On March 24, just two days before their 12th wedding anniversary, Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth took to Instagram to announce their divorce in a since-deleted post. It was a decision they announced together and one they mutually agreed to without regrets, but also one she hadn’t truly opened up about.
Fast forward three months and the former couple are doing much better as they shift their focus to co-parenting their 10-year-old son, Tennessee James. She gave birth to their only child on September 27, 2012 – just 18 months after Reese and Jim tied the knot in March 2011. They started dating in 2010.
In an interview with Harper’s BAZAAR, which took place in May and was published on July 12, Reese opened up about her divorce and how it differs from her first divorce – she was married to Ryan Phillippe between 1999 and 2006 and they share two children (daughter Ava, 23, and son Deacon, 19) together.
Reese Witherspoon describes the experience as ‘interesting’ and couldn’t help but notice how the media controlled the narrative about how she was feeling or how she was processing her first divorce. She felt she had no way of expressing her true feelings, but that’s not how she wanted it to go this time around.
“To be able to talk to people directly about what’s going on in my life and just share it in the way that I share great professional experiences or personal experiences, it feels much more authentic to be able to say things in my own voice and not let somebody else control what’s happening,” she tells BAZAAR.
She acknowledges the widespread speculation from various sources and media outlets, but admits to having no control over it and is committed to being her ‘most honest, forthright self’ as she navigates this new chapter in her life. “It’s a vulnerable time for me,” she says – but one she appears to be thriving in.
As far as how she’s doing three months after the divorce, she definitely doesn’t feel alone and, instead, feels connected to all the others going through something similar. “I think about how many other people are going through this experience,” she explained. “I don’t feel isolated at all. I feel very connected.”
Reese Witherspoon Currently Filming Comedy With Will Ferrell
Reese Witherspoon might be going through a divorce, but she’s not letting it ruin her drive and passion for filmmaking – though she admits to slowing down ‘just a little bit’ since the divorce in March. Still, we’re talking about one of the hardest-working, most productive, and most passionate women in the industry.
For someone with more than 60 acting credits and more than three dozen producing credits over the past three decades, it’s not surprising to know Reese Witherspoon is currently filming – she’s always filming something. At this point in time, she’s working with Will Ferrell on a new comedy, You’re Cordially Invited.
I think of opportunities to make movies and television shows that are joyful, optimistic, funny – just funny,” she says of the new film. “I think about what I want to see on a Friday night, and while I can appreciate a true-crime show or a podcast, I really need some levity. I think the world is looking for a little brightness.”
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Her drive is something many people in the industry marvel at – even someone as revered as Jennifer Aniston. “I just look at her and I think, ‘You absolutely exhaust me, just looking at your plate. She is one of the most highly productive human beings I’ve ever encountered. It’s incredible,” Aniston tells BAZAAR.
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