Wednesday, 18 September 2013

EXCLUSIVE: 'It's a pain in my a** being Jennifer Aniston's brother': Meet AJ... the tattooed punk half sibling of clean cut Hollywood darling

EXCLUSIVE: 'It's a pain in my a** being Jennifer Aniston's brother': Meet AJ... the tattooed punk half sibling of clean cut Hollywood darling
With his black mohawk hairstyle and tattoo-daubed body, this young punk appears to be the polar-opposite of clean-cut Hollywood beauty Jennifer Aniston.
But MailOnline can reveal this in fact the actress's cool 'crust punk' half-brother -  Alex John Aniston.
Pictured here for the first time in nine years, the 24-year-old is seen in his full punk regalia complete with patchwork shorts, heavy-duty boots and distinctive tattoos including the phrase 'Live Free' across his stomach.
Famous relations: Alex John Aniston recently showed off his tattoos, piercings and scruffy style at the Burning Man festival
Famous relations: Alex John Aniston recently showed off his tattoos, piercings and scruffy style at the Burning Man festival
Another inking, just above his groin, reads 'Down to Cuddle'.

The son of Jennifer's soap star father John Aniston and his second wife Sherry Rooney, Alex - or AJ as he is known to his friends - hasn’t been photographed in public since he appeared with his parents at the Hollywood premiere of Along Came Polly back in 2004, when he was a clean-cut 14-year-old.
Famous sibling: Jennifer Aniston pictured last year with she and AJ's actor father John Aniston
Famous sibling: Jennifer Aniston pictured last year with she and AJ's actor father John
Since then, he has undergone a dramatic transformation into a nomadic punk who enjoys a surprisingly different life to his pampered mega-star sibling.
In fact it appears the Friends actress has gone to great lengths to keep AJ out of the spotlight - never mentioning him in interviews or being seen with him in public.
However last year, it was revealed AJ enjoyed a wild punk lifestyle and often slept on a mattress in the back of his black van as he travelled by road between Los Angeles and Alaska.
Last week, AJ was attending the infamously anarchic Burning Man festival in the Nevada Desert where MailOnline finally tracked him down.
AJ declined be drawn on Jennifer when approached for an interview. Appearing frustrated about the subject, he replied: 'It’s been happening since middle school (people asking about Jennifer). It’s been a pain in my ass for years. No comment.'
Asked if he would ever talk about his famous sister, AJ, who described himself as a travelling artist, replied: 'Never'.
In new photos, he is seen enjoying the raucous nature of the festival and at one point sharing a joke with a naked man at one of the camp bars.
He was also spotted visiting friends at a couple of punk inspired camps, with one onlooker saying he was having a 'wild time.'

They added: 'Burning Man is like landing on a different planet and is full of colourful characters expressing themselves in their own unique way. AJ certainly looked the part. He looks more like someone off the set of Mad Max then the brother of someone as clean-living as Jennifer Aniston.
'It's a festival for self-expression and a lot of people decide to walk around naked, AJ seemed to find it pretty funny when he ended up next to a naked guy when he stopped for a drink. Of course he’s very open-minded as a punk himself.
Mohawk: The son of Jennifer's father John Aniston wore his hair in a punk style and attached a tail to his shorts Mohawk: The son of Jennifer's father John Aniston wore his hair in a punk style and attached a tail to his shorts
Mohawk: The son of Jennifer's father John Aniston wore his hair in a punk style and attached a tail to his shorts
Alternative lifestyle: AJ appeared to have headed to the festival alone and was spotted strolling along with a backpack and khaki shorts
Alternative lifestyle: AJ appeared to have headed to the festival alone and was spotted strolling along with a backpack and khaki shorts

'At the festival people carry around their own cup as you can’t buy drinks, so many people set up bars and just give out booze to people who socialise with them. AJ was using his Disney Buzz Lightyear mug, which he had tied to his belt.'
Speaking about the anarchic nature of the festival, the bystander added: 'Burning Man is an extreme festival and has long been known as somewhere people go to use all kinds of mind-bending drugs.
'Just walking around you can't avoid the smell of marijuana, as well as more dangerous drugs like heroin. The sense of hedonism and freedom can be a real shock to someone who’s not been there before.
No naked ambition: AJ seemed to be enjoying himself at the hippie festival, at one point he was spotted with a naked man in the background
No naked ambition: AJ seemed to be enjoying himself at the hippie festival, at one point he was spotted with a naked man in the background

'There are also continuous outdoor rave parties held 24 hours a day all over the desert. There are no showers on site, no food is sold and only coffee and ice are available to buy so you have to be totally self-reliant to survive.
'You would imagine Jennifer would probably recoil in horror at the thought of a week without a shower, using disgustingly unhygienic porta potties and cooking meals on a camping stove, but her brother seemed to be thriving on it.'
AJ appeared well prepared for the festival with eye goggles and a bandana tied around his neck to protect him from the frequent sandstorms.
He completed his unique outfit with a raccoon tail attached to the back of his shorts.
LA inc: AJ showed off his copious tattoos including one ion his chest reading 'live free' and another at the bottom of his stomach reading 'Down to Cuddle'
LA ink: AJ showed off his copious tattoos including one ion his chest reading 'live free' and another at the bottom of his stomach reading 'Down to Cuddle'
Self expression: The brother of Jennifer is thought to lead a nomadic lifestyle, and spent time in Santa Cruz, California last year
Self expression: The brother of Jennifer is thought to lead a nomadic lifestyle, and spent time in Santa Cruz, California last year
The 24-year-old briefly attended college in the California beach town Santa Cruz. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, a friend of his from the town, who asked not to be named, described how AJ does not like to talk about his famous sister.

