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More Than Friends

Originally posted Thursday October 20, 2005 06:00 AM EDT

"There's a side of him you don't see in films," says Wedding Crashers producer Peter Abrams of Vaughn (reading the paper with Aniston Oct. 15). "There's a real genuineness there." Photo by: P / M / BAUER-GRIFFIN

As rumors began to swirl – especially after the pair appeared especially touchy-feely at the Aug. 24 wrap party – the pair steadfastly denied a romance. Aniston told Vanity Fair, "I adore Vince Vaughn, but I'm not going out with Vince Vaughn." Last month she pooh-poohed a question from Oprah Winfrey about her relationship with him. Vaughn, meanwhile, platonically lauded Aniston. "She's so easy to feel drawn to," he told Elle. "You can see why people are so enamored."

Some Aniston pals, in turn, were delighted with the friendship, which helped distract Aniston from what quickly turned into the summer of Brangelina. "She couldn't have picked a better person to spend a few months with while she's going through all this," pal Jason Bateman told Elle. "Vince really looks out for her." Especially now that things have turned romantic. "Vince brings out something in Jennifer that brightens her," says a source. "She's constantly belly-laughing when they're together. It's a joy to see."

• By Jason Lynch and Jennifer Wulff. Lauren Comander, Kelly Williams, Shia Kapos and Barbara Sandler in Chicago, Tom Cunneff, Lisa Ingrassia, Brenda Rodriguez and Nicholas White in Los Angeles and KC Baker in New York City