Reese Witherspoon's dating history: From Jim Toth and Ryan Philippe to Jake Gyllenhaal and more
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Actress Reese Witherspoon announced her split from her husband, Jim Toth, on Friday, March 24. The declaration leads to the confirmation that the duo has ended a decade-long marriage. The actress wrote on her 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."
Further, she added, "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." However, this is not the first time that Witherspoon is experiencing heartbreak. The actress has dated many A-listers, including Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris O'Donnell, Ryan Philippe, and so on. Here is a sneak peek at the dating history of the actress.
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Inside the relationship between Reese Witherspoon and husband Jim Toth
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Jeremy Sisto
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Jeremy Sisto was one of Witherspoon's first famous relationships. Sisto had once revealed that he had a brief romance with her back in 1992, after meeting on the set of 'Desperate Choices: To Save My Child'. He said, "[Witherspoon] was my first actress girlfriend. We had a long-distance relationship for a long time." Witherspoon was 16 and Sisto was 17 at that point. "I was so into her," Sisto continued. However, Witherspoon shifted to Africa for the shooting of the film 'A Far Off Place', and he assumed the relationship was over. I guess I thought she had broken up with me because she didn't call that much," he admitted. "So, I moved on and met my ex-wife Marisa [Ryan]. When [Witherspoon] returned I found out that wasn't her intention, but I had already gotten involved. Felt badly. She's a great person," as per People.
Chris O'Donnell
Another celebrity Witherspoon allegedly ended up dating was Chris O'Donnell. The rumor started after she accompanied Chris to a tribute party for his 'Scent of a Woman' co-star Al Pacino in February 1993. It got spiced up as it was revealed that the actress flew down all the way from Nashville to New York to just attend the party with him. The actress who was just 22 years old at that point in time remained silent about the speculation. However, one of the insiders claimed, "Chris really likes her, [but] they're just friends," as per People.
Ryan Phillippe
Witherspoon was deeply in love with Philippe whom she met on her 21st birthday. The duo also worked on the set of 'Cruel Intentions.' It eventually led to their wedding in 1999 which happened in Charleston, South Carolina at the Old Wide Awake Plantation along the Stono River. She was already pregnant with Ava when she got married. They were also blessed with another son Deacon in 2003. In 2006, the duo announced their split and said in an official statement, "We are saddened to announce that Reese and Ryan have decided to formally separate. They remain committed to their family and we ask that you please respect their privacy and the safety of their children at this time." Phillipe called his divorce as “the darkest, saddest place I had ever been.”
He added further, “There were a good four or five months of not being able to get out of bed. It was the worst time in my life. You get through it.” Phillippe says now, “It’s a process that’s not easy, but I get less and less sad about it every day.” He also added, “I certainly understand the level of interest that comes along with a public marriage, and with being married to someone like Reese, who so many people love with good reason. People want answers. But I think sometimes they wouldn’t be happy with what the answers would be.” He also claimed, "The reason for the divorce is far more complicated and far less interesting than it’s made out to be. To look and search for these salacious reasons, to pin it on a person, or a moment in someone’s life, it’s not realistic.” He also explained, “I have done a really good job at keeping things peaceable and completely focused on” the children – “I spend a lot of time just holed up in my house in Los Angeles,” he says, “I don’t really go out because I know it’s going to turn into a photo shoot.” He stated, “It was unfair for her to be called the names that she was, because it wasn’t about that, I don’t think an outside person can ever cause a divorce. I had difficulties in my relationship and in my marriage, long before I ever met her," as per People.
Jake Gyllenhaal
The couple first met on the set of the thriller 'Rendition' in 2006 during reshoots in Los Angeles. Gyllenhaal was the first to make a move in the relationship, "Jake finds it attractive that she's such a great mom. He really loves kids and wants a family," as per The List. "Things slowly progressed, but it was never something she thought would happen from the start. She just kind of developed a crush over time," claimed a source to People. "She just got out of a divorce and was so concerned with her family, she just didn't have the time for him and he really demanded that," said a source. It further added, "Jake would marry her tomorrow, but Reese doesn’t want to go there yet, even though he would like to. There’s a huge attraction between them, and they’ve become a team, partners, but Jake can be a little overbearing at times, and Reese is really happy with life right now. Why screw that up or change a good thing?"
The actress once stated to People, “He’s very supportive. Suffice it to say, I’m very happy in life, and I’m very lucky to have a lot of really supportive people around me who care very much for me, and, you know, that’s all you can hope for in life. I am very blessed in that way.” She then explained, “Family is all we have in life, but I don’t know how I feel about marriage. Obviously, I’m not far enough out of being married to think about doing it again. You sort of reconstitute your family. You find a family with people who come into your life for a reason.” However, in 2009, the pair split due to irreconcilable differences.
Jim Toth
The pair met at a party soon after her split from Gyllenhaal. She stated about the initial meeting with him on Elle, "It happened out of the blue. This really drunk guy was hitting on me, making such an idiot of himself, and yelling at me. He was like, [slurring, scowling, pointing a 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." Jim Toth and Reese Witherspoon got married in 2011. She stated in an interview with Elle, "Jim said to me, `I'm gonna show you every day what a good partner is, what a good person is. I'm going to take care of you. I'm gonna do this so much that you're gonna get used to it.' I was like, `What are you talking about?' I've never had anybody like that in my life."
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Later, the duo welcomed their child, Tennesse James on September 27, 2012. However, they also got arrested in 2013 in Atlanta. Toth was facing a DUI charge after driving in the wrong lane, while Witherspoon was also arrested on a disorderly conduct charge. Meanwhile, the actress was also handcuffed after disobeying repeated instructions from the arresting officer. According to Radar Online, the busy schedule of the actress led to the split of the duo. "Jim is hardly ever with her," an insider said. "It's always like that." Further, it said, "Reese is always on the move. She's the kind of woman who bounces off the walls, whereas Jim is a placid dude. The hecticness that surrounds Reese is a lot and sometimes hard to handle. Reese is spinning a lot of plates right now," an insider shared. "It's a highly stressful position to be in."