Jennifer Aniston’s boyfriend Jim Curtis reveals the health struggle he once hid: ‘I thought I was broken’

Highlights

• Jim Curtis opens up about a health crisis he faced in his 20s
• He once told people he had been in a motorcycle accident to hide his condition
• Curtis says self-acceptance helped him move past the shame

Jennifer Aniston’s boyfriend Jim Curtis has opened up about a health struggle he kept hidden for years, admitting that he was once so ashamed of his condition that he made up a different story about what had happened to him.

Curtis, 50, spoke about his past during a rare joint appearance with Aniston at the 92nd Street Y in New York City on September 2. The couple were there to discuss his new book, The Book of Possibility. Curtis revealed that doctors found lesions on his spinal cord when he was in his 20s, leading to chronic nerve damage and partial paralysis. He still walks with a limp.

Curtis recalls the diagnosis that changed his life

Curtis described the diagnosis as “an ultimate low”. He recalled being in a New York City emergency room for hours because of severe pain before learning what was wrong.

He said he searched for information about the diagnosis while still in hospital, which made the situation even more frightening. Curtis remembered thinking that everything would change the next day.

The health crisis affected more than just his physical health. He said it also changed how he saw himself.

Why he told people it was a motorcycle accident

Curtis admitted that he once told people he had been in a motorcycle accident when they asked about his condition.

“I would say I got into a motorcycle accident,” he said. “I was so shameful that I had a medical condition.”

Curtis explained that he felt “broken” and thought saying he had been in a motorcycle accident sounded more acceptable to him at the time. He said the story allowed him to avoid the shame he connected with having a medical condition.

Over time, he said, he learned to accept himself and his situation. Curtis described that process as a long journey and said self-love helped him overcome those feelings.

‘You don’t have to live as the victim’

Curtis now wants people facing difficult situations not to let fear take control of their lives.

“What I’m saying is that you don’t have to live as the victim. You don’t have to live in your suffering,” he said.

He also stressed that accepting a difficult situation does not mean making sudden decisions or ignoring real-life responsibilities. Instead, he believes people can change how they look at their struggles and use that shift to move forward.

Aniston, who has been romantically linked to Curtis since 2025, also took part in the conversation, asking him how he would help someone who felt stuck in a life that no longer felt right. Curtis said his own journey towards acceptance took 25 years.