Reese Witherspoon Opens Up About Feeling ‘Vulnerable’ After Divorce from Jim Toth

Reese Witherspoon gets candid about the power of using her own voice to share updates her personal life journey in a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar for the publication’s August 2023 Performance issue.

The Academy Award winner, who covers the issue, opened up about her recent divorce from Jim Toth and how it compared to her split with first husband Ryan Phillippe in 2006.

“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,” Reese said.

She and Phillippe, with whom she shares kids Ava, 23, and Deacon, 19, announced the news of their divorce via a statement from their publicist. On March 24, the actress shared the news of her breakup from Toth after 12 years of marriage in a personal statement via Instagram.

“It is with a great deal of care and consideration that we have made the difficult decision to divorce," Witherspoon and Toth, who share 10-year-old son Tennesse James, wrote.

"We have enjoyed so many wonderful years together and are moving forward with deep love, kindness and mutual respect for everything we have created together. Our biggest priority is our son and our entire family as we navigate this next chapter,” the post continued.

“It feels good,” Reese said of putting the news of her divorce out on her own terms and in her own voice.

“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 explained.

She continued, “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.”

Being vulnerable has allowed the star of “The Morning Show” to connect with her fans in a new way. "I think about how many other people are going through this experience. I don't feel isolated at all. I feel very connected."

The 47-year-old also opened up the outlet about a valuable life lesson she learned once she entered her 40s.

“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,” she said.

“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.”

The movie and television star does note that she had a shift in thinking when it came to her career that came along with the birth of her firstborn, Ava, at the age of 22, asking herself, “Who do I want my daughter to see?”

“I really want to be a woman she looks up to… I worked on it a lot,” she added.

Up next for Reese is the highly anticipated third season of “The Morning Show,” in which she stars and which she co-executive produces with co-star and friend Jennifer Aniston.

The “Friends” alum told Bazaar Reese is “one of the most highly productive human beings” she has ever encountered.

“I just look at her and I think, ‘You absolutely exhaust me, just looking at your plate.’ It’s incredible,” Aniston said.