Reese Witherspoon announces divorce from husband Jim Toth after 11 years

Actor Reese Witherspoon has announced her divorce from husband Jim Toth after 11 years together.

The pair first got hitched back in 2011, with their 12th wedding anniversary set to take place just a matter of days away.

The Legally Blonde star confirmed the news in a joint statement with her ex-husband yesterday (24 March).

The pair reportedly first met at a house party when Toth saved Witherspoon from a very inebriated man.

She told ELLE back in 2012: "It happened out of the blue.

"This really drunk guy was hitting on me, making such an idiot of himself, yelling at me."

And that's when Toth swooped in.

"Jim came over and said, 'Please excuse my friend. He's just broken up with someone,'" The Morning Show star continued.

"Jim was a really good friend, pulling him out of that situation. That's just kind of who he is, a really good person."

And even she never expected their relationship to happen, saying it 'took her by surprise'.

In a 2011 interview with ELLE, she said: "[Jim] really surprised me. You don't know who you're going to end up with. When I was 20, if you'd asked me ... I wouldn't have said Jim.

"Jim's like, 'I'm gonna show you every day what a good partner is, what a good person is, I'm going to take care of you. I'm going to do it so much that you're gonna get used to it'. I was like, 'What are you talking about? I've never had anybody like that in my life'."

The actor shared their statement on her Instagram to her 29.3 million followers.

She began the post: "We have some personal news to share…

"It is with a great deal of care and consideration that we have made the difficult decision to divorce."

The Big Little Lies star continued: "We have enjoyed so many wonderful years together and are moving forward with deep love, kindness, and mutual respect for everything we have created together."

Witherspoon went on to tell fans that the pair's 'biggest priority' is now their son, Tennessee, and the rest of the family as they 'navigate this next chapter'.

"These matters are never easy and are extremely personal. We truly appreciate everyone’s respect for our family’s privacy at this time," she concluded, signing off as 'Reese and Jim'.

The actor has turned off the comments on the post.