Reese Witherspoon says being a single mom in her late twenties made her realize “no one’s coming to help.” Witherspoon reflects on her life and parenting as a single mother during a panel discussion at her media company Hello Sunshine’s annual Shine Away event. She welcomed her first child, Ava Phillippe, with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe at 23 and had to make “a lot of decisions” as a single mother. The actor also shares a son, Deacon, with Phillippe and another son, Tennessee James Toth, with Jim Toth.
Reese Witherspoon reveals what it was like to be a single mom in twenties
Reese Witherspoon believes that for her, being a single mom was that moment when she realized “no one’s coming to help.” As per PEOPLE, Witherspoon says she ultimately knew, “I have to make that decision.” The 48-year-old has had many of those moments where she had to take major steps in life by deciding on her own, including being a single mother in her late twenties and some financial matters.
A twice-divorced single mother of three kids, Reese Witherspoon welcomed her daughter, Ava, now 25, in 1999. Back then, she was 23 years old and married to her now ex-husband, Ryan Phillippe. Four years later, she welcomed her second child, Deacon, with Phillippe. However, they finalized their divorce in 2008 and began co-parenting their two children. Witherspoon married her second husband, Jim Toth, in 2011 and welcomed a son, Tennessee James, the following year. She and Toth divorced in 2023 and agreed on co-parenting their son.
Reese Witherspoon says her media company, Hello Sunshine, looks for stories about women who have “saved themselves.” According to her, each woman may have encountered such moments, be it a “financial situation, an education situation, a bad relationship,” where they had to make crucial decisions to protect themselves.
The actor shared her story about being a single mother because the Shine Away event is all about inspiring “women to reconnect with their passions.” As a businesswoman and single mother, Reese Witherspoon believes the stories they share leave attendees feeling “energized and motivated.” The event took place over the weekend at nya Studios in Los Angeles.
