Reese Witherspoon's ups and downs during her marriage to Jim Toth
As Reese Witherspoon shocks the world with the news of her divorce from Jim Toth – nearly 15 years after her split from Ryan Phillippe – FEMAIL looks back at their ups and downs
- Reese, 47, and Jim, 52, announced their divorce in a joint statement on Friday
- FEMAIL has taken a look back at the Oscar winner’s failed marriages
Reese Witherspoon shocked the world on Friday when she announced that she and her husband, Jim Toth, are getting divorced — just a few days before their 12th wedding anniversary.
The actress, 47, and talent agent, 52, shared the news in a joint statement posted on her Instagram ahead of the weekend, saying their ‘biggest priority’ is their family, especially their 10-year-old son, Tennessee.
Reese also has a daughter, Ava, 23, and an older son, Deacon, 19, from her first marriage to actor Ryan Phillippe, whom she divorced in 2008. Her whirlwind romance with Jim started just a few years later after they met at a party in January 2010.
Within two years, they were married and had a child together. They made headlines in 2013 after their drunken arrest, but in the years to follow, they painted a picture of domestic bliss.
Following the news of Reese’s second divorce, FEMAIL has taken a look back at the ups and downs of her two marriages as she embarks on life as a single mom for the second time.
Love at first sight: Reese’s first marriage to Ryan
Reese met Ryan at her 21st birthday party in 1997, telling him, ‘I think you’re my birthday present.’ They got engaged less than a year later
Reese and Ryan married in June 1999, just a few months after the release of their film ‘Cruel Intentions’ (pictured)
They welcomed their daughter, Ava, in September 1999 and their son, Deacon, four years later in October 2003
Reese met Ryan at her 21st birthday party in 1997, a moment she famously recalled in an interview with Jane magazine the following year.
‘I don’t know what came over me — maybe the seven Midori sours — but I told him, ‘I think you’re my birthday present,”‘ she told the publication. ‘He thought it was so flattering and now that I think about it … how embarrassing!’
The couple got engaged in 1998 and married less than a year later in June 1999, just a few months after the release of their film ‘Cruel Intentions.’
They tied the knot at the Old Wide Awake Plantation in Charleston, South Carolina. Reese was only 24 at the time and several months pregnant with their daughter, Ava, who was born in September 1999.
A few years later, the couple raised some eyebrows when they presented at the 2002 Oscars. They were announcing the winner for achievement in makeup when Ryan told his wife she should read the winner’s name, saying, ‘You make more than I do, so go ahead.’
Reese reflected on the unscripted moment on The HFPA in Conversation podcast in 2020, saying she didn’t know Ryan was going to say that and was a ‘bit flummoxed’ by it.
‘There’s so few women that make a lot of money that sometimes they’re shamed for it, and sometimes they are expected to give more and do more and be more to others in the same position that say a male movie star would not be expected to,’ she said. ‘And that’s just a double standard that exists in our society. But I do think gender norms have changed quite a bit since that moment in 2000.’
Reese and Ryan announced their split after she won her first Oscar in 2006. They finalized their divorce in 2008
Reese and Ryan have remained friendly while co-parenting their children, and they’ve come together to celebrate family milestones, including Deacon’s graduation last year
Several months after the 2002 Oscars, Ryan revealed they were in couples therapy. They welcomed their son, Deacon, in October 2003.
Speculation that their marriage was in trouble began when he snapped: ‘My wife is my pass’ before barging past a security guard at an Oscars aftershow party in 2006.
Reese filed for divorce just nine days after they announced their separation in October 2006.
At the time, Ryan was linked to his then-costar Abbie Cornish, but the Australian actress denied that she was having an affair with the star, whom she later dated after his split from his wife.
Other reports suggested that Reese read an incriminating message on his Blackberry that led her to end the marriage.
She won primary custody of their two children and the family home, while he was granted visiting rights for the children when their divorce was finalized in 2008.
Reese and Ryan have both spoken publicly about their failed marriage, agreeing that their age played a factor in their divorce.
‘I was so, so young. I was, like, ridiculously young. I learned a lot, though,’ she told Elle UK in 2011. It was an excellent opportunity for me to really find out what it means to be a partner and to be in a marriage and it’s not anything that I thought it was.’
Reese and Ryan have remained friendly while co-parenting their children, and they’ve come together to celebrate family milestones, including Deacon’s graduation last year.
Fateful night: How Reese met her second husband at a party
Reese was a single mother of two when she met Jim at a friend’s house in January 2010 (pictured in September of that year), shortly after her split from actor Jake Gyllenhaal
Reese later shared how he kindly rescued her from his drunk friend that night. They confirmed their romance in March 2010
Reese was a single mother of two when she met Jim at a friend’s house in January 2010, shortly after her split from actor Jake Gyllenhaal, whom she dated for three years.
