Witherspoon also ownsReese's Book Club and a clothing company,Draper James. She is involved in children's and women'sadvocacy organizations. She serves on the board of theChildren's Defense Fund (CDF) and was named GlobalAmbassador ofAvon Products in 2007, serving as honorary chair of the charitable Avon Foundation dedicated to women's causes.
Raised as anEpiscopalian, Witherspoon has expressed pride in her "definitiveSouthern upbringing," which she said gave her "a sense of family and tradition" and taught her about "being conscientious about people's feelings, being polite, being responsible, and never taking for granted what you have in your life."[13][14][15] At age seven, she was selected as a model for a florist's television ads, which motivated her to enroll in acting lessons.[16] At age 11, she took first place in the Ten-State Talent Fair.[16] She received high grades in school[16] and considered herself, as she put it, "a big dork who [loved] read[ing] loads of books."[17] Regarding this passion, she said, "I get crazy in a bookstore. It makes my heart beat hard because I want to buy everything."[18] She has been described as a "multi-achiever," whom her parents nicknamed "Little Type A."[19][20] She attended middle school atHarding Academy and graduated from the all-girlsHarpeth Hall School in Nashville, where she was acheerleader.[21][13] She later attendedStanford University as an English literature major,[22] but left before graduating to pursue an acting career.[13]
Career
1991–2000: Early work and breakthrough
Witherspoon attended an opencasting call in 1991 forThe Man in the Moon, intending to audition for abit part;[13] but instead was cast for the lead role of Dani Trant, a 14-year-old country girl who falls in love for the first time with her 17-year-old neighbor. The film takes place in her native State of Louisiana. According toThe Guardian, her performance made an early impression.[23] Film criticRoger Ebert commented, "Her first kiss is one of the most perfect little scenes I've ever seen in a movie."[16] For her role, Witherspoon was nominated for aYoung Artist Award, in the category of Best Young Actress.[24] Later that year, she made her television debut role inWildflower withPatricia Arquette.[4][9] In 1992, Witherspoon appeared in thetelevision filmDesperate Choices: To Save My Child, portraying a critically ill young girl.[4]
In 1993, Witherspoon played a young wife, Nonnie Parker, in theCBSminiseriesReturn to Lonesome Dove, appeared in theDisney filmA Far Off Place, and had a minor role inJack the Bear, which garnered her the Young Artist Award for Best Youth Actress Co-star.[4][25] The next year, she had another leading role as Wendy Pfister in the 1994 filmS.F.W., directed byJefery Levy.[26] In 1996, Witherspoon starred in two major films: the thrillerFear alongsideMark Wahlberg,[27][28] as Nicole Walker, a teenager who starts dating a man with obsessive tendencies, and the black-comedy thrillerFreeway, alongsideKiefer Sutherland andBrooke Shields, in which she played Vanessa Lutz;[29] a poor girl living in Los Angeles who encounters aserial killer on the way to her grandmother's home inStockton.[13] The film received positive reviews from critics;San Francisco Chronicle'sMick LaSalle wrote, "Witherspoon, who does a Texas accent, is dazzling, utterly believable in one extreme situation after the other."[30] Witherspoon's performance won her the Best Actress Award at theCognac Police Film Festival and helped establish her as a rising star.[13][31] The production of the film also gave her significant acting experience; she said "Once I overcame the hurdle of that movie – which scared me to death – I felt like I could try anything."[22]
In 1998, Witherspoon had major roles in three films:Overnight Delivery,Pleasantville andTwilight.[9][32] InPleasantville, she starred withTobey Maguire in a tale about 1990s teenage siblings who are magically transported into the setting of a 1950s television series. She portrayed Jennifer, the sister of Maguire's character who is mainly concerned about appearances, relationships and popularity. Her performance earned her praise and garnered her theYoung Hollywood Award for Best Female Breakthrough Performance.[33] DirectorGary Ross applauded her efforts saying, "she commits to a character so completely and she understands comedy".[22]
