Being a celebrity is a tricky thing. Because while it's a dream for many and brings awesome opportunities, fame also makes one's personal life into a very public matter. Celebrity couples like Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively know this, as to pairs who went through divorces like Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck. Both Reese Witherspoon and Natalie Portman recently went through divorces themselves, and an insider revealed the sweet way Reese "stepped up" for her fellow Oscar winner while they both went through hard times.
In August of 2023, Natalie Portman and her husband separated after 11 years together, while Reese Witherspoon and her husband did the same a few months earlier. This timing definitely turned heads, and it turns out that it bonded the two iconic actresses. An alleged insider close to the stars spoke to Ok Magazine, and revealed how the Big Little Lies star stepped it up to be a good friend. In their words:
Natalie would not be recommending books on social media without Reese’s encouragement and the example of Reese’s own super-successful book club. It’s also been a weird coincidence that their marriages fell apart basically during the same period, and when the writing was on the wall for Natalie that she and Ben were through, Reese is one of the people who stepped up to be supportive of Natalie behind the scenes, helping her navigate some uncharted waters.
How sweet is that? Witherspoon has been shown to have close relationships with a number of A-list ladies in Hollywood, so perhaps this story shouldn't be all that surprising. But since the Legally Blonde icon was also going through struggles of her own, it makes her act of sisterhood all the more powerful.
From the above comments, it sounds like Witherspoon had a positive influence on Natalie Portman's life and career. The same anonymous insider spoke about how the two women's relationship progressed, offering:
You sometimes hear Natalie make these remarks about how hard it is to create lasting friendships in Hollywood and how competitive being a leading lady in your forties can be. It’s a bit self-pitying though, because Natalie has made a lot of actress friends over the years and especially in the last five years, Reese has been someone putting in work to coax Natalie out of her shell a little bit, just because they have so much in common.
While some fans might assume that there would be feelings of competition between wildly successful actresses, that's simply not the case. Natalie Portman and Reese Witherspoon seemingly have a great relationship, partly thanks to efforts made by the latter icon. And it's sweet to see the way they supported each other during trying times in their personal life.
Both Portman and Witherspoon are attached to a number of upcoming projects. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates to plan your trips to the movies this year.
