REESE'S SHOCKING SPLIT

How Reese Witherspoon and her husband of 12 years, former talent agent Jim Toth, grew apart and why their decision to divorce was 'so hard' for both of them

- ERIC ANDERSSON

Reese Witherspoon's almost 30 million Instagram followers are treated to a near-daily dose of positivity that's as bright as her megawatt smile: enthusiastic book recommendations (The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah was a recent pick), "pupdates" on her four adorable dogs, goofy behind-the-scenes photos from the sets of her many projects and expressions of appreciation. "Feeling very grateful for all the love in my life," she captioned a carousel of photos featuring her and her French bulldog Minnie Pearl on March 22 as she thanked fans and friends for wishing her well on her 47th birthday.

But just two days later she struck a much more somber tone in another post. In a joint statement, the actress-producer and her husband, investor and former talent agent Jim Toth, 52, announced they are splitting up. "We have some personal news to share.... It is with a great deal of care and consideration that we have made the difficult decision to divorce," they wrote, just two days shy of their 12th wedding anniversary. "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."