A year later, Witherspoon co-starred withAlessandro Nivola in the drama thrillerBest Laid Plans; she played Lissa, a woman who schemes with her lover Nick to escape a small dead-end town.[4] Also in 1999, she co-starred withSarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe in the dramaCruel Intentions, a modern version of the 18th-century French novelLes Liaisons Dangereuses. The critic forSan Francisco Chronicle praised her performance as Annette Hargrove: "Witherspoon is especially good in the least flashy role, and even when called upon to make a series of cute devilish faces, she pulls it off."[34] She also appeared in a music video byMarcy Playground for the film's soundtrack. Next, she appeared inElection (1999) oppositeMatthew Broderick, based onTom Perrotta'snovel of the same name.[4] For her portrayal ofTracy Flick, she earned acclaim and her first nominations in the Golden Globes and in theIndependent Spirit Awards. She also won the Best Actress Award from theNational Society of Film Critics and theOnline Film Critics Society.[35][36] Witherspoon received a rank on the list of100 Greatest Film Performances of All Time byPremiere.[37] DirectorAlexander Payne said "She's [Witherspoon] got that quality that men find attractive, while women would like to be her friend. But that's just the foundation. Nobody else is as funny or brings such charm to things. She can do anything."[14]
Following the success ofElection, Witherspoon struggled to find work due totypecasting.[38] "I think because the character I played was so extreme and sort of shrewish—people thought that was who I was, rather than me going in and creating a part. I would audition for things and I'd always be the second choice—studios never wanted to hire me and I wasn't losing the parts to big box office actresses but to ones who I guess people felt differently about", she said.[5] In 2000, Witherspoon had a supporting role inAmerican Psycho asPatrick Bateman's trophy girlfriend, and made acameo appearance inLittle Nicky as the mother of theAntichrist.[32] She also made a guest appearance in thesixth season ofFriends asRachel Green's sister Jill.[39]
2001–2006: Worldwide recognition
The 2001 filmLegally Blonde marked a turning point in Witherspoon's career; she starred asElle Woods, afashion-merchandising major who decides to become a law student to follow her ex-boyfriend toHarvard Law School. Witherspoon said about the role, "When I readLegally Blonde, I was like, 'She's from Beverly Hills, she's rich, she's in a sorority. She has a great boyfriend. Oh yeah, she gets dumped. Who cares? I still hate her.' So we had to make sure she was the kind of person you just can't hate."[14]Legally Blonde was a box-office hit, grossing US$96 million domestically.[40] Witherspoon's performance earned her praise from critics, and the press began to refer her as "the newMeg Ryan".[41] Roger Ebert commented, "Witherspoon effortlessly animated this material with sunshine and quick wit",[42] and the critic fromSalon magazine wrote "she [Witherspoon] delineates Elle's character beautifully".[43] Meanwhile, theSeattle Post-Intelligencer concluded, "Witherspoon is a talented comedian who can perk up a scene just by marching in full of pep and drive and she powers this modest little comedy almost single-handedly."[44] The film earned her a second nomination forBest Actress at the Golden Globes, and anMTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance.[45]
In 2002, Witherspoon featured in several projects, such as the role of Greta Wolfcastle inThe Simpsons episode "The Bart Wants What It Wants", and as Cecily in the comedyThe Importance of Being Earnest, a film adaptation ofOscar Wilde's play for which she received aTeen Choice Award nomination.[46][47] Later that year, she starred withJosh Lucas andPatrick Dempsey inAndy Tennant's romantic comedySweet Home Alabama, in which she played Melanie Carmichael, a young fashion designer who intends to marry a New York politician but must return toAlabama to divorce her childhood sweetheart, from whom she has been separated for seven years. Witherspoon regarded it as a "personal role" as it reminded her of the experience of moving from Nashville to Los Angeles.[48] The film became Witherspoon's biggest live-action box office hit, earning over $35 million in the opening weekend and grossing over $127 million in the U.S.[40][49] Despite the commercial success, critics gaveSweet Home Alabama negative reviews.The Miami Herald called it "a romantic comedy so rote, dull and predictable",[50] and the press opined that Witherspoon was the only reason the film attracted such a large audience.[51][52]The Christian Science Monitor wrote of her, "She is not the movie's main attraction, she is its only attraction."[53]
