Reese Witherspoon opens up about her ’embarrassing and stupid’ 2013 arrest for disorderly conduct… but admits she’s ‘just a human being’
It’s been nearly seven years since Reese Witherspoon and her 50-year-old husband Jim Toth were arrested in Atlanta, Georgia on suspicion of drunk driving.
And the 44-year-old actress has opened up about the moment she deemed “embarrassing and stupid” during her appearance on Thursday’s episode of I Weigh In With Jameela Jamil.
‘But you know what – [it] turns out I’m breathing air. I bleed the same way. I make stupid decisions. I make big decisions. I’m just human,” Witherspoon said.
She continued, “We are all identical to each other and we are all trying to find what our particular skills are. My special skill is storytelling, but that doesn’t mean I’m a special person.
“But I did something really stupid. Talent doesn’t make you a good person. But a big value in my family was, ‘Are you a good person?’
On the night of her and Toth’s arrest, Reese infamously resisted police orders, exited her vehicle, and was later charged with disorderly conduct.
Video of the altercation between Witherspoon and the duty officer was later obtained, uploaded to the internet, and featured on various media websites.
Shortly after, Reese released a statement acknowledging his wrongdoing and expressing his sincere regret for the incident.
“Out of respect for the ongoing legal situation, I cannot comment on anything being reported at this time,” Reese said in the statement obtained by People.
“But I mean, I clearly had one drink too many and I’m deeply embarrassed by the things I said.”
The Big Little Lies actress said while the situation was “really scary”, it was no excuse for her to disobey a police officer’s orders.
“I was afraid for my husband, but that’s no excuse. I disrespected the officer who was just doing his job. The words I used that night certainly don’t reflect who I am. I have nothing but respect for the police and I’m so sorry for my behavior,” Witherspoon concluded.
During Thursday’s podcast, Jamil professed his love for the Little Fires Everywhere star’s public apology and praised Witherspoon for openly shaming herself “in such a refreshing way” at the time.
According to People, Witherspoon did not contest her charge and was ordered to pay a $213 fine.
Toth pleaded guilty to his impaired driving charge and had to complete a total of 40 hours of community service. He also had to take an alcohol education course.
Reese married talent agent Jim Toth in 2011 and the couple share a seven-year-old son named Tennessee.
The Legally Blonde actress also has a 20-year-old daughter, Ava, and a 16-year-old son, Deacon, with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe, 45.
Witherspoon and Phillippe married in 1999 and divorced in 2008.
