JIM & REESE CALL IT QUITS

Was it her busy schedule or his midlife crisis that led to the A-listers' shock separation?

- LAVERN DE VRIES

SHE wasn't looking for love when they met at a house party but this guy - smiling, funny, down-to-earth - was like a breath of fresh air.

Even though his clients included some of the biggest names in Hollywood, Jim Toth wasn't a celebrity - and Reese Witherspoon, still smarting from her divorce from actor Ryan Phillippe, fell for his charms.

"He was a solid, dependable and stable guy, she said at the time, and that was exactly what she needed after her tumultuous marriage.

But it's all over now. Just two days before their 12th anniversary, Reese and Jim announced they were divorcing and were "moving forward with deep love, kindness and mutual respect for everything we have created together".

For fans of the pint-sized Tinseltown powerhouse, it came as a shock. In an industry where break-ups are as commonplace as popcorn in a movie house, they seemed to be bucking the trend.

In pictures they seemed like a happy blended family, smiling away with their son, Tennessee (10), and Ava (23) and Deacon (19), her kids with Ryan.

Yet things are seldom what they seem on social media and in the days following the announcement rumours of discontent starting trickling out.

Her hectic schedule was one of the reasons insiders gave for the collapse of the marriage. "Reese is spinning a lot of plates right now," an insider shared. "It's a highly stressful position to be in." 

Two years ago the Legally Blonde star sold a large portion of her production company, Hello Sunshine, for $900 million (then R12,6 billion) but she continues to work for the business as a producer on several projects, including the hit Apple TV+ series The Morning Show.