Reese Witherspoon is getting real about her divorce from Jim Toth.
The Oscar winner and her estranged husband announced back in March that they made the “difficult decision” to end their marriage after 11 years. The news came as a shock to fans, who never heard about difficulties between the two.
Related: Reese ‘Doesn’t Have Time’ For A Love Life Amid Jim Toth Split!
But for Reese? Going public was surprisingly freeing. The main thing she realized was how good it felt to finally be in control of the narrative — something she didn’t feel during her first divorce with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe. The Legally Blonde star opened up about her breakup with Jim for the first time in an interview for the August 2023 Performance Issue of Harper’s Bazaar. And she had a LOT to say about breaking up in the spotlight:
“It’s interesting what happened to me. When I was divorced before, the tabloid media got to tell people how I was feeling or how I was processing, and it felt very out of control. 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.”
One of the best things about social media is the ability to get your own words out there. Clearly it helped Reese!
Obviously, there still has been a lot of talk surrounding her breakup and love life. Does anyone else remember the rumors she was moving on with Tom Brady? Or that an alleged midlife crisis and infidelity may have been the reason for her split with Jim? Not even Reese can escape rumors surrounding her divorce! However, she isn’t letting the chatter get to her since she cannot “control” it:
“Then, of course, there’s speculation, but I can’t control that. All I can do is be my most honest, forthright self and be vulnerable. It’s a vulnerable time for me.”
Fortunately, she’s not going through this time in her life alone. The Morning Show star told the outlet that she’s felt “very connected” to other people ever since she and Jim announced their divorce:
“I think about how many other people are going through this experience. I don’t feel isolated at all.”
That’s great to hear! A silver lining of divorce being so common is it’s definitely viewed with far less disdain and more compassion than ever before. Society now realizes marriage don’t always work, and it can be healthier to end things.
Besides, at this point in her life? Reese has reached the “I don’t care” phase in her life! She told the outlet that she’s not wasting her “precious time” concerned about other things that don’t matter — including certain career milestones or the public’s perception of her:
“I think you start to realize there’s a finite amount of time that you have to accomplish what you want to accomplish in this world and that worrying about other people’s opinions of you is a waste of your precious time. It’s a liberation in your 40s to feel free of other people’s opinions. I mean, they’re always there. They just don’t matter as much to you, and it’s a great feeling.”
It sounds like Reese is heading into this next chapter in her life with nothing but positive energy! We love it! Reactions to her candid comments about her divorce, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments! You can also ch-ch-check out her cover for Harper’s Bazaar (below):
[Image via Nicky Nelson/WENN, Reese Witherspoon/Instagram]