Reese Witherspoon opens up about a very public “mistake” in her new interview with Good Place star Jameela Jamil’s podcast I Weigh.
In 2013, Witherspoon was arrested in Atlanta for disorderly conduct after her husband, Jim Toth, was pulled over by a police officer under suspicion of drunk driving. Witherspoon got out of the car, despite the officer allegedly telling her not to. The incident was documented via the officer’s dash camera, and Witherspoon can be heard asking the officer if he knows who she is. Ultimately, Toth pleaded guilty to driving under the influence, while Witherspoon pleaded no contest to the charge of obstruction, per E!
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Witherspoon apologised in a public statement shortly after the incident. She told People she “clearly had one drink too many” and is “deeply embarrassed” about the things she said.
“It was definitely a scary situation and I was frightened for my husband, but that is no excuse. I was disrespectful to the officer who was just doing his job,” she continued in the statement. “The words I used that night definitely do not reflect who I am. I have nothing but respect for the police and I’m very sorry for my behaviour.”
In their interview, Jamil called Witherspoon’s apology “fucking refreshing,” while Witherspoon shared that she still “did something really stupid.”
“It was so embarrassing and dumb,” Witherspoon added. “But, you know what, turns out I breathe air. I bleed the same way. I make dumb decisions. I make great decisions. I’m just a human being.”
In the interview, Witherspoon also got candid about dealing with postpartum depression, as well as other mental health issues.
“I was 23 years old when I had my first baby and no one explained to me that when you wean a baby, your hormones go into the toilet,” she told Jamil. “I felt more depressed than I’d ever felt in my entire life. It was scary.”
Jamil isn’t the only person Witherspoon is speaking with while social distancing during the coronavirus. She previously appeared on Miley Cyrus’ Bright Minds Instagram series.