One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Reese Witherspoon On Drunken Arrest: 'I Played A Lawyer So Many Times I Think I Am A Lawyer'
Last month, Reese Witherspoon was arrested in Atlanta for interfering with her husband's DWI arrest. The Oscar-winning actress, now very chastened, spoke on TV about the incident for the first time, telling Good Morning America, "I saw him arresting my husband and I literally panicked. I told him I was pregnant. I’m not pregnant. I said all kinds of crazy things." She added, "I played a lawyer in a movie so many times I think I am a lawyer. And, clearly, I’m not a lawyer because I got arrested."
On April 19, Witherspoon's husband, talent agent Jim Toth, was pulled over for weaving across a double line. While he was given the field sobriety test, Witherspoon told a police officer she didn't believe he was a real cop and (according to his arrest report) "stated that she was a ‘US citizen’ and that she was allowed to ‘stand on American ground.’" The officer repeatedly told Witherspoon to remain in the car and arrested her when she exited a second time.
She had also said, "Do you know my name?" When the cop said, "No, I don't need to know your name," to which Witherspoon allegedly retorted, "You're about to find out who I am ... You are going to be on national news." The cop stated in the police report, "I advised Mrs. Witherspoon that was fine." The cop was probably also fine with the perp walk being filmed.
Witherspoon told GMA's George Stephanpoulos, "It's just one of those nights... It’s just completely unacceptable and we are so sorry and embarrassed. I think we made a mistake and it was something that will absolutely never happen again." She explained, "We went out to dinner in Atlanta and we had one too many glasses of wine. We thought we were fine to drive and we absolutely were not. We know better and we shouldn’t have done that." Toth allegedly blew a 0.139 on the Breathalyzer; the legal limit is 0.08.
She also emphasized her remorse, "I was so disrespectful to [the police officer]. I have police officers in my family. I work with police officers every day. I know better. It’s just unacceptable." Witherspoon added, "Yesterday, I spoke to them and again just said, ‘There is no reason to be disrespectful to a police officer.' Again, I just panicked... When a police officer tells you to stay in the car, you stay in the car. I learned that for sure."
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