The next year, Witherspoon followed up the success ofLegally Blonde by starring in the sequelLegally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde. Elle Woods has become a Harvard-educated lawyer who is determined to protect animals fromcosmetics industry science tests. The sequel was not as financially successful as the first film and it generated mostly negative reviews.USA Today considered the movie "plodding, unfunny and almost cringe-worthy", but also wrote "Reese Witherspoon still does a fine job portraying the fair-haired lovable brainiac, but her top-notch comic timing is wasted on the humorless dialogue."[54] Meanwhile,Salon magazine concluded that the sequel "calcifies everything that was enjoyable about the first movie".[55] Despite being panned by critics, the sequel took in over $39 million in its first five days in the U.S. box office charts and eventually grossed $90 million in the US.[56] Witherspoon was paid $15 million for the role, making her one of Hollywood's consistently highest-paid actresses between 2002 and 2010.[14][57]
In 2004, Witherspoon starred inVanity Fair, adapted from the 19th-century classic novelVanity Fair and directed byMira Nair. Her character,Becky Sharp, is a poor woman with a ruthless determination to find fortune and establish herself a position in society. Witherspoon was carefully costumed to conceal her pregnancy during filming.[58] This pregnancy was not a hindrance to her work as Witherspoon believed it helped her portrayal of Sharp's character: "I love the luminosity that pregnancy brings, I love the fleshiness, I love the ample bosom—it gave me much more to play with", she said.[59][60] The film and Witherspoon's performance received mixed reviews;The Hollywood Reporter wrote "Nair's cast is splendid. Witherspoon does justice to the juicy role by giving the part more buoyancy than naughtiness."[61]The Charlotte Observer called her work "an excellent performance that's soft around the edges", and theLos Angeles Times concluded that Becky is "a role Reese Witherspoon was born to play".[62][63] However,LA Weekly wrote "[Witherspoon] ends up conveying so little of what's at once appalling and perversely attractive about the would-be mistress of Vanity Fair" and stated that it may have to do with Witherspoon's vanity, "with an Oscar-less young star's need to be loved more than anyone could conceivably love the 'real' Becky Sharp."[64] Some critics thought she was miscast.[65]
In late 2004, Witherspoon starred alongsideMark Ruffalo in the romantic comedyJust Like Heaven. Her character, Elizabeth Masterson, is an ambitious young doctor who is involved in a car accident on her way to ablind date and is left in acoma; her spirit returns to her old apartment where she later finds true love.[66] Next, she was cast asJune Carter Cash, the second wife of singer-songwriterJohnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix), inJames Mangold'sWalk the Line (2005). She never had the chance to meet Carter Cash, as Witherspoon was filmingVanity Fair at the time the singer died.[5] Witherspoon performed her own vocals in the film, and her songs had to be performed in front of a live audience; she was so worried about needing to perform that she asked her lawyer to terminate the film contract.[67] "That was the most challenging part of the role," she later recalled. "I'd never sung professionally."[68] Subsequently, she had to spend six months learning how to sing for the role, including from the help of vocal coachRoger Love.[67][69][70] Witherspoon's portrayal of Carter Cash was acclaimed by critics, with Roger Ebert stating that her performance added "boundless energy" to the film.[71] She won Best Actress at theAcademy Awards,Golden Globes,British Academy Film Awards, and aScreen Actors Guild award for her performance.[72][73][45]
