to this wonderful cause, by once again appearing in the campaign; this time, she accompanies a courageous young man by the name of Bryce (above), who can personally attest to the St. Jude commitment to saving lives. The hospital’s website makes support of the campaign very easy, and the site also includes video messages from Jen and other celebrity friends of the cause.

Jennifer Aniston, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Thanks And Giving, charity

According to E! News, Jen is set to lend a hand in two concerts for peace led by Canadian photographer/musician Bryan Adams. The concerts will take place in Israel and Palestine, and they will be broadcast by satellite to other venues in major cities the world over. In addition to music by Israeli and Palestinian artists, the concerts will feature video messages from Jen and a variety of other celebrities. As we know, Jen has been involved in a variety of causes, and this event is of particular interest, as it reunites Jen with Adams, who photographed her in 2004 for the Tickled Pink campaign for breast cancer research (above). From E!:

Bryan Adams has announced he will headline two peace concerts Oct. 18, calling for an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as part of the New York-based OneVoice Movement. The organization seeks to create a grassroots movement to bring about a two-state solution to end decades of strife.
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Also lending their support to the campaign are Danny DeVito and wife Rhea Perlman, Brad Pitt and, ironically, ex-wife Jennifer Aniston, Natalie Portman, Edward Norton and Seinfeld alum Jason Alexander, all of whom will reportedly contribute video messages which will be shown during the concerts.

Jen has long been involved in causes that promote peace and prosperity around the world, and for years she has stated that a personal goal of hers is to educate herself on world affairs. It is wonderful to see her making good on that, and OneVoice, the organization behind the concert, takes a unique approach. They seek to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the participation of both governments, and during the concert and related events, they will petition concertgoers for their support. Those unable to attend the concerts can still show their support at onemillionvoices.org.. While Jen has always been modest about her contributions, this is one instance in which a public stance is necessary, and her alignment with this cause can only do positive things in furthering their mission. The diverse array of supporters speaks for itself; peace in the Middle East is a goal whose achievement benefits everybody.

Jennifer Aniston, Bryan Adams, OneVoice, charity, peace, Middle East

St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital has long been one of Jen’s favorite causes, and at this event in August of 2003, Jen showed her support once more. Alongside TV mom Marlo Thomas, Jen participated in the second annual Runway For Life, raising funds for research and treatment of children with cancer.

She even took a leap, walking the runway for the first time, and according to top catwalker Cindy Crawford, Jen took to it naturally. On the catwalk, Jen showed off a sparkly black dress, but her red carpet ensemble was a bit more understated, although no less stunning. As is often the case, Jen not only looked good at this event, but did some good as well.

Jennifer Aniston, Runway For Life 2003, fashion, St. Jude’s

It’s been a while since any new Smartwater news, but it now seems that Jen and Glaceau have taken on a very worthy cause:

poor nutrition and a lack of physical activity among america’s children are at an all-time high. that’s why jennifer aniston and smartwater have teamed up with the non-profit group Action for Healthy Kids - an organization with a smart approach: make changes in schools to help students eat and drink well and exercise more.

. . .

to make a donation to Action for Healthy Kids please send a check to:
Action for Healthy Kids
4711 Golf Road
Skokie, IL 60076

www.glaceau.com

As she often does, Jen is getting involved in a great cause and ultimately, she is doing her part to make the world a better place.

Glaceau, Jennifer Aniston, smartwater, Action for Healthy Kids

As they do, Celebrity Babylon has once again given us new Jen candids along with their own rather interesting take on them. She is seen here wearing an OmniPeace shirt; the sales of these shirts and other goods at http://omni-peace.com/ benefit Millennium Promise, which aims to end extreme poverty by 2025.

What many sources reporting this seem to forget is that Omni means all. This is not a partisan issue, and this is not a team issue. Each and every celebrity who supports this cause is doing good for humankind. Altruism, at its best, is a cooperative effort, and it looks as though Millennium Promise is well on its way to epitomizing that ideal.

charity, celebrity, OmniPeace, Millennium Promise

Jen and Jamie in 2004

More details have emerged about Jen’s involvement in Oprah’s new show The Big Give. She and Jamie Oliver will be one of the teams competing to raise money for charity, in the most creative way possible. Look To The Stars, a website about celebrity contributions to charity, tells us:

. . . Contestants will strive to find “the most powerful, sensational, emotional and dramatic ways to give to others” as they travel through the U.S. inventing creative ways to help local communities and make a difference to the lives of the people they meet. The winner will be the person who makes the biggest impact with the large amount of money they are given.