The friend said: 'He does not like the media stuff or people talking to him about celebrity gossip and stuff. He does not really get into it when I've talked to him about it.'
'I've never met Jen, but I know with AJ it was not even an issue he would really talk about, he never brought her up. I don't know the whole situation or what the state of the relationship with his family, but I think probably his dad helps him out with money, I just have a feeling.
'But it seems like on the subject of his family he likes to run away from it. I can't say what their relationship is because he wouldn't talk about her.'

No acting ambitions: AJ has described himself as a
No acting ambitions: AJ is thought to be more into artistic pursuits than following his family into showbusiness
Anarchy in the US: AJ has been described by acquaintances as a 'crust punk'
Anarchy in the US: AJ has been described by acquaintances as a 'crust punk'
Asked if AJ wanted to follow in the footsteps of his acting parents and half sister, he said: 'I've no idea about his ambitions with that, I don't know if he watches her movies, I've never seen a movie that she's in. I didn't watch Friends and I've not talked to him about any of his sister's work.
'I think we gravitated to each other because consumerism is such an evil. We were about going on hikes together and travelling and hanging out.'

Asked what interests AJ does have, the friend added: 'He's into nature and hiking, and he just makes stuff. He travels a lot, he was always coming up to Santa Cruz to visit.
'I feel he does his own thing, he makes his own clothes, he's a really creative guy. I remember he was interested in things like animal skulls but I've not seen him that recently and not sure what art he does with them, I would describe him as an artist. He also likes to make original bikes out of different bike parts.'

Last seen at 14: Fresh faced AJ cut a very different figure at the 2004 premiere of Jennifer's film Along Came Polly, which he attended with parents John and Sherry
Last seen at 14: Fresh faced AJ cut a very different figure at the 2004 premiere of Jennifer's film Along Came Polly, which he attended with parents John and Sherry
Last year, other acquaintances also spoke about AJ.

Samantha Robles, a body piercer at a tattoo studio where AJ had a lot of his body art done, described him as a 'scruffy punk, living out of his van'.

She said: 'We had to ask him to wear shoes in the studio. He had a mattress in the back of his van, always had the same pair of pants with 20 patches on it and only had three shirts.

'He got some really cool graphic, abstract piece on his arm. He pretty much got a half sleeve (a tattoo which covers half the arm) I didn’t even know he had any money. I thought "how do you afford to do that?"'

Far cry from Hollywood: AJ's home at burning man was substantially different from his sister's lavish lifestyle

Far cry from Hollywood: AJ's temporary home at burning man was substantially different from his sister's lavish lifestyle
The tattooist who worked on AJ charges $125 per hour.

Samantha added: 'It would have taken maybe six to ten hours. He got it done in multiple sessions.'
Movie star fiancé: Jennifer, pictured last week, is engaged to actor Justin Theroux
Movie star fiancé: Jennifer, pictured last week, is engaged to actor Justin Theroux
Samantha and her boyfriend Mateo, also a piercer, described AJ as a ‘crust punk’ – a musical and style offshoot of the punk movement.
Mateo added: 'I think he’s very happy being off the radar. I just think it’s really funny. In the crust punk community we are a little bit dirty but we always kind of wonder how some people - in the scene – get their money and a chance to live like they do.'

Although AJ appeared to keep his double life secret from his friends in Santa Cruz, his former neighbours there discovered his identity when Days of Our Lives star John Aniston turned up one day.

Rich Koslowski who briefly lived next door to him about three years ago, said: 'He was a little vagabond. The landlord said he hitchhiked up here.
'I figured out who he was when one day I saw his dad turn up. I had friends out back and AJ and John were going through the garbage can. I talked to them briefly.'

AJ’s former landlord Ken Simpkins also recalled meeting AJ’s parents, he said: 'His parents were involved in finding the unit and had been up a couple of weekends looking for places.'

On a now defunct Myspace page AJ previously posted several provocative photos of himself in risqué poses – including one where he is completely naked in the back of car.

On the page his friends would allude to his famous sister indicating AJ does not hide his celebrity links from all his friends.

One said: 'I think of you every time Friends is on... I have a picture of her butt ya know.'
Successful career: Jennifer in her most recent movie We're The Millers alongside Jason Sudeikis, Emma Roberts and Will Poulter
Successful career: Jennifer in her most recent movie We're The Millers alongside Jason Sudeikis, Emma Roberts and Will Poulter

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