'Our first pandemic': Jennifer Aniston angers fans with 'insensitive' Christmas ornament

Others defended the 'Friends' actress, saying she had supported vulnerable small businesses during 2020

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 19: Jennifer Aniston attends the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 19, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Powered by automated translation

It appears Jennifer Aniston isn't making many new friends with her Christmas tree this year.

The American actress, 51, has divided fans after sharing a picture of her coronavirus-themed tree ornament.

The wooden plaque, with a simple string tie, is etched with the phrase: "Our first pandemic 2020."

The Friends star shared the image on her Instagram Stories on Christmas Day, with her tree visible in the background.

Over the following days, fans took to social media to criticise the actress's "insensitive" choice of decoration.

"Imagine a pandemic just being a quirky cultural thing and not a devastating and traumatic interruption," one user wrote.

"I’m sorry but that’s so insensitive to put an ornament saying “pandemic 2020”. Innocent lives were lost because of this pandemic," Twitter user sassy_mel added.

"What Jennifer Aniston (whether the ornament is hers or not but it was posted in her IG) did was tasteless. Whoever made that ornament is an idiot and the opposite of empathy," posted another user.

There have been more than 81 million cases of Covid-19 reported since the pandemic began, resulting in more than 1.7 million deaths worldwide, according to John Hopkins University.

Others jumped to Aniston's defence, however, noting the Along Came Polly actress had used her platform to support businesses struggling this year.

"Let’s not forget how she plugged small businesses to try to help them in a hard time, and urges people to wear masks in pretty much every post she makes," Twitter user fanistonlife commented.

In July, Aniston urged her social media followers to wear face masks, writing on Instagram: “This is Covid. This is real. We can’t be so naive to think we can outrun this. Just think about those who’ve already suffered through this horrible virus."

_________________

Read more:

A look at how international stars celebrated Christmas this year

Glossary of 2020: the 36 new words and phrases that defined the year

How Victoria Beckham and 9 other stars are getting ready for Christmas

_________________