Jennifer Aniston speaks onstage during the 2024 People's Choice Awards held at Barker Hangar on February 18, 2024 in Santa Monica, California.© Getty Images

Jennifer Aniston unexpectedly dashes off the red carpet during latest appearance in stunning little black dress

The Friends star was on hand to both present and receive an award on Sunday night

Ahad Sanwari - New York
Senior WriterNew York
February 19, 2024

Jennifer Aniston was one of the many stars who came out to play on Sunday night, February 18 at the People's Choice Awards at the Barker Hangar, Santa Monica.

The actress, 55, was on hand primarily to present the People's Icon award to her close friend and frequent co-star Adam Sandler, delivering a touching tribute to the comedian.

Their moment of joy, which included her dedication to him on stage and his own emotional speech, moved out to the red carpet (or, in this case, teal carpet) as well as they posed for photos together with his trophy.

© Getty Images

Jennifer stunned during her surprise People's Choice Awards appearance in a strapless little black dress with an asymmetrical ruched skirt

However, it ended up being short-lived, according to a clip captured by E! News on the carpet, when Jennifer rushed off leaving her co-star standing there.

While Adam, 57, was left momentarily stumped, she quickly explained that her category was being presented. Jennifer was nominated for both Female TV Star of the Year and Drama TV Star of the Year, winning the latter (she lost the former to Only Murders in the Building lead Selena Gomez).

"I gotta go sit," she told him, to which Adam joked: "You're leaving?!" She then walked back and they quickly gave each other a kiss on the cheek as he shouted out: "I've gotta see that!" Many fans in the comments section quickly deemed them "friendship goals" and praised their dynamic.

Jennifer and Adam have been close for decades and have starred together thrice – 2011's Just Go With It, 2019's Murder Mystery, and its 2023 sequel. The pair met back in the '90s, before either of them had become the household names they're known as today.

While promoting the first Murder Mystery on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2019, they were deemed by the host to be "one of the most unexpected duos in all of everything."

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"We're so comfortable with each other, she knows my family so well, and I know Jen's family," Adam explained.

At the PCAs, after being greeted with excited cheers and applause, Jennifer acknowledged that she was there to recognize "my very good friend, my brother from another mother, an extraordinary father, husband, and one of the most loyal friends you could ever, ever have…the People's Icon, Adam Sandler!"

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Adam quickly started making his way over to the stage after her announcement, although she quickly told him to sit back down because she wasn't done, getting the audience chuckling with their playful banter. "Eager to get up here," she joked.

© Getty Images

The star presented her friend Adam Sandler with the People's Icon award

She praised him for establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with in the comedy genre after his departure from Saturday Night Live, adding that "I was lucky enough to be in a few of them."

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Jennifer also called out his versatility as an actor, saying that his acclaimed dramatic turn in Uncut Gems was something that "blew my mind, I did not see that coming."

© Getty Images

She herself won a trophy later that night for The Drama TV Star of the Year

Once she ended her speech and finally called him to the stage, they warmly embraced and Adam mentioned how Jennifer wasn't a fan of doing such events, although she exclaimed that she just "got nervous."

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