Witherspoon and Phoenix received a nomination for "collaborative video of the year" from theCMT Music Awards.[73][74] Witherspoon has expressed her passion for the film: "I really like in this film that it is realistic and portrays sort of a real marriage, a real relationship where there are forbidden thoughts and fallibility. And it is about compassion in the long haul, not just the short easy solutions to problems."[75] She also stated that she believed Carter Cash was a woman ahead of her time: "I think the really remarkable thing about her character is that she did all of these things that we sort of see as normal things in the 1950s when it wasn't really acceptable for a woman to be married and divorced twice and have two different children by two different husbands and travel around in a car full of very famous musicians all by herself. She didn't try to comply to social convention, so I think that makes her a very modern woman."[75] After the success ofWalk the Line, Witherspoon starred in the fantasyPenelope, as Annie, the best friend of Penelope (Christina Ricci), a girl who has a curse in her family. The film was produced by her companyType A Films, and filming began in March 2006.[76] The film premiered at the2006 Toronto International Film Festival,[67][77] but went unreleased until February 2008.[78][79]
2007–2012: Career setbacks and romantic comedy films
Witherspoon admits to spending several years "kind of floundering career-wise". Reflecting on this period of time in a December 2014 interview, Witherspoon attributed it to the split from her first husband in October 2006 and their subsequent divorce, stating that she spent "a few years just trying to feel better. You know, you can't really be very creative when you feel like your brain is scrambled eggs." She claims that she "wasn't making things I was passionate about. I was just kind of working, you know. And it was really clear that audiences weren't responding to anything I was putting out there."[80]
Witherspoon appeared in the thrillerRendition, in which she played Isabella El-Ibrahim, the pregnant wife of a bombing suspect. The film was released in October 2007 and it was her first film appearance since the 2005'sWalk the Line.[81] The film received mostly mixed reviews and was deemed a major disappointment at theToronto International Film Festival.[82] Witherspoon's performance was also criticized; writing forUSA Today, Claudia Puig wrote "Reese Witherspoon is surprisingly lifeless [...] She customarily injects energy and spirit into her parts, but here, her performance feels tamped down."[83] In 2008, Witherspoon starred withVince Vaughn in the comedyFour Christmases, a story about a couple who must spend their Christmas Day trying to visit all four of their divorced parents.[84] Despite negative reviews from critics, the film was a box office success, earning more than $120 million domestically and $157 million worldwide.[85] In 2009, Witherspoon voiced Susan Murphy, the lead character in theDreamWorks AnimationMonsters vs. Aliens, released in March, which grossed $381 million worldwide.[86][87] She also co-produced theLegally Blonde spin-offLegally Blondes, starringMilly and Becky Rosso.[88] However, Witherspoon did not appear in a live-action film for two years afterFour Christmases. She toldEntertainment Weekly that the "break" was unplanned, stating that, "I just didn't read anything I liked... There are a lot of really, really, really big movies about robots and things—and there's not a part for a 34-year-old woman in a robot movie."[89]
Witherspoon returned with three romances released in 2010, 2011 and 2012, all starring her as a woman caught in alove triangle between two men. In the first, she was cast inJames L. Brooks'How Do You Know,[90][91][92] in which she played a former national softball player who struggles to choose between a baseball-star boyfriend (Owen Wilson) and a business executive being investigated forwhite-collar crime (Paul Rudd). Filming took place inPhiladelphia andWashington, D.C. during the summer and fall of 2009[93][94][95] and it was released on December 17, 2010. The film was critically and commercially unsuccessful; with a budget of more than $100 million, the film only earned $48.7 million worldwide, leading theLos Angeles Times to call it "one of the year's biggest flops".[96] The film received mainly unfavorable reviews, with an approval rating of 35% onRotten Tomatoes, based on 111 reviews as of December 2010.[97]
