Reese Witherspoon opened up about one of the hardest chapters of her life, revealing how an abusive relationship in her younger years left lasting scars on her confidence.

The Morning Show actress shared her story during a recent episode of The New York Times’ The Interview podcast, explaining that even though she looked strong on the outside, she was struggling inside.

“I was very good at being a professional and showing up and doing the right thing, but I wasn’t emotionally mature when I was young,” she said. “You get into relationships that don’t work for you, and sometimes you don’t even see the dynamics that are happening.”

Witherspoon explained that leaving the toxic relationship was only the beginning and the real challenge came afterward when she was left believing the negative things her former partner had said about her.

“It took me a while to reconstitute myself,” she admitted.

“My spirit had been diminished because I thought all those awful things that person said about me were true. I had to rewire my brain.”

Now 49, the star said it took years of healing to rebuild her strength and identity. 

However, she also reflected on the struggles of living in the public eye, calling it “nearly impossible” to maintain privacy while raising her children.

“It took me a long time to be this woman that I am now,” she said. “I have a lot of compassion for people who live public lives and maintain privacy.”

Reese’s candid reflections follow earlier comments she made in 2018, when she told Oprah Winfrey that standing up for herself after abuse changed her “on a cellular level” and allowed her to fully embrace her ambition.