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PERFECT SUMMER

Reese Witherspoon faced one of her fears with her kids by her side, and reflected on emotional family moments


Julianne Moore and Olivia Munn praised her bold move.


Reese Witherspoon faced one of her fears with her kids by her side, and reflected on emotional family moments© NBC
Daniel NeiraSenior Writer
AUGUST 18, 2025 4:37 PM EDT

Reese Witherspoon is facing her fears. The Oscar winner shared a bold moment from her latest vacation, dressed in a sleek black one-piece, the 49-year-old actress stood at the edge of a rocky cliff, before taking a leap into the sea.

“Everyone’s been saying that people jump off this rock here,” Reese says in the clip, her voiceover was layered over a panoramic shot that showed just how steep the drop was. Reese then shared a family moment with her 12-year-old son Tennessee, who was sitting beside her at lunch as the two went back and forth over the bold move.

Reese Witherspoon is facing her fears in new video. © Instagram/Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon is facing her fears in new video.

"Here’s what happens when fear… meets follow-through… because life’s too short to stay on the edge,” she wrote on-screen.“You won't always feel ready but jump anyway. The rest will come on the way down," she captioned the video.

Olivia Munn praised the jump as “so impressive,” while Julianne Moore and Michelle Monaghan kept it short and sweet: “OMG!” and “YES!” 

"Here’s what happens when fear… meets follow-through… because life’s too short to stay on the edge,” she wrote.© Instagram/Reese Witherspoon
"Here’s what happens when fear… meets follow-through… because life’s too short to stay on the edge,” she wrote.

Reese's summer with family and a new love:

In July, the actress was spotted cozying up with boyfriend Oliver Haarmann, 57, on a yacht off the coast of Saint-Tropez. The two, first linked in fall 2024, shared kisses and laughs while soaking up the Riviera sun. Haarmann, a German financier, has reportedly already spent time with Tennessee and Deacon, Reese’s 21-year-old son with ex Ryan Phillippe.

Reese Witherspoon is spotted on a date with Oliver Haarmann in New York City. © The Grosby Group
Reese Witherspoon is spotted on a date with Oliver Haarmann in New York City.

She also shares 25-year-old daughter Ava with Phillippe, and her summer has been packed with family moments, both playful and heartfelt.

The star also celebrated her mother's birthday with a sweet tribute. "Happy birthday to my wonderful mother Betty, who always teaches me to appreciate homemade art, flowers in the garden, little babies, & all the dogs and horses in the world!" she wrote. "She LOVES red lipstick so I bought her this one called PIP."

Reese shared a sweet birthday tribute to her mom. © Instagram/Reese Witherspoon
Reese shared a sweet birthday tribute to her mom.

Opening up about parenting in Hollywood:

Just days before her cliff dive, Reese reflected on her life as a working mom in Hollywood. In a heartfelt slideshow, she shared throwback pics of herself with her kids over the years.

“It looked like spending a lot of time in trailers… always being on the road… and my kids giving me career advice,” she joked. She opened up about the exhaustion, too. “I’d cry working 14 to 17 hours… still woke up early for carpool. I was deliriously tired,” she wrote. “Nothing was better than getting to come home and hug them.”


Reese reflected on her life as a working mom in Hollywood. © Instagram/Reese Witherspoon
Reese reflected on her life as a working mom in Hollywood.

One of her emotional family moments this year:

In another sweet moment this year, Reese shared that one of her sons told her at dinner that he’s proud to be “weird," a lesson he learned from her. “If I have a choice to be normal or weird,” he said, “I should be weird.”

In a heartfelt slideshow, she shared throwback pics of herself with her kids over the years.© Instagram/Reese Witherspoon
In a heartfelt slideshow, she shared throwback pics of herself with her kids over the years.

The moment moved her. “It filled my heart with the deepest joy… it meant so much to me that my kids know it’s okay to be different. It can actually be your superpower.”

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