When Jennifer Aniston went sunbathing in a small purple bikini on holiday, there was no shortage of people to help carry bags, umbrellas and towels for the actress.

And it was no wonder as the star, who recently turned 40, drew plenty of admiring glances as she hit the beach and showed off her enviable figure in a pretty two-piece and straw hat. She has rented a large villa on the coast at the exclusive One and Only resort.

There, hotel staff whisked the trim star on a golf buggy to find the perfect sunbathing spot. An onlooker said that after Jen had applied lotion, bodyguards and friends erected umbrellas so she could lie on her lounger to read a book and listen to music hidden from fans.

While she is in Mexico, the actress will be hoping to escape reports that Angelina Jolie spread rumours about her around the time that she divorced Brad Pitt. Author Ian Halperin’s new book, The Untold Story Of Brad Pitt And Angelina Jolie, claims that Jolie, her manager and brother planted negative press stories about Jennifer in 2005.

One of the stories was that Jennifer put her career ahead of starting a family - which put her directly at odds with Pitt, who was desperate to become a father. In the book, Halperin writes: [Angelina] was convinced that this is the story that would resonate with all these women who saw her as a man-stealing bitch.'