Reese Witherspoon Admits She Had to 'Rewire' Her Brain After Abusive Relationship

Reese Witherspoon is shedding light on the challenges she faced in overcoming an abusive relationship, describing how the experience forced her to rebuild her sense of self.

Reese Witherspoon is reflecting on the lasting impact of an abusive relationship she experienced earlier in her life. The actress, 49, spoke candidly on the September 20, 2025 episode of "The Interview" podcast, sharing how she had to rebuild herself after leaving the relationship.

"I was very good at being a professional and showing up, and doing the right thing. But I wasn't emotionally mature when I was young, and you get into relationships that don't work for you and sometimes you don't even see the dynamics that are happening," Witherspoon told host Lulu Garcia-Navarro.

She recalled the difficulty of recovering afterward, saying, "When I got out of that, it took me a while to reconstitute myself. My spirit had been diminished because I thought all those awful things that person said about me were true."

"I had to rewire my brain," she added.

Witherspoon admitted she struggled with insecurity during that time and leaned on conversations with others who had endured similar abuse to help her recognize what she had been unable to see. She noted that the process of regaining confidence and reshaping her identity took years.

Speaking about navigating the experience under public scrutiny, the "Morning Show" star said it was really difficult for her.

This is not the first time Witherspoon has opened up about the relationship. In a 2018 interview with Oprah Winfrey for "Oprah.com," she revealed that the abuse she endured was "psychological" and "verbal."