Jennifer Aniston: single and loving it

Aug 5, 2009, 5:00 GMT

Lonely girl or happy as a clam? Jennifer Aniston - "The Bounty" Filming at a Courthouse in New York City on August 4, 2009 - New York City Courthouse - New York City, NY, USA © Janet Mayer / PR Photos

Jennifer Aniston doesn't mind being seen as a "lonely girl".

The 'Baster' actress - who has had failed relationships with Brad Pitt, Vince Vaughn, Paul Sculfor and John Mayer - insists she is happy, but can understand why her personal life attracts so much negative attention.

She told Elle magazine: "I'm not going to ignore the pink elephant in the living room. It's fine. I can take it. I am supportive of anybody who is in a place that's not their strongest but is ready to push forward.

"If I'm the emblem for 'this is what it looks like to be the lonely girl getting on with her life,' so be it. I can make fun of myself. And I'll bring it up as long as the world is bringing it up."

The former 'Friends' star also revealed she has used humour to cope with personal heartbreak.

She said: "My parents made each other laugh like nobody's business. I put a lot of value in that at a very young age.

"I remember being seven and asking my mom if I was as pretty as my best friend Monique. And with all the love in the world, my mom looked at me and said, 'Oh, honey, you're so funny.' So, she doesn't lie to me - she answers the question by not answering and instead tells me what she thinks is my greatest strength."

However, some events in her life - including when her father John Aniston left the family home when she was a child - proved too difficult to handle.

Recalling one of her most traumatic experiences, Jennifer said: "My dad walking out and not seeing him for a year and not knowing where he was. I was trying to understand, 'Where did that person go?' "