Director Claims Jennifer Aniston ‘Humiliated’ Her With ‘Mean-Spirited’ X-Rated Gift

Veteran director Penelope Spheeris has claimed that Hollywood star Jennifer Aniston left her feeling humiliated after presenting her with an inappropriate wrap gift on the set of their collaborative project over a decade ago. Spheeris, the 80-year-old filmmaker acclaimed for directing comedy hits like Wayne’s World, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Dudes, recounted the alleged incident during an interview on an episode of The Moynihan Report with host Michael C. Moynihan.

The Alleged Wrap Gift Incident on the Set of ‘Five’

The alleged encounter took place during the production of Five, a 2011 anthology comedy-drama consisting of five short films exploring the personal impact of breast cancer. While the project holds a 75 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating, Penelope Spheeris stated that the working environment ended on an uncomfortable note. Jennifer Aniston served as an executive producer on the project and directed a segment titled “Mia.”

Speaking to Michael C. Moynihan, Penelope Spheeris alleged that she was given an unusable, bedazzled novelty item publicly: Jennifer Aniston gave me a dildo as a present… It had rhinestones pasted on it. You couldn’t even use it, Spheeris said.

Although Jennifer Aniston did not hand the parcel to Penelope Spheeris directly, Spheeris maintained that the presentation was organized on set. At the end of the shoot day the assistant director comes over and says ‘Have a seat in the chair’. The whole crew gathers around and her producer Kristen walks up with a gift box, Spheeris detailed. She described the gesture as deliberate, stating: It was a mean-spirited dildo to humiliate me in front of the whole crew.

Connecting the Packaging and Aniston’s Response

Penelope Spheeris explained that she deduced the origins of the gift after noticing identical packaging used by Jennifer Aniston at a later industry event. It had to come from [Aniston] because when we got nominated for the Director’s Guild, she comes walking in and she’s got the same kind of gift box in her hand, Spheeris said. I asked her ‘Oh what you got in there, another dildo?’ She goes, ‘No it’s a present for Marta Kauffman’. It was the same gift box. So those are Jennifer Aniston’s gift boxes. Acknowledging the potential fallout of sharing the anecdote publicly, Spheeris quipped, I’ll get sued for that, but whatever.

In response to the allegations, a source told The Daily Mail that Jennifer Aniston has no recollection of her ever having given this gift and wouldn’t have given a card if she had offered the item to Penelope Spheeris.

Why This Matters

The resurfaced claims stand in stark contrast to the public-facing reception of the 2011 television anthology. During the original red carpet premiere of Five, Penelope Spheeris was outwardly supportive of Jennifer Aniston, telling E! News that the kind of work [Jen] does is phenomenal—it’s for a good cause. She’s just got that thing, she’s like the sweetheart of the country.

The production carried personal and philanthropic weight for Jennifer Aniston at the time. Speaking to Glamour in 2011, Aniston shared her intentions behind directing “Mia”: we want people to walk away with hope and information but feel incredibly entertained. Aniston further explained, Cancer affects all of us, whether you’re a daughter, mother, sister, friend, coworker, doctor, patient. These films touch on that reality. The film I directed is called Mia, and it’s about a woman who takes her diagnosis as a death sentence and gives up—only to discover she’s gone into remission. We want people to know it is very possible to conquer breast cancer. The contrasting accounts highlight how off-camera interactions and behind-the-scenes tensions can remain hidden behind polished promotional campaigns for years before emerging publicly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What project did Penelope Spheeris and Jennifer Aniston work on together?

Penelope Spheeris and Jennifer Aniston collaborated on the 2011 anthology project Five, which focused on the lives and relationships of women affected by breast cancer. Aniston directed the segment titled “Mia” and served as an executive producer.

How has Jennifer Aniston addressed Penelope Spheeris’s claims?

While representatives for Jennifer Aniston were contacted for formal comment, an unnamed source told The Daily Mail that Aniston has no recollection of her ever having given this gift to the director.

What did Penelope Spheeris originally say about Jennifer Aniston in 2011?

During the promotional rollout for Five in 2011, Penelope Spheeris publicly complimented Jennifer Aniston, telling reporters that Aniston’s work was phenomenal and calling her the sweetheart of the country.