Reese Witherspoon and her husband of 11 years Jim Toth announced they were divorcing earlier this year, via a joint statement on social media.
Since then, the two have stayed very discreet about the aftermath of their separation, preferring to guard theirs and their family's privacy.
But in a recent interview with Harper's Bazaar, Witherspoon opened up about the decision to announce her divorce publicly, and about how she's been caring for herself during this difficult time.
"It’s interesting what happened to me," she said.
"When I was divorced before, the tabloid media got to tell people how I was feeling or how I was processing, and it felt very out of control.
"To be able to talk to people directly about what’s going on in my life and just share it in the way that I share great professional experiences or personal experiences, it feels much more authentic to be able to say things in my own voice and not let somebody else control what’s happening.
"Then, of course, there’s speculation, but I can’t control that. All I can do is be my most honest, forthright self and be vulnerable. It’s a vulnerable time for me."
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The actress was previously married to Ryan Phillippe from 1999 to 2008.
While of course divorce is a difficult thing to go through, Witherspoon explained that she feels less alone now than ever.
"I think about how many other people are going through this experience," she said. "I don’t feel isolated at all. I feel very connected."
Back in April, there were reports that Witherspoon was not looking to date anytime soon. A source told People at the time, "Dating isn’t really on her mind right now. She will have friends set her up when she is ready."
Right now, she's leaning into self-care instead, immersing herself in paint-by-numbers projects among other things, and obviously keeping as busy as ever with her thriving career. Not to alarm you, but she currently has 12 upcoming production credits, and six upcoming acting credits, so yeah, she's not bored.
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
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