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Though she left her beau of six months, Vince Vaughn, 35, back in L.A., she was always well-protected by close friends – including Money costars Catherine Keener and Joan Cusack. Chatting with them in the audience before the screening, she ignored the fact that every camera in the auditorium was trained on her. And when she joined castmates for a panel discussion onstage, Aniston sat quietly, fidgeting with her hair and occasionally giggling while pals took questions about the film. "She looked like she was keeping a stiff upper lip," says an observer, who saw Aniston at a private party following the premiere. "But there didn't seem to be much joy there."
Clearly she did not see her gleefully taking home extra brownies at a cast dinner the next evening. Aniston makes no attempt to hide her weariness with the spotlight the daily Pitt-Jolie headlines shines on her – even toying with the idea of moving away from L.A. to escape the glare. But friends say that with those closest to her, she's better than ever. Aniston was with Vaughn, enjoying a late-night dinner at one of his favorite L.A. haunts, Velvet Margarita Cantina, on Jan. 11, after a rep for Pitt confirmed to PEOPLE that Jolie was pregnant.
Her ex had made sure Aniston knew before the news hit (though he didn't tell her himself), and a source close to the situation says that initially, "Jennifer was very upset – she was crying." But by the time the world knew, she had more than bounced back. "Jennifer is fine [about the pregnancy]," says her friend. "She's moved on. She really has," says another pal. "She's very happy with her life right now."
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