The actress opened up about their fateful first meeting in her February 2012 Elle magazine cover story, recalling how he kindly rescued her from his drunk friend.
‘It happened out of the blue. This really drunk guy was hitting on me, making such an idiot of himself, yelling at me. He was like, [slurring, scowling, pointing finger in her face] “You don’t know me.” And I was like, “Yeah, I know. I don’t know you!”‘ she explained.
‘Jim came over and said, “Please excuse my friend. He’s just broken up with someone.” Jim was a really good friend, pulling him out of that situation. That’s just kind of who he is, a really good person.’
They went public with their relationship in March 2010. That same month, she introduced him to a group of her girlfriends at her birthday celebration in Ojai, People reported.
A source told the outlet the meeting was such a success that Reese felt comfortable having him meet her children, Ava and Deacon. He joined her and her kids at church services while celebrating Easter that April.
Jim, who had a reputation for being a Hollywood player, was said to be equally smitten with Reese.
The ‘Legally Blonde’ star told Elle UK in March 2011 that she wasn’t expecting to fall in love with Jim.
‘It’s an exciting feeling. [Somebody saying,] “You’re The One,”‘ she said. ‘And it’s a surprise. You know, I’m surprised when people who aren’t related to me see my movies. And you’re surprised somebody wants to be with you because, boy, I’ve got a lot of quirks and wrinkles.’
When you know, you know: Reese and Jim’s whirlwind engagement
Reese and Jim (pictured in January 2011) got engaged in December 2010, less than a year after they started dating
They didn’t share many details about the special moment, but the Oscar winner’s spokesperson confirmed the happy news, saying they were ‘extremely happy’
Reese and Jim got engaged in December 2010, less than a year after they started dating.
They didn’t share many details about the special moment, but the Oscar winner’s spokesperson confirmed the happy news with Us Weekly, saying they were ‘extremely happy.’
Reese admitted in her 2012 interview with Elle that she didn’t think she would get married for a second time, but Jim proved to be different than her past partners.
‘Jim said, “I’m gonna show you every day what a good partner is, what a good person is. I’m going to take care of you. I’m gonna do this so much that you’re gonna get used to it.” I was like, “What are you talking about?” I’ve never had anybody like that in my life,’ she explained.
The bride wore pink: Reese and Jim tie the knot
Reese wore a pink gown when she and Jim wed in front of their family and friends at her ranch in Ojai, California, on March 26, 2011
Reese and Jim wed at her ranch in Ojai, California, on March 26, 2011.
The bride said ‘I do’ in a pink Monique Lhuillier gown that featured a fitted corset top, sash, and A-line tulle skirt.
Reese’s daughter, Ava, who was 11 at the time, wore a dress by the same designer, while her son Deacon, then seven, matched the groom in a Rag & Bone suit.
The ceremony, according to one guest, was indeed a family affair, with Ava taking on the role of her mother’s maid of honor and Deacon serving as the ring bearer.
‘It was always Reese and Jim and Ava and Deacon,’ a guest told People magazine. ‘The kids were included in everything. It was very sweet. They were super excited to be part of their mom’s day.’
The children were also said to ‘adore’ their new stepfather.
Reese’s father, John Witherspoon, walked her down the aisle to the traditional bridal march. After the ceremony, the newlyweds walked out to ‘Keep On The Sunny Side Of Life’ in a nod to the bride’s Oscar-winning film ‘Walk The Line.’
At the reception, guests — including Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson, Scarlett Johansson, and her then-boyfriend Sean Penn — looked on as the couple danced to Bob Dylan’s ‘Make You Feel My Love.’
‘It was joyous,’ said another guest. ‘It was such a relaxing, beautiful, soulful night. It was their kind of day.’
The actress got straight back to work promoting her film ‘Water for Elephants’ after her wedding before taking some time to jet off to Belize with her new husband and her two children.
Later that summer, Reese and Jim jetted off to Europe by themselves for a second honeymoon with stops in Paris, France, and Positano, Italy.
They were less than a year into their marriage when she gushed about her new husband’s bond with her children in an interview with Marie Claire in September 2011.
‘I got lucky. I did. I got very lucky. He’s so wonderful with the children. I’m very blessed,’ she said. ‘Somebody close to me once said, “Oh, no man will ever accept your children.” And I just thought it was the most horrifying thing someone has ever said to me in my entire life.
‘And until I got remarried, I don’t think I realized how stressed I was. I feel so much relief. I don’t think I realized how stressed I was being a single parent. It was really, really stressful. It’s not easy on anybody. It’s really traumatic.’
In December 2010, Reese’s ex-husband Ryan shared his thoughts about her marriage with the New York Daily News, saying, ‘I’m very happy for both Reese and Jim. I wish nothing but the best for the mother of my children.’
