“I remember leaving the office and thinking, ‘That was not great.’”
Reese Witherspoon is keeping it real when talking about her role as a working mom in Hollywood.
The 49-year-old “Cruel Intentions” actress shares two kids — daughter Ava Phillippe, 25, and son Deacon Phillippe, 21 — with her former co-star Ryan Phillippe, according to People.
She’s also a mom to 12-year-old son Tennessee James, whom she shares with ex-husband Jim Toth.
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On Aug. 14, Witherspoon took to Instagram to share a carousel of photos of her and her kids while opening up about the reality of “what raising three kids and building a career in Hollywood looked like.”
Her candid memories included “spending a lot of time in trailers together” and “always being on the road together.”
She also praised her kids for “constantly giving me career advice,” which included a screenshot of Deacon notifying her that she “butt-dialed an Instagram live” in a text message.
But by the fifth slide, she started to detail some of the not-so-good memories — and how she learned to overcome them.
“It looked really hard sometimes. I’d cry working 14 to 17 hours, sometimes all night long and still woke up early for carpool,” she wrote of her work-life balance. “I was deliriously tired.”
She also shared that she would often “say something positive about work” in hopes that her kids would see that her work was meaningful and fun.
“In conclusion, even though it was challenging at times, having kids gave me perspective about what was important in life,” she wrote in the final slide.
“Nothing was better than getting to come home and hug them and hear about their day,” she added.
She further described it as a “beautiful, messy journey” in the caption — adding that she feels “grateful to stand alongside” other working moms.
Reese Witherspoon sparks debate about working moms in the comments
Many of Witherspoon’s fans took to the comment section to praise the actress for being honest about her experience as a working mom.
“Proof that whether you’re a famous actress, or an office manager (like me) working moms are more alike than we are different,” one fan wrote.
“You were bringing home the bacon and raising two beautiful children. Doing it all. I call that a mighty strong woman,” another fan commented.
On the flip side, other followers were hesitant to label Reese Witherspoon a true working mom.
“I am a huge fan of Reese. But, she cannot compare herself to the average working Mom. She has a housekeeper, a chef, a Gardner etc,” one fan argued.
“The average Mom has to go home and complete these tasks and take care of the kids. No Comparison,” the fan continued.
“You had the privilege of bringing them into your world while at work while most working mothers do not have that privilege,” another fan wrote.
“I'm not saying you weren't tired or didn't have guilt over working but your life is VERY different from a lot of mothers,” her follower continued.
Witherspoon started her career as a teenager and received her breakthrough in 1999 when she starred in “Cruel Intentions” alongside then-husband Ryan Phillippe.
The pair welcomed daughter Ava that same year, per ABC News, followed by son Deacon in 2003. Both Ava and Deacon have since followed in their parents’ footsteps.
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Reese Witherspoon’s third child didn’t come until nine years later when she and the-husband Jim Roth welcomed son Tennessee, per the outlet.