Witherspoon's second love-triangle film was the dramaWater for Elephants, an adaptation ofSara Gruen'snovel of the same name. She begancircus training in March 2010 for her role as Marlena, a glamorous performer stuck in a marriage to a volatile husband (Christoph Waltz) but intrigued by the circus' new veterinarian (Robert Pattinson).[98]Principal photography began between May and early August 2010[99][100] in various locations inTennessee,Georgia, and California. It was released on April 22, 2011, and received mixed critical reviews.[101][102] Her last love-triangle film began production inVancouver in September 2010. Directed byMcG and released by20th Century Fox,This Means War, saw Witherspoon's character at the center of a battle between best friends (played byChris Pine andTom Hardy), who are both in love with her. The film had a "sneak-peek" release onValentine's Day, before fully opening on February 17, 2012.[103][104][105] The film was panned by critics, with a 25% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes,[106] and fared poorly at the box office, taking fifth place on its opening weekend with sales of $17.6 million.The New York Times remarked that this "extended the box office cold streak for the Oscar-winning Ms. Witherspoon".[107] In a 2012 interview withMTV, Witherspoon jokingly referred that 2010–12 was her "love triangle period".[108]
Witherspoon next starred inDevil's Knot, which was directed byAtom Egoyan, and based on thetrue crime book of thesame name, examining the controversial case of theWest Memphis Three. LikeMud, the film is set in Arkansas. She played Pam Hobbs, the mother of one of three young murder victims. In an interview subsequent to her casting in the film, Egoyan noted that although the role requires "an emotionally loaded journey," he "met with Reese, and... talked at length about the project, and she's eager to take on the challenge."[116] Filming took place inGeorgia in June and July 2012,[117][118][119] and Witherspoon was pregnant with her third child during filming.[120][121] The film premiered at the 2013Toronto International Film Festival,[122][123] followed by a release in selected American theaters on May 9, 2014.[124] Although the film received mainly negative reviews; London'sEvening Standard thought Witherspoon was "the strongest, most involving character".[125]
In 2012, Witherspoon founded production company Pacific Standard (now part ofHello Sunshine). Her goal was to produce projects with "strong" female lead characters, as she felt this was lacking in Hollywood. Through the company, Witherspoon served as a producer forGone Girl (2014), an adaptation ofGillian Flynn's novelof the same name.[126][127][128] She also produced and starred in the biographical adventureWild (2014), based onCheryl Strayed's memoirof the same name.[129] She portrayed Strayed on her 1,000-mile (1,600 km) hike along thePacific Crest Trail.[130]Wild was released in December 2014 to critical acclaim;[131] Michael Phillips ofChicago Tribune wrote in his review, "Witherspoon does the least acting of her career, and it works. Calmly yet restlessly, she brings to life Strayed's longings, her states of grief and desire and her wary optimism."[132]Wild was considered as Witherspoon's "comeback" role following her previous career slump,[133][134] and she earned a second Academy Award nomination for her performance.[135]
Witherspoon appeared inPhilippe Falardeau's dramaThe Good Lie, based on a true story about an employment counselor assigned to help four youngSudanese refugees, known asLost Boys of Sudan, who win a lottery for relocation to the U.S.[136][137] It was released on October 3, 2014.[138] The film was mostly well-received;The Hollywood Reporter critic praised the touching story and performances of the cast, writing that Witherspoon does not "upstage" her colleagues.[139] Next, she appeared inInherent Vice (2014), an adaptation ofThomas Pynchon'snovel of the same name.[140][141] In May 2014, Witherspoon began production in Louisiana onHot Pursuit, a comedy in which she plays a police officer trying to protect a drug lord's widow (Sofía Vergara).[142] The feature was released on May 8, 2015.[143]
In 2016, Witherspoon had a voice role in the animated musical comedy filmSing, and served as a performer to the film'ssoundtrack.Sing became Witherspoon's biggest commercial success, being the first of her films to make over $200 million domestically and $600 million worldwide.[144] That same year, Witherspoon began filming her first television project since 1993'sReturn To Lonesome Dove,the seven-part miniseries adaptation of theLiane Moriarty bestseller,Big Little Lies. She co-produced the miniseries along with co-starNicole Kidman and directorJean-Marc Vallée, her second project under his direction. The series premiered on February 19, 2017, onHBO and finished on April 2.[145][146] Witherspoon garnered critical acclaim for her performance, withTVLine proclaiming her as "Performer of the Week" in the weeks of February 26 – March 4 in 2017 and June 23–29 in 2019.[147][148]The Washington Post compared her performance to her roles inElection andLegally Blonde.[149] In December 2017, HBO renewedBig Little Lies for a second season, which premiered in June 2019.[150] Witherspoon also starred in the romantic comedyHome Again, thedirectorial debut of filmmakerNancy Meyers' daughter,Hallie Meyers-Shyer, which was released on September 8, 2017.[151]