Baby makes three: Reese and Jim welcome their son
Reese was visibly pregnant with their son in August 2012, but she never formally announced her pregnancy
The couple (pictured in 2013) welcomed their son, Tennessee James Toth, in September 2012
Speculation that Reese was pregnant started in March 2012, a year after her wedding, but she never formally announced the news.
The soon-to-be mom of three was visibly pregnant when she confirmed in June 2012 that she and Jim were expecting their first child together.
She casually acknowledged her pregnancy and her growing appetite during her appearance at the Gene Siskel Film Centre of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
‘I’m always feeling like I’d like to eat everything in sight!’ she told the Chicago Sun-Times, adding that she was going to take a brief leave from acting after wrapping up her film ‘Devil’s Knot.’
‘I’m going to take a little time off — and go have a baby,’ she said.
The couple welcomed their son, Tennessee James Toth, on September 27, 2012.
‘Reese Witherspoon and husband Jim Toth welcomed Tennessee James into their family today,’ her rep told People magazine. ‘Both mom and baby are healthy and the entire family is thrilled.
The mom opened up about her three pregnancies on her Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine YouTube page in 2019, saying her last one was by far the most difficult.
‘I had one at 23, one at 27, and then again at 37. And, oh my God, having a baby at 37 was so much harder. This is just me being real,’ she said.
Making headlines: Reese and Jim’s drunken arrest in Atlanta
Reese and Jim were both arrested in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 19, 2013
Reese and Jim made headlines after they were both arrested in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 19, 2013.
Jim was apprehended after midnight that Friday for recklessly weaving across Peachtree Street in the city, where they were living while she was filming ‘The Good Lie.’
The police report alleged that the Hollywood agent smelled of alcohol and appeared ‘disheveled.’ After pulling the DUI suspect over, a sobriety test was conducted in a Walgreens parking lot.
Reese was said to have been warned to remain inside her vehicle while her husband was subjected to the DUI test.
The officer on the scene claimed that the actress became clearly agitated and eventually disobeyed his verbal commands. She claimed she was pregnant and needed to use the restroom, which she later admitted was a lie.
WHAT REESE SAID DURING HER ARREST
Officer: ‘Get back in that car. I’m not going to repeat myself again. If you get out of the car again, I’m going to arrest you.’
Reese: ‘I’m pregnant and I need to use the restroom.’
Officer: ‘There ain’t nowhere to use it out here. If I tell you again, I’m going to arrest you.
Reese: ‘Do you know my name sir?’
Officer: ‘Don’t need to know.’
Reese: ‘You don’t NEED to know my name?’
Officer: ‘Not quite yet.”
Reese: ‘Oh really? Okay. You’re about to find out who I am.’
Reese: ‘You are harassing me as an American citizen. I have done nothing against the law.’
Officer: ‘Yes you did, you didn’t obey my orders.’
Reese: ‘I have to OBEY your orders?’
Reese: ‘I’m now being arrested and handcuffed?’
Reese: ‘I’m a U.S. citizen … I’m allowed to stand on American ground and ask any question I want to ask. You better not arrest me.’
Reese: ‘I’m being anti-American?’
Officer: ‘Yes, please sit down.’
Reese: ‘Wow! Interesting.
Reese: ‘You’re harassing me as an American citizen’
Officer: ‘I tried.’
Reese’s husband Jim Toth: ‘I’m sorry. I had absolutely nothing to do with that.’
‘Mrs. Witherspoon began to hang out the window and say that she did not believe that I was a real police officer,’ the officer explained in the report. ‘I told Mrs. Witherspoon to sit on her butt and be quiet.’
Her husband was arrested for a blood alcohol level reported to be 0.139, well above the legal limit of 0.08.
Once Jim was handcuffed, the mother of three disembarked from her seat, telling the officer that she was a ‘US citizen’ and that she had the right to ‘stand on American ground.’
The report then described how Reese resisted him as he grabbed her arms to arrest her. Jim was said to have made a verbal attempt to calm his wife.
‘Mrs. Witherspoon asked, “Do you know my name?” I answered, “No, I don’t need to know your name.” I then added, “right now.” Mrs. Witherspoon stated, “You’re about to find out who I am,”‘ the officer explained in the report.
According to the arresting officer, ‘Mrs. Witherspoon also stated, “You are going to be on national news.” I advised Mrs. Witherspoon that was fine.’
The actress was arrested along with her husband for disorderly conduct. Reese and Jim both posed for mugshots before they were released on bail at 3:30 a.m. that morning.
A few weeks later, a video of Reese’s drunken altercation with the officer was released online.
