WASHINGTON: Ahead of their 12-year wedding anniversary on Sunday, Oscar-winning actor Reese Witherspoon and her talent-agent husband Jim Toth decided to end their marriage.
They announced the news in a joint statement on Friday.
“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 said. “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,” they added. “These matters are never easy and are extremely personal. We truly appreciate everyone’s respect for our family’s privacy at this time.”
According to People, a US-based media company, Witherspoon and Toth announced their engagement in December 2010, and they later wed in March 2011 during a laid-back ceremony on her ranch in Ojai, Calif. They are parents to a 10-year-old son Tennessee James. Witherspoon also shares two kids with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe: daughter Ava, 23, and son Deacon, 19.
In July, the ‘Big Little Lies’ actress shared photos of herself with Toth in honour of his birthday. She wrote in the Instagram caption, “Happy birthday to my sweet hubby, JT! Don’t know anyone who loves Tour de France / road biking / @arsenal / @nashvillesc / @steelers …. oh and GOLF … basically all sports more than YOU. Love you so much!”
She marked their 11th wedding anniversary last year on Instagram, writing at the time, “Happy Anniversary JT!! 11 years of adventures, love & laughter. I feel so lucky to share this wonderful life with you.”
In a 2012 interview with ELLE, Witherspoon recalled her first meeting with Toth at a friend’s house shortly after her breakup with Jake Gyllenhaal. She said he was a “really good person” as he helped her avoid an uncomfortable situation, reported People.
“It happened out of the blue,” she said at the time. “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!’ 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.” (ANI)