Eager to get involved in the project, Jennifer Aniston and Jamie Oliver have agreed to feature in one of the 8 episodes, raising as much money as they can for charity. . .

Without a doubt, Jen’s altruism and originality will prove to be valuable assets here.

Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Oliver, Oprah, The Big Give, charity, reality TV

Contact Music brings us this tidbit about Jen’s possible upcoming collaboration with Oprah and Jamie Oliver:

ANISTON TEAMS UP WITH OLIVER

Hollywood star JENNIFER ANISTON is teaming up with British celebrity chef JAMIE OLIVER in new US reality show The Big Give. The former Friends actress struck up a friendship with the Naked Chef host during her marriage to Brad Pitt, when Oliver used to cook for the couple. The Big Give, which will be hosted by Oprah Winfrey, presents 10 people with huge sums of cash with which they will compete to find “the most powerful, sensational, emotional and dramatic ways to give to others”. British newspaper The Sun reports Aniston and Oliver will work together in an episode of the programme.

The winner of the show gets a major wish fulfilled. It is unclear what Jen’s role in the project will be, but I think that we can agree that Jen is no stranger to brightening a person’s day:

Clip courtesy of Jen Fan

Jennifer Aniston, Oprah, Jamie Oliver, charity, reality tv

What can I say? Our girl looked gorgeous. Here are some more pics of Jen at the GLAAD Media Awards, including a few with today’s TV Boyfriend, Jake Gyllenhaal:

GLAAD Media Awards, Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal

Looks like Jen got cozy with Jake on Saturday night! As you know by now, Jen accepted GLAAD’s Vanguard Award at the weekend’s event; here is an excerpt from her speech:

“I want to thank GLAAD for their steadfast commitment to opening people’s minds,” Aniston said in her acceptance speech. “This is called the Vanguard Award which in some ways suggests I’m at the forefront. But I’m here with you tonight to say that I’m proud to stand not in front of you, but I stand right beside you. I commend you.”

E!’s Planet Gossip also brings us this:

Jennifer Aniston, accepting the Vanguard Award: “I remember when Susan and Carol [on Friends] got married and how controversial that was 10 years ago. Then you think, right here on this stage just a few months ago Melissa Etheridge gets up at the Oscars, kisses and thanks her wife in front of 40 million people. And not to mention our fabulous Ellen DeGeneres hosted the Oscars.”

Finally, Extra asks, “Why is Jennifer Aniston headed to jail with Meryl Streep?” Looks like we may finally have some Wanted news!

And now, a few more pics from Saturday night:



with Nikki Blonsky



with Nikki Blonsky and Elijah Kelley

with Stephen Huvane and other guests

with Neil Giuliano, president of GLAAD

GLAAD Media Awards, Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, Nikki Blonsky, Elijah Kelley, Meryl Streep, Wanted

This week, according to People, Jen was spotted dining out with Jamie and Jools Oliver:

Jennifer Aniston, laughing over dinner with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools at the Cut, the Wolfgang Puck-owned steakhouse in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Simply chic in a short leather jacket and jeans, the actress sipped on red wine and nibbled on French fries. After their meal, the group went over to greet the executive chef and Puck himself.

Also, Jen was spotted at the Tower Bar last Friday:

Another Friday night of strong cocktails at the Tower Bar. Tonight, the view from the stool is enhanced by a casually-dressed Jennifer Aniston celebrating something with The Gays, a somewhat dumpy female manager/publicist type and (what looked like) Orlando Bloom (no promise there). Lots of red wine, lots of gift bags, lots of attention from Dimitri and really frequent and long ciggie breaks on the patio (like the whole table smoked).

From the sounds of it, she has a lot of business to discuss and/or a lot to celebrate. Here’s hoping it’s some of both!

Just a reminder: Jen will be at the L.A. GLAAD Media Awards on April 14th to receive the Vanguard Award for her efforts in promoting equality. Also, my research for yesterday’s entry tells me that Jen’s class at LaGuardia is holding a reunion in June, so work and other circumstances permitting, her travels may take her to New York soon!

Jennifer Aniston, sightings, awards