Reese Witherspoon shared an unsettling experience from her past when a joke-filled speech at a British awards event led to a falling out with a fellow actress.
The Legally Blonde star opened up about the aftermath of a moment that, years later, still bothers her.
Witherspoon revealed to People that she “roasted” an unnamed actress during her speech at a “classy” British awards ceremony, and as a result, the actress has not spoken to her since. The actress in question, Witherspoon said, “doesn’t like me anymore.”
Which actress was Reese Witherspoon talking about?
“We’re not friends anymore. I’m not even kidding — we’re not friends anymore,” Witherspoon admitted. She added that she thinks the actress simply does not like her anymore, and the experience “haunts” her.
Though Witherspoon declined to name the actress, fans and internet sleuths quickly speculated that the person in question could be fellow Oscar-winner Kate Winslet.
This theory is largely based on Witherspoon’s past tribute to Winslet at the BAFTA/LA Cunard Britannia Awards in November 2007.
In her speech, Witherspoon humorously mocked Winslet’s British accent and made several playful jabs, including one about "laser hair removal," which Witherspoon mentioned in her interview.
It was this part of the speech that stood out as a potential source of tension.
“I always wanted to be a European movie star, wear giant sunglasses, elaborate neck scarves, smoke hand-rolled cigarettes, and have savoir faire and gravitas,” Witherspoon began, according to a transcript published by JustJared.
“Imagine my good fortune when Kate Winslet moved into my neighborhood, rang my doorbell, and said, (insert British accent here) ‘Dahling, Sam is off shooting, and I believe our children are the same age. Could they possibly have a play date and oh, by the way, it’s almost 9 o’clock and I’ve had nothing to drink, do you have any wine?’”
Witherspoon continued to poke fun at Winslet’s “fearlessness,” recalling a moment from Iris where Winslet performed a nude scene in freezing water. “When I saw her and she took off all her clothes and jumped into that lake, I thought, ‘Wow, I bet that lake is really cold.’ And then I thought, ‘Wow, there’s an actor without fear,’” Witherspoon joked.
At one point during the speech, Witherspoon also mentioned that she couldn’t share personal stories about Winslet because “they’re all too bawdy or tawdry or drunken to tell.”
Fans later uncovered references to these “embarrassing” stories, which allegedly involved things like discussing laser hair removal or humorous moments when both actresses found themselves in their underwear.
Why Reese Witherspoon is embarrassed about her speech years later
According to Witherspoon, this lighthearted tribute did not go over well with the event’s audience, especially considering the “British and elegant” tone of the evening.
“It was pretty bad. Yeah. Not even kidding, she doesn’t talk to me anymore. Oh well,” Witherspoon said, reflecting on the fallout.
In the same interview with People, Witherspoon explained that she had been asked by her friend—who she did not know well at the time—to give an award on her behalf.
Having never attended such an event before, Witherspoon assumed the setting would be like a roast. “I thought it was so funny and it was just, I had the wrong audience,” she said, admitting to being embarrassed by the speech.
Despite the incident, Witherspoon moved on, but her regret over the situation is clear. "I'm still embarrassed about it," she confessed. The actress has since learned a valuable lesson about understanding the right tone for each audience.