Jennifer Aniston's estranged mom dies aged 79 just two weeks after she was reunited with her daughter for the first time in FIVE YEARS in feud over tell-all book

  • Jennifer announced on Wednesday that her mother had passed away
  • The Friends star reportedly spent time with Dow on May 12, her first visit in nearly five years
  • The former model and actress had suffered a series of strokes and lost the ability to speak and walk prior to her death
  • Jen and her mother had a complicated relationship with the actress saying her mom 'was very critical of her'
  • See more Jennifer Anniston news following the death of her mom 

By Regina F. Graham For Dailymail.com

Published: 19:23 EST, 25 May 2016 | Updated: 05:02 EST, 27 May 2016

Jennifer Aniston's estranged mother, Nancy Dow, has died. 

'It is with great sadness that my brother John and I announce the passing of our Mother Nancy Dow,' the Friends star told People in a statement Wednesday. 

'She was 79 years old and passed peacefully surrounded by family and friends after enduring a long illness,' the actress continued. 'We ask that our family's privacy be respected as we grieve our loss.'

According to In Touch Weekly, Aniston visited her ailing mother for the first time in nearly five years on May 12.

Grieving: Jennifer Aniston's mother Nancy Dow (pictured right in 2013), has died. The two were estranged for many years although it's believed the actress did visit her mom just a couple of weeks ago
Grieving: Jennifer Aniston's mother Nancy Dow (pictured right in 2013), has died. The two were estranged for many years although it's believed the actress did visit her mom just a couple of weeks ago

Grieving: Jennifer Aniston's mother Nancy Dow (pictured right in 2013), has died. The two were estranged for many years although it's believed the actress did visit her mom just a couple of weeks ago 

Frail: Dow, pictured on March 16 in L.A., had suffered a series of strokes, beginning in 2011 and was reported to have lost the ability to walk or speak prior to her death. She was 79

Frail: Dow, pictured on March 16 in L.A., had suffered a series of strokes, beginning in 2011 and was reported to have lost the ability to walk or speak prior to her death. She was 79

'Jen must have had a wake-up call and wanted to see her mother one last time before she passes,' an insider told In Touch Weekly.

Dow reportedly had suffered a series of strokes and lost the ability to speak and walk prior to her death, the magazine reported. 

According to Radar Online, Dow was rushed from her apartment unit in Toluca Lake, a suburb of Los Angeles, just after midnight on Sunday by four paramedics.

A neighbor who witnessed the emergency situation said that she 'was apparently close to death.'

'Her hands were curled up to her face and her skin was grey,' another source told Radar Online. 'She was wheeled out then very late at night at 1.30am. On Monday morning, all the lights were on in the apartment and the door was wide open.'

Away: Aniston was in New York with husband Justin Theroux on Monday, which is when sources say her mom was rushed to hospital by paramedics called to her L.A. apartment in the early hours of the morning

Away: Aniston was in New York with husband Justin Theroux on Monday, which is when sources say her mom was rushed to hospital by paramedics called to her L.A. apartment in the early hours of the morning

Estranged: Born in New York, Dow was a model and an actress. She is pictured in 1999

Estranged: Born in New York, Dow was a model and an actress. She is pictured in 1999

Aniston and her mother had a complicated relationship.

The 47-year-old actress, whose latest movie is called Mother's Day, has said previously that the reason they were not close is because Dow 'was very critical of her.'

'Because she was a model, she was gorgeous, stunning,' Aniston told The Hollywood Reporter last year of her mother. 'I wasn't. I never was. I honestly still don't think of myself in that sort of light, which is fine.'

'She was also very unforgiving. She would hold grudges that I just found so petty.' 

Their relationship only worsened when in 1999 Dow published a tell-all book, From Mother and Daughter to Friends: A Memoir, about Aniston's life and their relationship. 

Weren't close: Dow and Jennifer's father John Aniston divorced when she was nine years old. She has said previously she and her mother were not close because Dow 'was very critical of her'

Weren't close: Dow and Jennifer's father John Aniston divorced when she was nine years old. She has said previously she and her mother were not close because Dow 'was very critical of her'

Book deal: Matters were made worse when Dow published a tell-all memoir in 1999 after which mother and daughter didn't speak for several years

Book deal: Matters were made worse when Dow published a tell-all memoir in 1999 after which mother and daughter didn't speak for several years

Dow appeared in several small screen television roles in the 1960s including The Beverly Hillbillies and The Wild Wild West. 

The New York native first married Jack Melick in 1956 and they had one son together before divorcing in 1961.

Dow then married soap actor star John Aniston in 1965 and they had Jennifer together. The couple divorced in 1980.

Daddy's girl: The star has remained close to her father, actor John Aniston, and he would frequently join his famous daughter at Hollywood events. They're pictured at her Walk Of Fame ceremony in February 2012

Daddy's girl: The star has remained close to her father, actor John Aniston, and he would frequently join his famous daughter at Hollywood events. They're pictured at her Walk Of Fame ceremony in February 2012

Mother and daughter eventually broke their years of silence following Aniston's high profile divorce from Brad Pitt in 2005.

'It's been really nice. It's crazy what, you know, your life kind of being turned upside down will lead you to,' Aniston explained during an appearance on Good Morning America.

'So this is good. It's baby steps,' she added.

However, their relationship never really recovered from the acrimony of the past and they had little contact with each other until 2011 when Dow suffered a stroke in Los Angeles.

But despite the thaw, Aniston did not invite her mother to her August 2015 wedding to actor Justin Theroux. 

Lucky break: Aniston became an international star after she was cast as Rachel Green in the NBC sitcom Friends in 1994

Lucky break: Aniston became an international star after she was cast as Rachel Green in the NBC sitcom Friends in 1994

 

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