Reese Witherspoon has been on the silver screen for more than 30 years, starring in classics like The Man in the Moon, Pleasantville, Election, Legally Blonde, Walk the Line, and Wild. The prolific actress has made her mark in television as well, performing in and executive producing hit series like HBO’s Big Little Lies, Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere, and Apple TV’s Morning Show. She has also established herself as somewhat of a lifestyle influencer, complete with a book club and her Southern-influenced Draper James clothing line.
“I was born in New Orleans and raised in Nashville, so I was greatly influenced by Southern women: the way they dress for every occasion, their love of family heirlooms, and their passion for pattern and color,” Witherspoon told Architectural Digest in a September 2016 interview. “Southern women love bright colors and floral prints—anything that celebrates a joy for life.”
Over the years, her affinity for vibrant patterns and playful artwork has been on full display in the many homes she’s lived in and put her own design touches on. From lavish spaces built for entertaining and showing off her signature Southern hospitality to peaceful escapes with tranquil interiors, the 46-year-old multihyphenate has acquired, renovated, and sold several noteworthy properties during the last two decades. Most recently, Witherspoon’s Brentwood mansion in Los Angeles—which she purchased with husband Jim Toth for $15.9 million in March 2020—just sold in May 2022 for $21.5 million.
Ahead, AD walks through the impressive real estate portfolio Witherspoon has collected.
2001
Two years after their hit film, Cruel Intentions, was released, Witherspoon and her then husband Ryan Phillippe purchased a mansion in the ritzy Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles for $3.3 million. Clocking in at 8,772 square feet, the sprawling home sat on one acre and featured four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a media room, and a large primary bedroom wing on the ground level complete with a sitting room and wet bar. There was also a swimming pool, spa, garden, patio, and barbecue area. Originally built in 1969, the home, designed by architect Gerard R. Colcord, featured striking pitched beam ceilings, oak flooring throughout, and a brick fireplace. The couple sold it in 2004 for $4.5 million, and it came back on the market in 2017 with a list price of $16 million.
2003
Back in the early aughts, it appeared that Witherspoon was making a serious play to settle in Brentwood, where she ended up purchasing three separate properties throughout the course of nearly a decade, creating her own compound of sorts. The first home she purchased featured nearly 7,000 square feet and came with a price tag of $4.7 million.
2008
When life in Hollywood got too fast-paced, Witherspoon headed north about 100 miles to Ojai, California, where she bought and renovated a 1920s rustic retreat for $5.8 million. Designed by architect Wallace Neff and decorated for Witherspoon by her friend Kristen Buckingham, the home featured wood ceilings, wrought iron chandeliers, and an original fireplace. It was also Witherspoon’s wedding venue; she married talent agent Jim Toth on the property in March 2011. Despite originally listing it at $10 million, she eventually sold her Ojai refuge for just under $5 million in 2013.
