Reese Witherspoon’s husband Jim Toth apparently feels he is to blame for the actress’s recent arrest in Atlanta. The couple was arrested together early Friday after an officer observed Toth driving in the wrong lane. Toth was booked for drunk driving and failure to maintain his lane, while Witherspoon was booked for disorderly conduct because she mouthed off to the officer and refused to follow his instructions.
An insider tells People magazine Toth “feels awful that he involved Reese in the situation.” "He made a bad decision and it certainly made things worse that he dragged her into it,” says the source.
The source notes that Toth has “always been a big social drinker” because of his job as a talent agent. “He's out to lunch or dinner almost every day of the week, schmoozing clients and taking business meetings,” explains the insider. "[The arrest is] just going to make the two of them stop and pause, and think about maybe how much Jim's drinking plays a role in their lives – if it does or not.”
Another insider tells People, “No one would be surprised if Jim goes to rehab.”
In a statement released Sunday, the actress admitted that she is “deeply embarrassed” by the incident. The 37-year-old was in Atlanta to film The Good Lie.
"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," Witherspoon 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. The words I used that night definitely do not reflect who I am. I have nothing but respect for the police and I'm very sorry for my behavior."
According to police, Witherspoon got out of the car multiple times while Toth was given a field sobriety test despite being instructed to remain sitting inside the vehicle. After the officer warned her that getting out of the car again would result in her arrest, Witherspoon began “began to hang out the window” and say she didn’t believe the officer was a real police officer. She got out of the car again as Toth, 42, was being arrested. Witherspoon refused to return to her car and declared she was allowed to stand on “American ground” as she is a “US citizen.” The officer proceeded to place Witherspoon under arrest. She resisted briefly, but was calmed down by Toth.
“Mrs. Witherspoon asked, 'Do you know my name?' I answered, 'No, I don't need to know your name.' I then added, 'Right now.' Mrs. Witherspoon stated, 'You're about to find out who I am.'... Mrs. Witherspoon also stated, 'You're going to be on national news.' I advised Mrs. Witherspoon that was fine,” the officer revealed in his report.
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