Actress Reese Witherspoon announced on her Instagram page that she was separating from her husband of twelve years, Jim Toth. It is Witherspoon’s second marriage to end in divorce.
“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,” Witherspoon wrote on social media. “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,” she added. “These matters are never easy and are extremely personal. We truly appreciate everyone’s respect for our family’s privacy at this time.”
The divorcing couple shares one child together, 10-year-old Tennessee. He is Withersoon’s youngest of three children; Ava, 23, and Deacon, 19, are shared with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe.
While divorce can sometimes spare two people further pain and anguish in a miserable relationship, it is usually not seen as something that happens for the best. And yet, that is how the 47-year-old actress’s separation is being portrayed. A source told People magazine that she and Toth are navigating an “amicable divorce” and that the couple remains “best of friends.”
For the kid’s sake, we can all hope that’s true. Whether or not the couple simply wants to avoid the paparazzi and ugly headlines is left up for debate.
“This is such an amicable decision,” the source continued. “They are so committed to co-parenting together. They are invested in their whole family and making this as smooth as possible for everyone.”
Nothing says co-parenting like doing it from different homes and with different future partners.
And if the inevitably Hollywood divorce needed more primer, Fox News reported that this split seemed almost years in the making. Sure, Witherspoon would post cutesy photos with touching captions, such as the time she celebrated the couple’s 10th anniversary.
“Celebrating 10 years of marriage to my sweet hubby,” she wrote in March of 2021.
“What a special day with all of our dear friends. Looking back, I can’t believe it has gone so quickly! I guess that’s how it goes with 3 kids, Big LOVE, lots of laughing, non-stop travel, so many dogs, and fun adventures… figuring out this crazy world together.”
“Here’s to many more days in the sun! I [heart emoji] you, JT,” the Legally Blonde star concluded.
At the same time, one of the last known public events in which the duo was both spotted came during a 2020 Vanity Fair Oscars party – fully three years ago.
In a 2012 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Witherspoon revealed how she and Toth had first met. According to her, she was being rescued from a “really drunk guy” at a party by the man she’d later call her husband.
“Jim came over and said, ‘Please excuse my friend. He’s just broken up with someone,'” Witherspoon recounted. “Jim was a really good friend, pulling him out of that situation. That’s just kind of who he is, a really good person.”
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