Reese Witherspoon is opening up about the harrowing and "terrifying" ordeal of living in Los Angeles in the wake of her 2008 divorce, as relentless paparazzi aggressively pursued her and her children. During a recent interview with The New York Times, the actress-producer recounted harrowing episodes where individuals would leap onto her car and speed after her family on the freeways. She is a mother of two—Ava Elizabeth Phillippe and Deacon Reese Phillippe—whom she shares with her ex-husband, Ryan Phillippe.
Witherspoon described how paparazzi "were omnipresent. Lurking around schools and swarming our cars. I recall an incident at church in L.A. where a man vaulted onto the hood of our car, with three others pressing against the windows, banging on the doors, while my young children were inside, post-divorce. It was like being in a high-speed police chase down the freeways. It was absolutely terrifying and took a severe toll on my kids, inducing immense anxiety."
"I realize it may seem like they're just snapping photos, but imagine 25 photographers lining the soccer field, scrutinizing my every move with Ryan to gauge if we were on good terms or not," Witherspoon continued. "And all the while, there's a little boy and a little girl right there in the midst of it."
The star of The Morning Show admitted to regretting her decision to reside in L.A. during that tumultuous period, primarily due to the adverse effects it had on her children. "My kids suffered from severe anxiety," she reminisced. "It was all external. You can only shield them so much, but when they're out on the playground or in the schoolyard, it feels like the world is in chaos, devoid of any rules. They'd shout wildly inappropriate things at the kids about their dad or me."
Witherspoon later clarified that she's "not seeking sympathy," but rather sharing that "when I was younger, I didn't realize the extent of what would come with pursuing an acting career." However, she expressed gratitude for her friendships with Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Garner, whom she could rely on for guidance in navigating the challenges of a public divorce and relentless paparazzi attention.
"That's why when social media came around, Jennifer Garner and I immediately got on the phone and exclaimed, 'Oh my God, we can finally control when people have photos of our kids? Count me in!'" she said.
The Big Little Lies actress also expressed empathy for fellow mother and star Britney Spears, who endured an even more harrowing experience with the paparazzi and was "hunted like prey."
"I witnessed them chasing Britney Spears," Witherspoon recounted. "She had two young children, just like I did, and I felt it was an incredibly unfair portrayal of her as a 'bad girl,' while I was labeled a 'good girl.' She was a young mother trying to navigate her way, far from home, being pursued relentlessly like an animal. The toll it takes on your psyche and body is incredibly traumatic."
"I just have an overwhelming sense of compassion for those who went through that era and were depicted in a certain light by the media, whether they went to a nightclub or a playground," she added. "It was an exceptionally punishing time for women in the public eye."
