Jennifer Aniston got engaged to partner Justin Theroux on Friday, after he popped the question during his birthday celebrations.

Justin Theroux’ spokesperson confirmed to People: “Justin Theroux had an amazing birthday on Friday, receiving an extraordinary gift when his girlfriend, Jennifer Aniston, accepted his proposal of marriage.”

“They’re great friends,” the spokesperson added – a cheeky reference to the sitcom that made Jennifer Aniston famous in the Nineties.

The engagement news comes on the weekend rumors swirled that Jennifer Aniston’s ex-husband Brad Pitt set to be marry Angelina Jolie, his partner of seven years and the mother of his six children, at their French home.

Their romance was infamously shrouded in whispers that they embarked on a relationship while Brad Pitt was still married to Jennifer Aniston – having met on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith in 2004.

Jennifer Aniston got engaged to partner Justin Theroux on Friday, after he popped the question during his birthday celebrations

However, as news of the wedding has still not been confirmed and insiders are claiming that next weekend is “a far more likely date”, Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux have stolen their thunder.

The couple, who has been dating for more than a year, was first seen together in May 2011.

Just two months later, Jennifer Aniston placed her Beverly Hills mansion on the market for $38 million, before buying a palatial LA Bel-Air home with Justin Theroux in January of this year – for a reported $22 million.

Jennifer Aniston, 43, and Justin Theroux, 41, both starred in Wanderlust together, a comedy flop with Paul Rudd about a modern New York couple trying to escape society by moving to a commune in Georgia.

However, while the news will come as a surprise to her fans – it seems that it came as an even bigger one to her father, John Aniston.

The veteran Days of Our Lives actor, 79, was apparently not aware that actor-screenwriter Justin Theroux had proposed to his daughter on the North Carolina set of her new film, We’re the Millers, on August 10.

He told celebrity website Celebuzz: “It’s the first I’ve heard about it. It’s a surprise to me. I’ll have to look online. When I find out more, I guess I’ll tell you!”

When it was explained that Justin Theroux proposed to Jennifer on his birthday, John Aniston added: “It sounds very romantic.”

John Aniston has described Justin Theroux as a “charming young man”, and gave his seal of approval saying: “I think they make a wonderful couple.”