Copyright Us Weekly
Reese Witherspoon plans on celebrating her upcoming 50th birthday with her 13-year-old son, Tennessee. “It’s just me and him – I’m excited about it!” Witherspoon, 49, said during an interview with Harper’s Bazaar published on Monday, November 3, sharing next year’s European getaway plans alongside her son in order to celebrate the milestone. “I’m off to visit friends in Italy, kind of tootling around a little bit.” As for how Witherspoon feels about turning another year older, she told the outlet she welcomes another trip around the sun. “I like getting older,” she explained. “I think it’s great to be wiser and understand your place in a business. I’ve worked really hard to get to that place… I feel like I’m living my purpose, for sure. I love my job. I love my fans. I’m the captain of my own destiny.” Witherspoon shares Tennessee with ex-husband Jim Toth. The exes tied the knot in 2011. In March 2023, they announced their split after 12 years of marriage. “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 pair wrote in a joint Instagram statement 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 statement 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.” In addition to Tennessee, Witherspoon is mom to daughter Ava, 26, and son Deacon, 21, with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe. (Witherspoon and Phillippe were married from 1999 to 2008.) Two months ago, Witherspoon celebrated Tennessee’s 13th birthday with a sweet tribute. “How is it possible that my youngest boy is 13?!” Witherspoon wrote via Instagram in September. “He never ceases to amaze me with his joyfulness, his brilliant sense of humor and his endless curiosity. I love you so much, Tenn 💙.” The post included a snap of Witherspoon and her youngest son posing on a balcony overlooking a body of water. Witherspoon welcomed Ava when she was 23. At that time, she was early on in her career and had to navigate motherhood. “There was so much I didn’t know,” Witherspoon recalled of being a young parent during a September appearance on The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast. “And maybe that naïveté was good, because it’s like, ‘Oh, I’ll just do that and have a career.’ And I did have a few people say to me, ‘This is going to be really hard on your career.’” The actress continued, “There were roles I couldn’t take. I had to have this immediate balance of family and career, being a mom and being a working actress. That’s why it was also scary when Legally Blonde became such a big hit. I wasn’t going to beg for parts; parts were coming to me. And that almost made it scarier, because I wasn’t picking and choosing what I would reach and strive for. It was more like, what will I not do?”
