JEN, BARACK & MICHELLE - THE SCANDAL EXPLODES

OLD RUMORS THAT BARACK OBAMA IS HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH JENNIFER ANISTON RETURN WITH A VENGEANCE AFTER MICHELLE OBAMA SKIPS TWO MAJOR POLITICAL EVENTS.

THE rumor seemingly came out of nowhere. 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. “The goss is… Michelle and Barack are living separate lives, and Barack is f**king Jennifer Aniston,” one podcaster said, noting that 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**kin?”

The “goss” got so much traction that Jen was forced to publicly deny any untoward relationship with the former leader of the free world, 63. “That is absolutely untrue,” the Friends star, 56, insisted in an October visit to her pal Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show. “There is no truth.” An insider tells Star Jen 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,” says the source. “There’s little doubt they’ve been living separate lives.”

FEVER PITCH

Unlike Jen, 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 Jan. 17 as Barack wished his wife a happy birthday: “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, “Love you, honey,” with heart and kissy-face emojis.