Reese Witherspoon, arrested?
It’s hard to believe, but the squeaky-clean star was booked for disorderly conduct on Friday morning after police stopped her husband, CAA agent Jim Toth (mugshot below) on suspicion of DUI in Atlanta, The Hollywood Reporter confirms.
Toth, who was driving erratically and whose blood alcohol level was reported to be .139, was charged with DUI and not staying in the lane.
According to TMZ, Witherspoon was also taken into custody after allegedly becoming upset and getting out of the car twice. She reportedly said “Do you know my name?” and when the police officer said no, she answered: “You’re about to find out who I am. … You are going to be on national news.”
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The couple, who married in March 2011 and welcomed a son last September, were released from jail shortly after the arrests. An appearance at Atlanta Municipal Court is reportedly slated for Monday morning.
Atlanta’s Department of Corrections released their mug shots to THR on Sunday; Witherspoon, her trademark blonde hair dyed brown, looks downward while Toth, 42, also avoids direct eye contact with the camera.
Witherspoon’s rep did not respond to THR‘s request for comment. CAA had no comment.
Late Sunday, the actress issued a statement concerning the arrest:
“Out of respect for the ongoing legal situation, I cannot comment on everything that is being reported right now. But I do want to say, I clearly had one drink too many and I am deeply embarrassed about the things I said. It was definitely a scary situation and I was frightened for my husband, but that is no excuse. I was disrespectful to the officer who was just doing his job. I have nothing but respect for the police and I’m very sorry for my behavior.”
Witherspoon, 37, has been in Atlanta to film The Good Lie, about an American woman who takes in a Sudanese refugee. On Sunday night, she posed for photos but bypassed reporters on the red carpet in New York City for a screening of her latest film Mud, co-starring Matthew McConaughey. The event, held at the Museum of Modern Art, drew McConaughey as well as director Jeff Nichols, who both made the rounds speaking to journalists.
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This is a rare public misstep for the Oscar-winning actress, who has long upheld a conservative and wholesome image as well as the mantle of America’s Sweetheart along with A-listers such as Sandra Bullock.
While accepting the “Generation” Award at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards, Witherspoon addressed the growing frequency of celebrity reality shows (and nude photo leaks), telling the crowd: “I get it, girls, that it’s cool to be a bad girl. But it is possible to make it in Hollywood without doing a reality show. When I came up in this business, if you made a sex tape, you were embarrassed and you hid it under your bed. And if you took naked pictures of yourself on your cell phone, you hide your face, people!”
Twitter: @ErinLCarlson
Email: erin.carlson@thr.com
