Reese Witherspoon shares how a famous star stopped talking to her after a speech went wrong: ‘She doesn’t like me’

The speech that haunts her.

Reese Witherspoon recently shared a personal story about a speech that led to the end of her friendship with a famous actress. In a candid conversation with her You’re Cordially Invited co-star Will Ferrell, Witherspoon admitted that she still feels ‘haunted’ by the experience. The Legally Blonde star explained how she was asked to present an award to a well-known actress, someone she didn’t know very well, at a special event.

Reese Witherspoon's speech that ended a friendship

“So this friend of mine, who I didn't really know that well but she was a very serious, proper actress, she asked me to give her an award. But I had never been to this award ceremony, so I thought it was like a roast. So I got up and I roasted her,” the actress told People.

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Witherspoon, thinking the event would be casual and comedic, prepared a funny speech, similar to a roast. She began by recalling light-hearted moments, like a shared experience of laser hair removal, but quickly realised she had misjudged the gala's tone. According to Witherspoon, the event was “British and elegant and classy,” not the informal setting she expected.

The fallout

While Witherspoon found the incident humorous, her attempt at humour didn’t sit well with the actress. The fallout was clear: “We’re not friends anymore,” Witherspoon confessed. Despite thinking the speech was funny at the time, she acknowledged that she had the wrong audience, and it was “pretty bad.” Her former friend, who the actress refrained from naming, stopped speaking to her entirely after the event.

We're not friends anymore. I'm not even kidding — we're not friends anymore” she said. “I think she doesn't like me anymore. I thought it was so funny and it was just, I had the wrong audience. It was pretty bad. Yeah. Not even kidding, she doesn't talk to me anymore. Oh well."

Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell weigh in on Indian weddings

Hollywood stars Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon, who have never had the chance to attend an Indian wedding, both agree that they seem like a lot of fun. The topic of weddings is central to their new romcom You're Cordially Invited, marking their first collaboration on screen.

Also read: Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon on Indian weddings: Look like a lot of fun

While Ferrell recalled once receiving an open invitation to an Indian wedding, Witherspoon was exposed to the tradition through Mira Nair's 2001 film Monsoon Wedding. Ferrell shared his experience during a Zoom interview with PTI, remembering how he stayed at a hotel where a multi-day Indian wedding was taking place. He laughed as he explained how guests casually invited him to join in, saying, “It was like an open invite. I should have taken them up on the offer... it looks like a lot of fun.”

You're Cordially Invited premiered on Prime Video, and centers around two weddings accidentally booked at the same small island hotel on the same day. Witherspoon stars as Margot, a reality TV executive organizing her sister’s wedding, while Ferrell plays Jim, a widowed father preparing for his daughter’s big day.