It is always intriguing to read about the friendships that celebrities have with other people. Sometimes it seems that the friends that celebrities have are completely coincidental, even if they may have gotten close after working together on a movie or another endeavor.
This seems to be the case with the award-winning actress Laura Dern and the “Friends” star Courteney Cox, who may not have been recognized to be close friends by a large number of people. Additionally, the two actresses, together with their respective families, have a ritual that dates back 16 years and takes place on Christmas Eve. What a surprise!
The filmographies of Cox and Dern provide some insight into the progression of their friendship. Not only did they appear in the ensemble cast movie “Mothers and Daughters” together in 2016, but also in 2008, Cox directed Dern in a short film titled “The Monday Before Thanksgiving.” This provides some insight into the length of time the two have known each other.
Dern was born into Hollywood royalty on February 10, 1967, to actor father Bruce Dern and actress mother Diane Ladd. She made her first major move into the film industry in 1974’s “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” in which she played the role of Alice alongside her mother. She would continue to create waves with the release of movies such as “Mask” and David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet,” but it wasn’t until 1993, when Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster “Jurassic Park” brought her extensive worldwide acclaim that she became a household name in the United States. Since then, she has been in a variety of roles, including starring parts, on the television dramas “Enlightened” and “Big Little Lies.”
It is unnecessary to provide an introduction. She first came to widespread attention on the sitcom Friends, where she played the humorous Monica Geller. Since then, she has featured in the television programs “Dirt” and “Cougar Town,” and she has had cameo appearances in a great number of films, including the “Scream” film series.
Continue reading to find out more about the strange connection that developed between Cox and Dern, as well as the annual family ritual that they continue to observe and commemorate with tattoos.
Not only are Cox and Dern good friends with one another, but their children also had childhood experiences together. Cox was married to actor David Arquette for nearly a decade, and the couple had a daughter, Coco Arquette, in 2004. Coco Arquette was named after her mother. In the meanwhile, Dern tied the knot with singer Ben Harper in 2005, and the couple would go on to have two children together: son Ellery Walker in 2001 and daughter Jaya in 2004. Both marriages have now ended in a divorce.
While the bond between Cox and Dern was sometimes on show at premieres and other events, behind the scenes, the two families were forging their personal ties with one another, notably through participating in a time-honored Christmas ritual.
On the 24th of December, 2019, Cox uploaded a picture on Instagram with the comment, “Me and Coco with Dern, Ellery, and Jaya.” Coco was also tagged in the snap.
“I adore this family and the custom that we have every Christmas Eve. Certain things do not change…very much. #homesweethome”
Another picture seems to be of Coco and Ellery when they were younger, which is evidence that the Christmas Eve custom has been going on for a very long time! If it came as a shock to realize that Cox and Dern are good friends, then it must have been much more of a revelation to find out that their families get along so well with one another that they can be considered “family.”
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On January 18, 2023, Cox uploaded a new picture set to emphasize the unique custom as well as the somewhat permanent method the group decided to celebrate it. One shot showed the five of them cuddled together and laughing, while another displayed their new tattoos that were identical to each other.
“Our 16-year Christmas Eve tradition is getting an update this year with the addition of a new component. Watch careful… by 2025, we could already have sleeves “Cox wrote this with a cheeky tone.
The tattoos, which were shown with great pride, carried the words “Go long” and included an image of a paper airplane in flight. Cox, Ellery, 21, and Raya, 18, all decided to have theirs on their forearms, while Dern went with the option of getting hers on the inner arm. Coco had hers on her shoulder blade, although she opted for a simple paper placement rather than one that included any further text.
Other celebs, such as Reese Witherspoon and Michelle Pfeiffer, expressed their approval of the post in the comments section. Witherspoon commented “Love it!” while Pfeiffer simply wrote “Love!”
The time-honored practice has been carried out for almost the whole span of time that Coco and Jaya have been on earth. Both Cox and Dern honored their daughters’ 18th birthdays on Instagram in 2022, which was the year when both of their kids turned 18. In June of 2022, Cox published the following caption beside a photograph of her daughter and herself from the present day as well as one from the past:
“Coco, I hope you have a wonderful birthday! I can’t tell you how proud I am to be your mother. You are brave, intelligent, profound, humorous, one of a kind, and uniquely gorgeous, and you have the largest heart. I can hardly wait to find out what happens next. I adore you x.”
In the meanwhile, in November, Dern showed his appreciation for Jaya by sending her some old images along with a current one. It was written in her caption:
“Today is my daughter’s 18th birthday!!! Happiest birthday, Jaya! You educate me each and every day on what it is to be an artist and an activist who is sincere and genuine in their empathy. I adore you with every ounce of my being.”
In addition, Dern celebrated Ellery’s 21st birthday with him in August of 2022. This is what she wrote:
“Greatest present I could have ever thought up. Wishing my incredible son/best friend/source of inspiration a very happy 21st birthday… It is really a blessing and a good fortune to be able to adore and learn from you. You are the daily source of my best chuckle.”