Reese Witherspoon opens up about cutting ‘draining’ people out of her life as she discusses her ‘new chapter’ in the wake of shock split from ex-husband Jim Toth: ‘I’m really proud of the decisions I’ve made’
Reese Witherspoon has opened up about how she chooses to face life’s challenges with “kindness and grace” following her shocking divorce from ex-husband Jim Toth.
The 47-year-old actress and producer opened up about how she handles personal relationships during a conversation with Today’s Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush-Hager as she continues to promote her second Busy Betty children’s book.
The Legally Blonde star said she’s “proud of the life decisions” she’s made, as Hoda noted how the actress got started on a ‘new chapter’ since her last performance in February.
“I’m really proud of the life decisions I’ve made, and made with kindness and grace,” Reese said. ‘The only thing you can do in this world is experience things. Everyone experiences ups and downs, but it’s how you deal with them that matters.
“Do you deal with them with grace and kindness, or with misery?”
Newly divorced Reese Witherspoon has opened up about how she chooses to face life’s challenges with ‘kindness and grace’
She continued, “I think there’s only one way to be in life: be kind, throw love into things and always try to understand everyone’s point of view.
“So I always think about everyone I have a conversation with, like, ‘What were they like when they were five years old?’ Is that the one I’m talking about now, the five-year-old you?’
The Morning Show actress and her ex-husband, 53, shocked fans in March when they announced they had split and divorced after nearly 12 years of marriage.
Although the actress has chosen not to comment publicly on the breakup, many fans have turned to her social media profiles to find motivation from the advice and uplifting messages the star shares with her followers.
After Hoda and Jenna claimed the star had become a self-help guru similar to author Melanie Ribbons, Reese showed her appreciation for the comparison.
She gushed, “I love her so much. That means so much to me. I think people grew up watching me in movies and TV shows, and a lot of people call and ask for advice.
“So I started sharing a little bit on Instagram. I go to the person: “I’m going to give this advice” and maybe it’s good, maybe it’s not.”
Hoda then recalled some advice the star received from her grandmother about the need to work your relationships to figure out who is “a radiator or a drain.”
The Morning Show actress and her ex-husband Jim Toth, 53, surprised fans in August when they announced they had separated and divorced after nearly 12 years of marriage
Reese opened up about how she handles personal relationships during a conversation with Today’s Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush-Hager
Reese noted, “She was very demanding. She didn’t spend time with people dragging her down. We all know people who take away your energy, make you feel bad, constantly let you down.
“You have to cut these people off. Your time is valuable. As mothers, you all know that. You have to save your energy for people who will take you to the next level.”
Reese and her ex Jim first dated romantically in 2010 before getting engaged in December later that same year.
The former couple tied the knot in a romantic and intimate backyard wedding in 2011.
Their split announcement was made just days before their 12th wedding anniversary.
Reese and ex-Jim married in 2011, before announcing their divorce earlier this year; pictured together in January 2020
The former couple pictured with Reese’s oldest children, Deacon and Ava, in December 2019
In August, the couple reached a divorce settlement and agreed to continue co-parenting their 10-year-old son, Tennessee.
Reese also has son Deacon, 19, and look-alike daughter Ava, 24, with her ex-husband Ryan Phillippe, 49.
Elsewhere in the chat, Reese revealed her new favorite hobby, as she admitted that spending time doing paint-by-numbers had become her favorite way to relax.
‘It’s like a jigsaw puzzle, I do it for 30 minutes every day. It’s so relaxing. There is nothing else you can do while painting. You just concentrate and calm your nervous system. It was really fun,” she said.
The actress has been hard at work promoting her latest children’s book, Busy Betty and the Circus Surprise, while she still can She can also be seen reprising her role as Bradley Jackson in the third season of The Morning Show on Apple TV Plus.
New episodes of the show’s third season arrive every Wednesday on the streaming platform.