Reese Witherspoon: Leaving an abusive relationship changed me

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon says leaving an emotionally abusive relationship was one of the most difficult decisions of her life. The actor, in an interview with A Wrinkle in Time co-star Oprah Winfrey, said the decision changed her as a person. "I drew a line in the sand and it got crossed and my brain just switched. I couldn't go any further. I was young, and it was profound," Witherspoon said.

"I could never be the person I am today. It changed who I was on a cellular level, the fact that I stood up for myself. None of those leaving those situations... it's wrought with self-doubt, particularly if someone damages your self-esteem." Witherspoon said her experience with domestic abuse motivated her to develop Big Little Lies.

"People who knew me then say to me, 'You're a completely different person'. I didn't have self-esteem. I'm a different person now and it's part of why I can stand up and say I'm ambitious because someone tried to take that from me before," she said.

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