It’s two years this month since Jennifer Aniston flew her friends – including Courteney Cox, Chelsea Handler, Tobey Maguire and Jimmy Kimmel – to an £8,000-a-night villa in Bora Bora to celebrate her marriage to Justin Theroux.
Afterwards, Justin said of their unconventional honeymoon, ‘We had thought about it; we could just do a normal honeymoon, or we could go with some friends, keep the party going, relax and have fun. It was really special.’
But their fond memories quickly turned to tragedy when the lifeless body of guest Carmel Musgrove – the personal assistant to Hollywood producer Joel Silver – was found naked in a lagoon.
An autopsy later showed that Carmel, who was 28, had cocaine, marijuana and alcohol in her system. Investigators concluded that she drowned while swimming alone, but her friends and family insist questions remain over the murky details of her death – and have demanded that Justin and Jennifer help them find answers.
Now, it seems they may finally be about to get some. Last week, Carmel’s parents Ronald and Ann filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court suing Joel Silver and his company Silver Pictures in connection with ‘the wrongful death’ of their daughter.
Also listed in the papers is Joel’s personal chef, Martin Herold, who was also on the trip and is alleged to have had a sexual relationship with Carmel and given her drugs. He is believed to be among the last people to have seen her alive.
‘[Carmel], Herold, the Silver-related guests, along with a larger entourage of movie stars and their family members, stayed at the Four Seasons hotel by occupying over 40 bungalows as part of Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux’s honeymoon celebration,’ claims the Musgroves’ attorney Brian Watkins in court documents. ‘Sometime between 4 August 2015, and her death on 19 August 2015, defendant Herold provided Carmel (and possibly others) with cocaine.’
Watkins goes on to claim that Carmel was ‘furnished’ with alcohol
by the Silver defendants on a fishing trip and then again at lunch and dinner afterwards. He then states that, ‘At approximately 10.20pm, Carmel visited defendant Herold in his bungalow and, for the next hour or so, he furnished Carmel with additional alcohol, marijuana and cocaine.’
Now, despite having left the French Polynesian island days before Carmel’s death, insiders predict that Jennifer and Justin could be called to court as part of the case. As New York-based trial lawyer Jay Auslander told Grazia, ‘It’s fairly likely that Jennifer and her husband will be deposed, not because they hosted the party but because they were there for some of it and lawyers will want to know what they’ve heard about what really happened that night.
‘When celebrities are involved in cases like this the last thing they want is to be deposed on video tape, but in this case
a deposition for them is highly likely.’
And, according to a family friend, the Musgroves will ‘fight tooth and nail’ until they see the couple in court.
‘Ann and Ronnie Musgrove will stop at nothing to make sure everyone on that holiday is held accountable for their daughter’s death, including Jen and Justin,’ said the insider. ‘They don’t care how famous or powerful they are.
‘They’ve lost their little girl and they say Jen and Justin never even sent them a sympathy card, let alone attended the funeral.’
Indeed, the couple have previously been criticised for their response to Carmel’s death. At the time, a brief statement from Jennifer’s representative Stephen Huvane read, ‘Her honeymoon was well over, and she was already back in Los Angeles when this horrible tragedy occurred.’
‘Jen and Justin didn’t want to add to Mr and Mrs Musgrove’s pain by fuelling the headlines,’ said a source close to the couple. ‘They were grieving as well.’
‘The fact that there are even still questions remaining over the death
of Carmel makes Jen feel sick to her stomach,’ said a second LA-based source.
‘She’s even regretted her decision to stage such a big event for what was supposed to be their special getaway.
‘There is a fear that this lawsuit could turn very ugly. It’s her worst nightmare and she’s been left in pure anguish about it all.’
An investigation found that Carmel’s drowning was caused by the result of overconsumption of alcohol, use of cocaine, tiredness from being overworked, heat stroke and swimming in challenging conditions. Court documents allege the first four are ‘traceable to conduct involving’ Silver and Herold.
Her body was found at 1am after a search was launched. Marijuana paraphernalia and wet swimming clothes were later found in her bungalow.
‘Jen can’t stress enough how terrible she feels for Carmel’s family,’ said the source. ‘She would absolutely help authorities in any way that she can.
‘She has resigned herself to the fact that she’ll never look back at this as a totally happy memory.
‘It’s incredibly sad for all involved and, as Jen knows, worst of all for Carmel’s family.’