Reese Witherspoon rewired her brain after abusive relationship
The actress says her "spirit had been diminished" because she believed the "awful things" her abuser told her.
Reese Witherspoon is opening up about the emotional scars left behind after an abusive relationship.
The 49-year-old talked about how she survived a toxic partner when she was young during an episode of The New York Times podcast, 'Interview'.
"I think 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," she said.
"You get into relationships that don’t work for you, and sometimes you don’t even see the dynamics that are happening.”
Witherspoon had to rewire her brain after the abusive relationship.
“When I got out of that, it took me a while to reconstitute myself. My spirit had been diminished because I thought all those awful things that person said about me were true, and I had to rewire my brain.”
The actress, who has starred in movies such as 'Legally Blonde' and 'Cruel Intentions', admitted it wasn't easy.
"I was really insecure... It took me a long time to be this woman that I am now."
READ: Reese Witherspoon creating 'Legally Blonde' TV spin-off
READ: Activist urges women to leave abusive relationships early
Being in the spotlight made the process a lot more difficult.
“It’s very hard to be a public figure. I have a lot of compassion for people who live public lives and maintain privacy,” Witherspoon said.
“It’s nearly impossible at this point with everybody dehumanising you in a certain way, taking pictures of you like you’re an animal in the zoo instead of a person with their children or having a private moment.”
The actress has two children with her ex-husband Ryan Phillippe - Ava Phillippe, 26, and Deacon Phillippe, 21.
She also has a 12-year-old son, Tennessee James Toth, with former partner Jim Toth.
Witherspoon has come a long way since her breakout role as Elle Woods. In 2016, she co-founded a production company called Hello Sunshine with Seth Rodsky.
The company tells women-driven stories in film and other platforms.
“I never thought I was going to start Hello Sunshine. It was born out of a frustration with not seeing the parts that I wanted and thinking there were not enough female voices in the entertainment industry. I see seeds of it with ‘Legally Blonde’; I see it with June Carter Cash," she told Backstage in 2024.
"It was all wind at my back. I knew from all of those experiences that women’s stories matter. They’re important for men to see as well as young people, because we need to understand how incredible and strong and dynamic women are in every facet, from every walk of life.”
Witherspoon also has a book club focusing on stories about women - some have been turned into movies.
She co-wrote a suspense novel, 'Gone Before Goodbye', with bestselling author Harlan Coben.
The book will be released on 14 October 2025.
READ: 'Wicked: For Good' soundtrack release date, tracklist revealed
Watch Witherspoon's discussion on the 'Interview' podcast below.
HOW TO LISTEN TO EAST COAST RADIO
1. Listen to East Coast Radio on the FM (frequency modulation) spectrum between 94 and 95 FM on your radio.
2. Listen live to ECR by clicking here or download the ECR App (iOS/Android).
3. Listen to East Coast Radio on the DStv audio bouquet, channel 836.
4. Switch to the audio bouquet on your Openview decoder and browse to channel 606
5. Listen to us on Amazon Alexa.
Follow us on social media:
· TikTok
Image credit: Instagram/@reesewitherspoon