Reese Witherspoon reflected on the emotional toll of a past abusive relationship and the resilience it took to rebuild herself afterward in a new interview over the weekend.
While appearing on The New York Times’ podcast The Interview, the Legally Blonde actress, 49, spoke candidly about how deeply the experience shaped her behind-the-scenes.
‘I was very good at being a professional and showing up and doing the right thing, but I wasn’t emotionally mature when I was young,’ Witherspoon shared. ‘You get into relationships that don’t work for you, and sometimes you don’t even see the dynamics that are happening.’
The Oscar winner explained that leaving the relationship was only the first step and more challenges arose as she walked away and tried to ‘reconstitute’ herself.Â
‘My spirit had been diminished because I thought all those awful things that person said about me were true. I had to rewire my brain,’ she said.
Witherspoon has previously spoken about the relationship, describing it in a 2018 interview with O Magazine as psychologically and verbally abusive.Â
Reese Witherspoon reflected on the emotional toll of a past abusive relationship and the resilience it took to rebuild herself afterward in a new interview; seen in January 2025
At the time, she recalled reaching a breaking point: ‘A line got drawn in the sand and it got crossed, and my brain just switched. I knew it was going to be very difficult, but I just couldn’t go any further.’
The star credits that decision as a defining moment in her life.Â
‘I could never be the person I am today [without it],’ she explained back then. ‘It changed who I was on a cellular level. The fact that I stood up for myself — it was profound.’
Now, the Hello Sunshine founder said reclaiming her sense of ambition is directly tied to surviving that dark chapter.
‘I’m a different person now, and it’s part of the reason I can stand up and say, “Yes, I’m ambitious.” Because someone tried to take that from me.’
Even after retraining her mindset, Witherspoon admitted on Saturday’s podcast that she often struggled with self-doubt.Â
‘It took me a long time to be this woman that I am now,’ she said, noting the challenges of maintaining privacy while living under constant public scrutiny.
‘It’s nearly impossible at this point, with everybody dehumanizing you, taking pictures of you like you’re an animal in the zoo instead of a person with their children,’ she continued. ‘It was really hard, and being a mom and wanting to protect young people is hard too.’
While appearing on The New York Times’ podcast The Interview, the star spoke candidly about how deeply the experience shaped her (pictured with her two eldest children in 2019)
During her latest interview, the actress also reflected on becoming a young mother at the height of her career after welcoming daughter Ava in her early 20s; seen last year
Witherspoon shares her two eldest children, Ava, 26, and Deacon, 21, with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe and youngest son Tennessee, 12, with ex Jim Toth
Witherspoon, who shares her two eldest children, Ava, 26, and Deacon, 21, with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe and youngest son Tennessee, 12, with ex Jim Toth, is now dating German financier Oliver Haarmann.
During her latest interview, the actress also reflected on becoming a young mother at the height of her career after welcoming daughter Ava in her early 20s, just before Legally Blonde made her a household name.
‘There was so much I didn’t know,’ she admitted. ‘Maybe that naïveté was good because it’s like, “Oh, I’ll just do that and have a career.” I did have a few people say to me, ‘This is going to be really hard on your career.’ There were roles I couldn’t take.’
She added, ‘I had to have this immediate balance of family and career, being a mom and being a working actress. That’s why it was also scary when Legally Blonde became such a big hit. I wasn’t going to beg for parts, [but] parts were coming to me, and that almost made it scarier because I wasn’t picking and choosing what I would reach and strive for. It was more like, “What will I not do?”‘
