Reese Witherspoon has admitted that an ill-advised speech she made at a swanky event cost her a friendship with a fellow actor.
In a recent video interview for People magazine, the Oscar winner asked her You’re Cordially Invited co-star Will Ferrell: “Have you ever had this moment where you gave a speech and then like three years later, you’re like, ‘Why did I do that? Why did I do that?’.”
Looking back at a moment from her own past, the Legally Blonde star admitted: “I have one. It literally haunts me.”
Reese went on to recall an incident at an awards show where she misjudged the tone, and instead got up and roasted a “very serious, proper actress” she actually “didn’t really know that well” while introducing her at an awards show.
“The tone was British and elegant and classy. And I was like, ‘Remember the time we got laser hair removal?!’ I’m still embarrassed about it,” she said.
In fact, Reese claimed: “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.”
Although Reese didn’t actually name the actor in question, that hasn’t stopped people online from doing some sleuthing.
Several news outlets have pointed out that Reese once introduced Kate Winslet at an event for Bafta back in 2007, after unearthing a speech posted on a fansite that same year.
According to the site in question, Reese told the crowd: “I always wanted to be a European movie star, wear giant sunglasses, elaborate neck scarves, smoke hand-rolled cigarettes, and have savoir faire and gravitas.
“Imagine my good fortune when Kate Winslet moved into my neighbourhood, rang my door bell and said, ’Dahling, Sam is off shooting, and I believe our children are the same age. Could they possibly have a play date and oh, by the way, it’s almost 9 o’clock and I’ve had nothing to drink, do you have any wine?’.”
Reese apparently said she wouldn’t share any more personal anecdotes as they were “too bawdy or tawdry or drunken to tell” in public, but apparently alluded to an incident involving laser hair removal, which indicates that Kate could be the friend in question.
HuffPost UK has contacted Kate Winslet’s team for comment.
While Reese has spoken in the past about public speaking not being her strong suit, last year she welcomed her friend and former co-star Nicole Kidman to the stage at one awards show, making headlines with a pretty impressive impersonation of the Australian star.
