EXCLUSIVE: How Jennifer Aniston Was Forced to Sensationally Break Silence on THOSE Barack Affair Rumors – As Michelle Obama Missed Two Huge Political Events

The rumor seemingly came out of nowhere – and 'Friends' star Jennifer Aniston has now broken her silence on growing gossip she was Barack Obama's mistress.

RadarOnline.com can reveal, in late July, a magazine cover blared The Truth About Jen and Barack, addressing speculation that Jennifer Aniston and former President Barack Obama were having an affair behind his wife Michelle's back.

An insider said: "The goss is... Michelle and Barack are living separate lives, and Barack is f------ Jennifer Aniston," one podcaster said, noting the story "obviously could be made up."

A month earlier, a Reddit user had asked: "Anyone else hear that Obama and Jennifer Aniston are f------?"

The "goss" got so much traction Aniston was then forced to publicly deny any untoward relationship with the former leader of the free world, 63.

"That is absolutely untrue," the Friends sta, 56, insisted in an October visit to her pal Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show. "There is no truth."

An insider said Aniston was "appalled" by the rumors and thought the show would provide a "safe haven" for her to stop them.

It worked – for a time.

But when Michelle, 61, failed to attend two high-profile events with her husband of 32 years in January – former President Jimmy Carter's funeral and President Donald Trump's Inauguration – whispers of marital discord exploded.

"There have been rumblings for months of trouble in their marriage," our source said. "There's little doubt they've been living separate lives."

Unlike Aniston, the Obamas haven't engaged in the drama. In fact, it's been business as usual for the pair, who exchanged sweet messages on social media on January 17 as Barack wished his wife a happy birthday, telling her: "You fill every room with warmth, wisdom, humor and grace and you look good doing it. I'm so lucky to be able to take on life's adventures with you. Love you!"

She responded in a reply online: "Love you, honey," with heart and kissy-face emojis.

Outlets from Washington, D.C., to L.A., however, have continued to report on a potential Obamas split.

Former View host Meghan McCain opined on the January 22 episode of her “Citizen McCain” podcast by saying: "Very serious journalists telling me that they're hearing that the Obama divorce rumors are true."

Her guest, Tara Palmeri, a senior political correspondent for Puck concurred: "I've certainly heard it for a while, even before Michelle said she wasn't coming to the inauguration."

Other insiders continued to connect the former commander-in-chief with the Morning Show star Instagrammer Jessica Reed Krans even claimed on her Substack she'd received a direct message with very specific information on the Obamas' alleged split.

Barack, her follower alleged, "is with Jennifer Aniston. My old manager, now a friend, is connected to her inner circle. At a gathering with Jennifer's friends, the affair came up casually, Jennifer herself admitted it. They were sitting with a psychic, which makes it sound surreal, but it's definitely not a secret among her closest friends."

The actress has admitted she and the Obamas are not strangers.

"I've met him once. I know Michelle more than him," she told Jimmy in October.

She also donated $2,300 to the former POTUS’ presidential campaign in 2007 and appeared alongside him and other stars in a 'We Can End Gun Violence' campaign in 2015 following a mass shooting.

And Aniston and Michelle both appeared on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show on her 60th birthday in 2018.

Once apolitical, in recent election cycles, Aniston has been more vocal.

In 2016, she attended a fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton; and in October, she announced she'd "very proudly voted for Kamala Harris" for president.

"She's long admired the work Barack has done," our insider said, adding: "And how he led the country and what an eloquent speaker he is."

Meanwhile, the former president has spent more time in entertainment circles since he and Michelle left the White House in 2017.

In 2018, they founded a production company, Higher Ground, which released an Oscar-winning documentary and inked a lucrative Netflix deal (recent projects include the 2023 Julia Roberts thriller Leave the World Behind).

Their daughters also live in L.A.: Harvard-educated Malia, 26, is a writer-director, Sasha, 23, graduated from USC in 2023.

"Barack has a lot of A-list friends and enjoys a bit of the spotlight himself," revealed our source.

After all, she's been on both sides of affair scandals.

Years after her 2005 divorce from Brad Pitt, 61, the F1 star and future ex-wife No. 2, Angelina Jolie, 49, both admitted they "fell in love" while shooting Mr. & Mrs. Smith while he was still married to Aniston – a betrayal that has haunted her to this day.

Later, the Lola Vie haircare founder had to battle accusations that she stole her Wanderlust costar Justin Theroux, 53, her husband from 2015 to 2018 – from his girlfriend of 14 years, Heidi Bivens, 48.

"Nothing happened on that movie," Aniston told Good Morning America in 2012, insisting: "We were just friends."

The claims the Emmy winner is more than friends with the ex-prez are "annoying" to Michelle, our insider said.

Since leaving D.C., the Princeton and Harvard-educated attorney has been focused on reclaiming her life apart from her husband.

"She was never that interested in politics," the insider added.

"She did her part supporting Barack during his presidency, and now it's her turn to shine. The kids are grown and more independent, and now she wants to live her life."

She's never denied that her relationship is far from perfect.

"I don't want people looking at me and Barack like, ‘hashtag couple goals,'" Michelle said in 2024, adding "there are some broken things that happen even in the best of marriages".

She added: "It's the choice to figure it out, not to quit when it gets hard."