Reese Witherspoon recently surprised by confessing that one of her former friends and industry colleagues no longer speaks to her due to a speech she gave at an award ceremony. Although she avoided mentioning her name, the clues left have led fans to speculate that the actress in question is Kate Winslet.
In an interview with People, Witherspoon recalled the incident that continues to "haunt" her. She recounted that she was asked to present an award to a highly esteemed British actress, whom she considered a friend, although she didn't know her very well. The gala had an "elegant and serious" tone, but she chose to give a speech full of humor and personal anecdotes.
Reese Witherspoon Talks About the Actress Who Stopped Being Her Friend Over a Joke
“I thought I should make it fun,” admitted the actress. “So I went on stage and mocked her a little.” The joke that had the biggest impact on the audience, and apparently the honoree as well, was when she mentioned that at one point they both considered getting a laser hair removal together.
“I chose the wrong audience,” Witherspoon added, lamenting that the relationship with her colleague was never the same again. Speculations about the identity of the offended actress point to Winslet due to a ceremony in 2007, when Witherspoon presented her with the Artist of the Year award at the BAFTA/LA Cunard Britannia Awards.
In her speech, Witherspoon referenced Winslet's move to her neighborhood and joked about their friendship, mentioning that her colleague arrived at her house with a glass of wine in hand. She also recalled a scene from “Holy Smoke” in which Winslet urinates on Harvey Keitel, which was met with mixed reactions from the audience.
A Prank That Ended It All
Since then, it seems that the relationship between both actresses has cooled. Although they were on stage together at the Oscars in 2016, presenting two nominees for Best Picture, many noticed that they did not exchange words or glances. Despite this awkward experience, Witherspoon continues to defend her sense of humor.
In a recent appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” he claimed that it’s essential to raise his children with a fun spirit and that he doesn’t mind “embarrassing them a little” on social media so they learn to laugh at themselves.