REESE Witherspoon and husband Jim Toth’s divorce has been brewing for 18 months due to his midlife crisis, a pal of the couple has told The U.S. Sun.
Oscar-winner Reese, 47, and Hollywood super agent turned investor Jim, 52, announced on Friday that they are splitting after 11 years of marriage.
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The pair said in a joint statement on social media that following the “difficult decision” their biggest priority now is their 10-year-old son Tennessee.
It came just two days before the couple were due to celebrate their 12th wedding anniversary.
A friend and colleague who has worked with the couple over the last decade said the move came as no surprise to those who know them.
The source said that despite successful joint business ventures such as the sale of their production company Hello Sunshine for almost $1 billion in 2021, the pair simply wanted different things for their lives.
The insider told The U.S. Sun: “It was never if with Reese and Jim but when.
“This process of uncoupling really began in late 2021 when it became clear to everybody who knew both of them that they were itching for life apart from each other, even though they were both celebrating the massive success of the Hello Sunshine sale to Candle Media and the hundreds of millions of dollars they personally realized from the deal.
“That money was rocket fuel to them, but it sent them in different directions and pretty quickly after that deal closed, the only real common ground they had was the raising of their son, Tennessee.
“Even when Reese and Jim couldn’t see eye to eye about anything, they are very dedicated co-parents and that shouldn’t change even if Jim has to change zip codes, which is very likely now.”
‘MID-LIFE CRISIS’
The source explained that Jim’s massive career change five years ago, when he quit the agency business despite being one of the most admired leaders at Hollywood powerhouse CAA, was a big factor in the end of the couple’s marriage.
Despite failing with short-lived mobile streaming service Quibi in 2020, Jim caught the Silicon Valley investment bug and is likely to move his life further in that direction, according to the insider.
But the source said there is no doubt Reese and Jim will be able to handle co-parenting, especially after she already did so with ex Ryan Phillippe and their daughter Ava, 23, and son Deacon, 19.
The family friend said: “Jim is the one who has changed massively just in the last few years.
“Jim just isn’t the guy Reese married and had a son with anymore.
“His personality, his attitude and his whole take on life really changed when he got out of the agency business and decided he was tired of that stuffy world and being in the service business in general.
“Call it a midlife crisis if you want but that’s when the tattoos, the chunky, weird jewelry, and dressing like somebody half his age really took hold.
“Jim’s stint as a top executive at Quibi only deepened his interest in the world of Silicon Valley, dot coms and start ups, and after that job ended, Jim essentially worked for Hello Sunshine as an advisor and investor.
“It led to the company’s sale and for a real gut check moment for him and Reese – they now had more money than either of them could ever figure out what to do with, and it was time to reassess.
“This divorce is the result of that process, but Reese has handled co-parenting before, quite successfully in fact, and shouldn’t have any problem handling that again with Tennessee.
“Jim will still be in her life. But he’s taking the millions he personally made in the Hello Sunshine deal and he’s striking out for greener pastures.
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“He’s wanted this for a long time.”
‘ULTIMATE WARRIOR MOM’
The Morning Show actress Reese has become a workaholic working in the service of the Hello Sunshine brand, the source said.
It is believed that she has a five-year service with the company starting at the date of the close of its sale to Candle Media for $900m in August 2021.
The U.S. Sun’s insider said: “Reese has always been ‘Type A’ about her business, her book club and her acting career.
“You never get the sense that she’s doing any of that stuff just for fun.
“It’s serious for her and it’s her priority in life.
“She loves going into the important rooms in Hollywood and bowling people over with her vision, her power suits, and the incredible numbers her company has generated.
“As she’s gotten deep into her forties, this is the thing she’s constantly working on, becoming a serious businessperson and getting the best result for the Hello Sunshine investors, especially when it comes to her two signature hits as a producer, the Big Little Lies TV franchise and last year’s highly profitable movie Where the Crawdads Sing.
“Reese can talk about these projects inside and out with anybody who wants to listen, and she can go toe to toe with the biggest moguls in town while she does it.”
The source added: “Even though Jim helped with the Hello Sunshine sale, he’s never been one to go with Reese to these serious business meetings since the company sold.
“He’s allowed her to do that on her own and truly be the face of the company. “And when Jim did show up with Reese for private events over the last few years, everybody who knew them as a couple remarked how much he’s changed.
“This guy really went from being Gordon Gekko to Mark Zuckerberg, complete with the hoodies and skinny jeans.
“He was so done with the Hollywood rat race and leaving this marriage is the logical conclusion of that journey, because Reese isn’t going anywhere: she’s all work, all the time, the ultimate warrior mom.”
SILICON VALLEY NEXT?
Asked what is next for Jim, the source said it’s likely he will move to Northern California, at least part time.
He is expected to further pursue his Silicon Valley dreams of being a tech entrepreneur away from Hollywood haters who once viewed him as a little more than a glorified assistant to his ultra-famous wife.
The insider revealed: “Jim is itching to strike out on his own and succeed in tech and business-building the way he succeeded at his early career as an agent.
“He’s ready to start from zero and invest in new companies, and it’s hard to do that from LA.
“You need to be on the ground and in the mix.
“It all comes down to his disillusionment with Hollywood while Reese has doubled- and tripled-down on movies and TV as the thing she wants to spend the next ten years making.
“They’ve been heading in different directions for a couple of years now, and a divorce simply makes that official.”
The U.S. Sun has reached out to representatives for Reese and to Jim asking for comment.
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