Witherspoon currently produces and stars in theApple TV+ drama seriesThe Morning Show alongsideJennifer Aniston andSteve Carell.[154]The Morning Show received a two-season order from Apple with the first season premiering in November 2019.[155] Witherspoon was nominated for aGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama and aGolden Globe Award for Best Television Series for her work in the series.[156] Season two ofThe Morning Show was set to premiere in 2020 before a production shutdown caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic.[157] The first two episodes were in the final stages of being shot before the production shutdown. During the shutdown, scripts were rewritten to reflect the pandemic. Production on season two ofThe Morning Show restarted on October 19, 2020, and premiered on Apple TV in September 2021.[158][159] Witherspoon also serves as an executive producer for the Apple TV+ seriesTruth Be Told starringOctavia Spencer which premiered in December 2019; it was renewed for a second season in March 2020.[160][161][162]
Witherspoon owned a production company calledType A Films, which the media believed was named after a nickname from her childhood, "Little Miss Type A".[19][169] However, when asked about the company byInterview magazine, she clarified the name's origin: "... people think I named it after myself... It was actually anin-joke with my family because at [age] 7 I understood complicated medical terms, such as the difference betweentype A and type B personalities. But I just wished I'd named the company Dogfood Films or Fork or something. You carry that baggage all your life."[5] In March 2012, Witherspoon merged Type A Films withBruna Papandrea's "Make Movies" banner to form a new production company called Pacific Standard.[170] In 2016, Witherspoon and Papandrea parted ways, and Witherspoon gained full control of the company.[171] Pacific Standard has since become a subsidiary ofHello Sunshine, a firm co-owned by Witherspoon andOtter Media, focused on telling female-oriented stories through film, television anddigital channels.[172] Witherspoon also runs the Hello Sunshine book club, where she makes book recommendations.[173]
In May 2015, Witherspoon launchedDraper James, a retail brand focusing on fashion andhome décor inspired by theAmerican South. It is named after her grandparents, Dorothea Draper and William James Witherspoon, who are said to be her greatest influences. Some of the products are being manufactured and designedin-house, and the brand was launched online before opening its first retail outlet in 2015 in her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee.[174] In March 2017, Witherspoon became the chief storyteller forElizabeth Arden, Inc., helping the company to shape the brand's narrative through advertising campaigns and marketing programs. Witherspoon stated that she was "excited to work as a creative partner alongside the Elizabeth Arden team, producing content that celebrates the spirit of the brand, highlighting female-centric stories that illustrate women's true life experiences which unite us all".[175]
Witherspoon is involved in children andwomen's rights advocacy. She is a longtime supporter ofSave the Children, an organization that helps provide children around the world with education, healthcare and emergency aid.[176] She also serves on the board of theChildren's Defense Fund (CDF), a child advocacy and research group.[176] In 2006, she was among a group of actresses who went to New Orleans, Louisiana in a CDF project to publicize the needs ofHurricane Katrina victims.[177] During this trip, she helped open the city's first Freedom School, as she met and talked with the children.[178] Witherspoon later called this an experience that she would never forget.[178]
