Amid the coronavirus pandemic and rising cases in Los Angeles, Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Paulson and more friends still found a safe way to mark close friend Sandra Bullock's 56th birthday.
The actresses attended a casual outdoor and socially distanced celebration for the Oscar-winning mother of two where they all wore masks, Jen revealed on her Instagram Story hours later.
"Celebrating our girl properly distanced with so much love," Jen captioned a selfie taken by Sandra late on July 26. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SANDY WE LOVE YOU!!!" Jen added along with a few heart and party-face emojis.
In the photo — which was captured by an Instagram fan account — a makeup-free Sandra can be seen wearing a white mask with her eyeglasses sitting atop her head while Jen's seated on a wicker couch several feet away wearing a blue-and-white tie-dyed mask and holding her hands in a prayer-like pose. Next to Jen, Sarah can be seen in a hat, mask and glasses, and seated in a wicker chair a few feet away from her is longtime love Holland Taylor, who's waving at the camera while wearing a mask too. A masked woman who appears to be Amanda Anka — actor Jason Bateman's wife — is seated several feet away from Jen on the same couch.
Jen and Sandra have been friends for decades. In an early 2020 Interview magazine sit-down in which the "Gravity" actress interviewed the "Friends" star, they revealed that a mutual ex-boyfriend — actor Tate Donovan — is responsible for kicking off their friendship.
"We were introduced by our former boyfriend. I say 'our' because you and I both partook of this one human being," Sandra said. Jen responded, "Yes, we did. That's a beautiful way of saying it," while Sandra added, "We both partook of Tate… Who was a very patient human being, given that he dated us both."
"He seems to have a type," Jen quipped, with Sandy adding, "Talented. Funny. Kind. Introspective. Generous" and Jen tacking on, "Lovers of architecture, lovers of interior design." That was the first time they met. The second time was at a friend's wedding. "I sent you a note and you sent me a shot," Jen said of Sandy.