She married Ryan Phillippe at the young age of 23, and has since gone on to remarry with talent agent, Jim Toth.
But Reese Witherspoon has revealed she has no regrets over her first marriage, despite hinting that she didn’t ‘know herself’.
Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine on Thursday, the 41-year-old actress reflected on her former flame – who she shares two children with – daughter Ava, 18, and son Deacon, 13.
No regrets: Reese Witherspoon has revealed she has no regrets over her first marriage to Ryan Phillippe despite hinting that she didn’t ‘know herself’
Discussing her upcoming film Home Again – about a mother-of-two who strikes up a steamy fling with a 26-year-old toyboy – Reese mused: ‘It’s about that next chapter in your life.
‘What do you do when you get to 40 and you made a decision when you were 25 to get married and have kids…
‘I got married when I was 23 and had two kids by 27… sometimes it’s good to know yourself.’
Insisting she had no regrets, she hastily added: ‘I would never change anything!’
But Reese revealed she’s advised Ava to take some time getting to know herself and monitoring how she matures and changes with age.
‘I said to my daughter, at 25 you start to know yourself better’, she mused.
Reflection: Speaking on ITV’s Lorraine on Thursday, the 41-year-old actress reflected on her former flame – who she shares two children with – daughter Ava, 18, and son Deacon, 13
Reese and Ryan wed in 1999, and announced their plans to separate seven years later.
The Sweet Home Alabama star remarried in 2011 with Jim Toth, and the couple share five-year-old son, Tennessee.
Meanwhile, Ryan is currently single and shares six-year-old daughter Kailani with his ex-flame – Pitch Perfect’s Alexis Knapp.
In Home Again, Reese plays Alice Kinney, a mother-of-two who recently split from her husband, as she turns 40.
The romantic comedy centres around Alice, who allows the 20-something-year-old guy she’s fallen for and two of his friends to move in with her.
Things get complicated though when her ex-husband, played by Michael Sheen, shows up again asking for a second chance.
Discussing the toyboy plot, Reese reasoned: ‘We always see older men with younger women onscreen and I think maybe it’s because people don’t think about it.
‘Society changes if you have different perspectives. And that’s if you hire peope of colour and women directors.’
Moved on: Reese and Ryan wed in 1999, and announced their plans to separate seven years later. The Sweet Home Alabama star remarried in 2011 with Jim Toth, and the couple share five-year-old son, Tennessee