It’s officially over. Reese Witherspoon filed for divorce from estranged husband Jim Toth after more than a decade of marriage.
The Legally Blonde actress, 47, filed her petition in Nashville, according to court documents obtained by TMZ on Saturday, April 1. Witherspoon’s filing also notes that she and Toth, 52, signed a prenuptial agreement ahead of their 2011 wedding.
The twosome announced their separation in March 2023 in a joint statement via Instagram.
“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,” the former couple wrote at the time. “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.”
The pair continued: “Our biggest priority is our son and our entire family as we navigate this next chapter. These matters are never easy and are extremely personal. We truly appreciate everyone’s respect for our family’s privacy at this time.”
The Big Little Lies alum and the CAA talent agent tied the knot in March 2011 and would have celebrated their 12th anniversary on March 26. The two met in early 2010 — shortly after Witherspoon’s split from ex Jake Gyllenhaal — and Us Weekly broke the news of their engagement less than a year later.
In January 2012, the Cruel Intentions star opened up about the kismet way she met the Pennsylvania native after he came to her aide.
“It happened out of the blue,” she told Elle 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.”
Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
The exes went on to have a small ceremony in Ojai, California before welcoming their son, Tennessee, in September 2012. Witherspoon also shares daughter Ava, 23, and son Deacon, 19, with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe, to whom she was married from June 1999 to June 2008.
The twosome have coparented amicably with the I Know What You Did Last Summer star, 48, over the years, with a source telling Us Weekly in December 2021 that there isn’t “a lot of overlap between [Ryan] and Jim’s responsibilities,” noting that the men “fill different roles in [Ava and Deacon’s] lives.”
Witherspoon and Toth hit a snag in their own relationship in April 2013 when they were arrested in Atlanta on charges of disorderly conduct and driving under the influence, respectively. The Your Place or Mine actress subsequently paid a fine, while Toth was ordered to community service, one year of probation and an alcohol education program.
Despite the bumps in the road, the pair often spoke highly of each other. In February 2018, Witherspoon praised the businessman for his ability to be a supportive partner.
“[He] cares deeply about equality and always tells me, ‘Why wouldn’t you call the person in charge of a company and have a personal relationship with them?’” she told Marie Claire. “He’s encouraged me to be outspoken.”
