Reese Witherspoon On Motherhood, Divorce, Tabloid Fame

Reese Witherspoon speaks candidly in this Sunday's issue of Parade about her divorce with Ryan Phillippe, feeling unsure about marriage with Jake Gyllenhaal and the biggest detriment in her life -- tabloid fame. She is next up in the seasonal comedy "Four Christmases" with Vince Vaughn.

On her divorce with actor Ryan Phillippe: "There are things in my life that are hard to reconcile, like divorce. Sometimes it is very difficult to make sense of how it could possibly happen. Laying blame is so easy. I don't have time for hate or negativity in my life. There's no room for it. When you make wrong choices, you have to take responsibility for them: 'What part of this do I own?' I struggle to figure out what made me make those choices. All I can hope for is that I've learned something from it and won't make the same choices again."

On the biggest problem in her life: "The biggest detriment of my life is tabloid fame. It removes me from people. When I first meet someone, it is so hard for me to overcome everything they've read about me. It's not fair. It's difficult, because I'm the kind of person who just wants to hug people."

On giving her kids a good value system: ""I'm teaching the children what we were taught growing up--a real set of rules, discipline, and love. Children thrive with a sense of structure, and they're frightened without it. The ways you behave, how you speak to other people--those things don't leave you... The other day my son said to me, 'Mama, why do I have to take off my hat in the house?' I was like, 'Because it's respectful. That's why you take off your hat.' And he goes, 'And I always have to take off my hat in church, too!' It really bothered him. But those values sustain a life. Respect. Faith. Empathy. Compassion."

On what life would be if she wasn't an actress: "I loved Stanford, and I wish I had gone back and finished. Today, if I were not an actor, I'd probably be a social anthropologist or a psychologist. I have an endless curiosity about people. But then I think, 'I've been very lucky. I don't regret the path I went on in life'.

On marriage:
"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.

Comments

[orangepetal]

She has always been one of my favorites. This article just confirms it.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

All these years and you're STILL adorable Reese! Everything will fall into place. Making mistakes in life is living; he who makes no mistakes rarely makes anything.

Don't worry..... intelligent people can see PAST the tabloids.

[GreenSpot]

Intelligent people can see that Reese USES paparazzi and tabloids for PR.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

She is an actress. That lifestyle is almost unavoidable.

[jobecky20]

This woman is too white, if you know what I mean....she seems like a stereotype. (FYI, I am white, too).

[DCCommuter]

I am an AA and I loved Election and Legally Blonde.

[GreenSpot]

"Reese is so down-to-earth and that's refreshing in these times."

LOL

You should talk to people who know Reese.

Reese Wirtherspoon is as phony as a 3 dollar bill.

[TerrapinCB]

so GreenSpot, in all the years you've know her, hung out, talked with her, really just peered into her heart, just what should we know?

[jerrycurls]

Greenspot,

What's your malfunction, buddy? How many web sites do you go to and make that very same statement - verbatim? Can you not even come up with an original thought? Is even that too difficult for you? Your obsessive nature makes you look very ignorant and creepy. You're one step away from being a stalker at this point.

Get over it pal. Stop being a hater.

Reese is one of good ones. I wish all actresses were like her. Reese is a great role model.

[GreenSpot]

Reese is a phony.

[kel]

All I think about it is how darn adorable and talented you are. What a creep your ex was to cheat on you.
I don't think of you as crazed by success. So no worries here in case we run in to one another on the streets of Philadelphia.

[jerrycurls]

Reese is so down-to-earth and that's refreshing in these times. You can tell that she's an introspective person by nature, someone who thinks things through and looks at the bigger picture of her life and the lives of those around her. That's why she stands apart from many of these idiot actresses out there who just act out for attention and never think about the consequences of their actions.

Reese is a total class act. I love her.

[LMPE]

Don't worry, Ms. Witherspoon. I never read tabloids, so I have no weird impressions of you. As far as I'm concerned, you're a great actress and nothing else.

[Aslanspal]

Overrated....throw bricks....but overrated

the June Carter thing was really a novelty

only good movie was "Election" and it may actually represent who she is.

[happycat]

Reece appears to have her head squarely on her shoulders and is a good mom to her children.

[katedog]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[peachesmahoney]

LOL! I was literally thinking the same thing as I read that story! Hilarious.

[Bitsko]

Yet another talented actor who wins an Oscar and ruins their career.

[butofcourse]

I wonder what Reese's stance is on Photoshopping? This cover is a gross violation!

[lisalovesamelie]

It doesn't even look like her. It looks like someone else who resembles her. Very weird.

[gbkc]

photoshop much? the chin doesn't even look like herself

[Sparty1]

My word. Who told her to play Laura Bush on the cover? She's only in her late 20's or very early 30's. They have her looking like a 60 yr old granny in this picture.

She's the best. My favorite all-time Reese movie is Election. That's one of the best movies ever! I find a way to quote from it all the time.

[BetterAmerica]

Election was a great movie. She's a great actress and seems like a sweet person.

[lisalovesamelie]

"Freeway" is my all-time favorite Reese movie. That movie is brilliant, hilarious, and has one of my favorite scenes of any movie: The court scene when she stands up, flicks off the court room, and says, "F**k ALL Y'ALL!" Too funny. A must see.

[DeeRule]

She is a true American Icon