In 2007, Witherspoon made her first move intoendorsements, and she signed a multi-year agreement to serve as the first Global Ambassador for cosmetics firmAvon Products.[176][179] She acts as a spokeswoman for Avon and serves as the honorary chair of theAvon Foundation, a charitable organization that supports women and focuses onbreast cancer research and the prevention ofdomestic violence.[180][181] She is also committed to the development of cosmetic products and making appearances in commercials.[180] Explaining her motives for joining the foundation, she said, "As a woman and a mother I care deeply about the well being of other women and children throughout the world and through the years, I have always looked for opportunities to make a difference."[180]
In 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic, Witherspoon announced the "Draper James Loves Teachers" initiative, offering free dresses from the clothing collection to teachers.[182]
Books and literature
In 2017, Witherspoon started Reese's Book Club.[183] The club was born out of her Instagram account, where she posted photos of books she read. Each month she picks books she loves with a woman at the center of the story, with variety of genres, from women's fiction to thrillers to romance. Since 2017, the club's most influential pick has beenWhere the Crawdads Sing byDelia Owens. Chosen for the club in September 2018, it was adapted into a 2022feature film by Witherspoon's production company Hello Sunshine, and was a box office hit that summer.[184]
In 2025, Witherspoon co-authored her first novel,Gone Before Goodbye, withHarlan Coben.[185]
Other work
In 2013, Witherspoon recorded a cover of the classicFrank Sinatra andNancy Sinatra duet, "Somethin' Stupid" withMichael Bublé for his 2013 album,To Be Loved.[186] In September 2018, she published her first book,Whiskey in a Teacup, which is a lifestyle publication inspired by her southern upbringing.[187] In 2018, she joined approximately 300 other actors, agents, writers and entertainment employees in creating theTime's Up initiative, which seeks to counteract sexual harassment in the workplace.[188]
Witherspoon hostedSaturday Night Live on September 29, 2001, the first episode to air after theSeptember 11 attacks.[189] In 2005, she was ranked No. 5 inTeen People magazine's list of most powerful young Hollywood actors.[190] In 2006, she was listed among theTime 100.[191] Her featured article was written byLuke Wilson.[192] That year, she was selected one of the "100 Sexiest Women in the World" by the readers ofFHM.[193] Witherspoon has been featured four times in the annual "100 Most Beautiful" issues ofPeople magazine.[194] She has appeared on the annualCelebrity 100 list byForbes magazine in 2006 and 2007, at No. 75 and No. 80, respectively.[195][196]Forbes also put her on the top ten Trustworthy Celebrities list.[197]
In 2007, she was selected byPeople and the entertainment news programAccess Hollywood as one of the year's best-dressed female stars.[198][199] The yellow dress she wore to that year's Golden Globe Awards was widely acclaimed.[200] A study conducted by E-Poll Market Research showed that Witherspoon was the most likable female celebrity of 2007.[201] That same year, she established herself as the highest-paid actress in the American film industry, earning $15 to $20 million per film.[202][203] The following years, her appearance in many commercially unsuccessful films caused her to lose this status, and she was noted as one of the most overpaid actors in Hollywood in 2011, 2012 and 2013.[204][205][206] In April 2011, she ranked No. 3 on the 22nd annualPeople's Most Beautiful issue.[207]
In June 2013, Witherspoon filed a lawsuit against Marketing Advantages International Inc., claiming they extensively used her name and image in jewelry advertising without permission in the U.S. and internationally. In December 2015, Witherspoon's trademark claims to her name were rejected on the grounds that she had not established secondary meaning to her full name, did not claim "emotional distress", and that the "photos and facts were generally known by the public and the photos were taken in public with Plaintiff's consent". However, the court ruled that she could proceed with her right of publicity claims against many defendants.[208][209][210] Two months later, she withdrew her lawsuit, having "come to private agreements with the various defendants, including Centerbrook Sales, Fragrance Hut, Gemvara, and others".[211] In October 2017, in the wake of theHarvey Weinsteinsexual abuse scandal, Witherspoon revealed that she had been sexually assaulted at age 16 by a director and had had "multiple experiences of harassment and sexual assault" throughout her career.[212]
