Reese Witherspoon Talks About 'Abusive' Relationship
Speaking with host Lulu Garcia-Navarro, Reese explained: "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, and you get into relationships that don't work for you and sometimes you don't even see the dynamics that are happening."
"When I got out of that, it took me a while to reconstitute myself," she continued. "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."
"I was really insecure because I've talked to a lot of people who've been in abusive relationships, and they can't see it," she added. "You know? And I couldn't see it. It took me a long time to be this woman that I am now."
This isn't the first time that the Morning Show actress has spoken on the topic, either. In 2018, she told Oprah Winfrey that she experienced "verbal" and "psychological" abuse in a past relationship.
Reese has married twice before, first to Ryan Phillippe from 1999 to 2008 and then to Jim Toth from 2011 to 2023. While Reese hasn't shed light on who exactly was the other half in her abusive relationship, fans think they have a pretty good idea.
Social Media Reactions
Across social media, Reese's fans have been using their detective skills to uncover who Reese could possibly be talking about in this interview. Many pointed out that she was talking about being in an abusive relationship in 2018, so she likely isn't talking about Jim Toth, whom she was married to for 5 more years following that revelation.
"I hate to say it but it's easy to assume she's talking about Ryan Phillippe," one person commented on Instagram.
"Dang, Ryan was toxic?" another person said. "It's always the fine ones."
Another person asked, "Who is this about? I hope not Ryan," and a fourth answered, "Probably Ryan. She's talking about being 'young.' She was married to Jim two years ago!"
"Whoever she's talking about, I'm glad she's out of that relationship now," a final fan said.