Reese pleaded ‘no contest’ to charges stemming from her disorderly conduct arrest. She was ordered to pay a $213 fine on the charge of ‘physical obstruction of another,’ according to TMZ.
Meanwhile, Jim pled guilty to driving under the influence but avoided jail time. He was ordered to perform 40 hours of community service and attend an alcohol education program. He was also put on probation for 12 months.
After canceling a number of television appearances, she spoke about her arrest during an interview with Good Morning America’s George Stephanopoulos.
‘It’s one of those nights,’ she said. ‘We went out to dinner in Atlanta, had one too many glasses of wine. We thought we were fine to drive and we absolutely were not. And it’s just completely unacceptable. And we are so sorry and embarrassed. And we know better.’
She acknowledged they should have called a car service or taxi, saying, ‘It was just poor judgment. And I think we made a mistake. It’s something that will absolutely never happen again. Just bad judgment.’
Reese also admitted that she had ‘no idea’ what she was saying to the arresting officer that night.
‘I saw him arresting my husband and I literally panicked. I said all kinds of crazy things. I told him I was pregnant. I’m not pregnant! I said crazy things,’ she said with a chuckle.
‘You only hear me laughing because I had no idea what I was talking about and I am so sorry. I was so disrespectful to him. I have police officers in my family. I work with police officers every day. I know better.
Reese said the ‘hardest part’ of the situation was having to tell their children.
‘You have to say when you make a mistake, you have to take responsibility,’ she explained. ‘And we are taking responsibility and doing everything in our power to make it right. You just have to be honest with them. That was definitely the hardest part.’
Domestic bliss: Quiet nights at home and Instagram tributes
Reese and Jim steered clear of scandal following their arrest in 2013, preferring to spend quiet nights at home with their family
‘Our date nights are mainly helping our kids with homework,’ she joked to Us Weekly in 2014. ‘And then, going to sleep’
Reese and Jim steered clear of scandal following their arrest in 2013, preferring to spend quiet nights at home with their family.
‘Our date nights are mainly helping our kids with homework,’ she joked to Us Weekly in 2014. ‘And then, going to sleep.’
A few years later, the Hello Sunshine founder credited her husband with inspiring her to get into film and television production.
‘He said, “You should produce movies. You read more books than anybody I know. You should just buy some of them and turn them into films,”‘ she told Harper’s Bazaar in January 2016.
‘In a true partnership, people need to be appreciated for everything they bring to the table,’ she added. ‘I have a husband who supports my dreams and my ideas. He helps me with everything. I’m very lucky.’
The couple bought a seven-bedroom, ten-bathroom home in LA’s tony Brentwood neighborhood for $16 million in March 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the U.S.
Reese has paid tribute to Jim on Instagram a number of times over the years while sharing photos of them spending quality time with their family
Jim was last featured on her Instagram feed on January 1, 2023. She posted a snapshot of them looking out at the ocean with their young son
After renovating the mansion, they sold it two years later for a whopping $21.5 million, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Reese has paid tribute to Jim on Instagram a number of times over the years, including on his 50th birthday in July 2020.
‘Happy Birthday to my amazing hubby, Jim!!’ she wrote. ‘Everything you do, you put in 1000%! Whether he’s training for a triathlon, giving back to his community, supporting his friends, or loving his family, he gives his whole heart to so many people everyday! I [love] you so much, JT! #youmake50lookgood.’
In March 2022, she celebrated their 11-year anniversary by posting photos of them together over the years.
‘Happy Anniversary JT!! 11 years of adventures, love & laughter,’ she captioned the images. ‘I feel so lucky to share this wonderful life with you.’
Jim was last featured on her Instagram feed on January 1, 2023. She posted a snapshot of them looking out at the ocean with their young son.
‘Welcoming 2023! Let the sun shine in!’ she wrote.
End of an era: Reese and Jim stun the world with their divorce
Reese and Jim announced on March 24, 2023, that they are divorcing after nearly 12 years of marriage
They shared the news in a joint statement posted on her Instagram, saying their ‘biggest priority’ is their family, especially their 10-year-old son, Tennessee
Reese and Jim announced on March 24, 2023, that they are divorcing after nearly 12 years of marriage.
They share the news in a joint statement posted on her Instagram on Friday afternoon, just two days before their wedding anniversary.
‘We have some personal news to share… It is with a great deal of care and consideration that we have made the difficult decision to divorce,’ they 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. These matters are never easy and are extremely personal.
‘We truly appreciate everyone’s respect for our family’s privacy at this time,’ they concluded the statement, which they signed ‘Reese and Jim.’
A source told People magazine after the news was announced that Reese and Jim’s split is ‘amicable.’
‘They really are the best of friends and this is such an amicable decision. They are so committed to co-parenting together. They are invested in their whole family and making this as smooth as possible for everyone,’ the insider said.
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