In 2015, Witherspoon made her second appearance on theTime 100 list, with her featured article written byMindy Kaling.[213] That year, she was awarded, by the committee's unanimous vote, theAmerican Cinematheque for being "a perfect example of an actress flourishing in today's world" and "an active and successful movie producer who is moving her career forward both behind and in front of the camera".[214][215][216] In 2017,Forbes reported her career earnings were in excess of $198 million, making her the highest-paid primetime Emmy nominee in 2017.[217] In 2019,Forbes listed her among theWorld's 100 Most Powerful Women.[218]
Personal life
Relationships and family
Witherspoon met actorRyan Phillippe at her 21st birthday party in March 1997.[219] They became engaged in December 1998[220] and married on June 5, 1999, at Old Wide Awake Plantation inHollywood, South Carolina.[221][222][223] They have two children together, daughter Ava Elizabeth Phillippe, born on September 9, 1999;[224][225] and son Deacon Reese Phillippe, born on October 23, 2003.[221] On October 30, 2006, Witherspoon and Phillippe announced their separation.[226] She filed for divorce on November 8, 2006, citingirreconcilable differences.[227] Phillippe also reportedly had an affair with actressAbbie Cornish.[228] They released a joint statement throughPeople saying that they were "saddened" by the divorce but "remained[ed] committed to their family."[229] In light of their lack of aprenuptial agreement, she requested that the court refuse to grantspousal support to Phillippe and asked for joint legal custody and sole physical custody of their two children. Phillippe filed for joint physical custody on May 15, 2007, and did not seek any spousal support.[230] The marriage officially ended on October 5, 2007, with final divorce arrangements settled on June 13, 2008, according to court documents. Phillippe and Witherspoon shared joint custody of their children.[231]
In March 2007, Witherspoon began dating herRendition co-starJake Gyllenhaal. They split in 2009 because, according to multiple sources, their relationship did not leave Witherspoon enough time to care for her children.[232][233][234] In February 2010, she was reported to be dating Jim Toth,[235][236][237] atalent agent and co-head of motion picture talent atCreative Artists Agency, where she is a client.[238] They announced their engagement that December,[239] and married on March 26, 2011, inOjai, California, at Libbey Ranch,[240] Witherspoon's country estate, which she later sold.[241][242] They have a son together, Tennessee James Toth, born on September 27, 2012.[243] Toth also helped co-parent Ava and Deacon.[244] On April 19, 2013, Witherspoon was arrested and charged withdisorderly conduct after Toth was stopped for suspicion ofdriving under the influence. She pleadedno-contest toobstruction of an officer and was required to pay court costs.[245] In March 2023, Witherspoon and Toth announced their divorce after 11 years of marriage.[246] The couple released a joint statement on Witherspoon's Instagram account.[247] The announcement was made a few days shy of their 12th wedding anniversary.[248] Witherspoon filed for divorce in April 2023, citing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason and asking for joint custody of Tennessee.[249] They reportedly divorced due to the failure of the streaming platformQuibi (for which Toth worked)[250] and Toth having amidlife crisis.[244] Their divorce was finalized on August 3, 2023.[251] During their marriage, Witherspoon and Toth lived together inLos Angeles, California; following the divorce, she moved toNashville, Tennessee.[252]
Religious beliefs
Witherspoon is a practicingEpiscopalian and attends church services twice weekly. Describing her faith, she has stated "I believe deeply that there's a higher power" and that "I don't fear death, because I know there's heaven. I know it."[253][better source needed]
^Levy, Jefery (January 20, 1995),S.F.W., Stephen Dorff, Reese Witherspoon, Jake Busey,archived from the original on December 1, 2017, retrievedNovember 7, 2017
^Sterritt, David (September 27, 2002)."A down-home dilemma".Christian Science Monitor.Archived from the original on March 12, 2008. RetrievedDecember 12, 2007.
^Strecker, Erin (October 15, 2013)."'Gone Girl' gets release date".Entertainment Weekly.Archived from the original on September 6, 2014. RetrievedFebruary 29, 2020.
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