- Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth married in 2011
- The pair welcomed their only child together in 2012, a son named Tennesee
- In a 2023 Instagram post, Reese and Jim announced their divorce
Cupid lost another round when Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth announced they were going their separate ways after almost 12 years of marriage. Taking to the Oscar winner’s Instagram in March 2023, the former couple revealed they had “made the difficult decision to divorce.” They added, “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.”
Stans of the photogenic pair were quite shocked by the news, as they have followed Reese and Jim’s relationship since its adorable inception back in 2010. With red carpet appearances, arrests in Atlanta and the welcoming of a child, Reese and Jim were thought to be in it for the long haul. Sadly, it looks like that’s not the case. While we mourn the loss of another superstar romance, let’s learn more about Reese’s second ex-husband, below.
Jim made his way to Hollywood as an actor
Born on July 27, 1970 in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, Jim got his start in Tinseltown as both an actor and a producer, per his IMDB. The outlet listed his projects in those capacities as According to Jim in 2001 and Stand Up to Cancer in 2021.
His early brushes with Hollywood appeared to inspire Jim to continue working in the entertainment field in some capacity. Case in point: he has become one of the top talent agents in Hollywood and reportedly worked with the likes of Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Jim is also currently the co-head of the motion picture talent department at Creative Artists Agency, better known as CAA.
While Jim was obviously on the fringes of fame, Reese reportedly dug the fact that he was not a star. “She loves that he’s not a celebrity,” a source told People back in 2010. “They’ve been left alone to get to know each other in a more private way.”
When did he meet Reese?
In October 2006, Reese and her first husband, Ryan Phillippe, announced that they were separating after 7 years of marriage and welcoming two children together: daughter Ava Phillippe and son Deacon Phillippe. Four years and a romance with Jake Gyllenhaal later, Reese ran into Jim at a house party.
“It happened out of the blue,” Reese recalled to ELLE in 2012. “This really drunk guy was hitting on me, making such an idiot of himself, yelling at me. He was like, ‘You don’t know me.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I know. I don’t know you!'” Cue meet-cute! “Jim came over and said, ‘Please excuse my friend. He’s just broken up with someone,'” the actress continued. “Jim was a really good friend, pulling him out of that situation. That’s just kind of who he is, a really good person.”
They got arrested together after getting hitched
The couple ran into some trouble with the law two years after they got married on March 26, 2011 in Ojai, California. Fans will recall the infamous 2013 incident where Reese hilariously proclaimed to a police officer arresting her for disorderly conduct, “Do you know my name? You’re about to find out who I am.” She later admitted her embarrassment in a public apology, pleaded no-contest and had to pay a fine. It all went down in Atlanta while Jim was unfortunately being arrested for a DUI after the couple were out on a date together. He ended up pleading guilty plea, getting community service, and serving one year of probation.
He fit right in with Reese’s kids
It appeared Jim became a super stepdad to Ava and Deacon as soon as he started dating Reese. The Oscar winner introduced him to her kids shortly after they started dating and by Easter, Jim was accompanying the brood to church, per People.
“I got lucky. I did. I got very lucky. He’s so wonderful with the children. I’m very blessed,” Reese told Marie Claire in Sept. 2011. “Somebody close to me once said, ‘Oh, no man will ever accept your children.’ And I just thought it was the most horrifying thing someone has ever said to me in my entire life. And until I got remarried, I don’t think I realized how stressed I was. I feel so much relief. I don’t think I realized how stressed I was being a single parent. It was really, really stressful.”
Jim welcomed a son with Reese
The jailbirds had welcomed their first and only child together, son Tennessee, in September 2012, about six months before the Georgia shake down. And it sounds like he still treated Ava and Deacon just the same as he treated his own flesh and blood. “He’s very patient and funny with the kids,” Reese told People in 2016. “He really encourages them to see the humor in life.”