Celebrity StyleInside Reese Witherspoon’s Traditional-Leaning Real Estate PortfolioThe Legally Blonde star and her family have owned many properties in California and Tennessee, but they’ve never opted for anything too modern

By Mekita Rivas

June 21, 2022

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Reese Witherspoon owns property in Nashville, Tennessee, and multiple locations in California.Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

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Reese Witherspoon has been on the silver screen for more than 30 years, starring in classics like The Man in the Moon, Pleasantville, Election, Legally Blonde, Walk the Line, and Wild. The prolific actress has made her mark in television as well, performing in and executive producing hit series like HBO’s Big Little Lies, Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere, and Apple TV’s Morning Show. She has also established herself as somewhat of a lifestyle influencer, complete with a book club and her Southern-influenced Draper James clothing line.

“I was born in New Orleans and raised in Nashville, so I was greatly influenced by Southern women: the way they dress for every occasion, their love of family heirlooms, and their passion for pattern and color,” Witherspoon told Architectural Digest in a September 2016 interview. “Southern women love bright colors and floral prints—anything that celebrates a joy for life.”

Over the years, her affinity for vibrant patterns and playful artwork has been on full display in the many homes she’s lived in and put her own design touches on. From lavish spaces built for entertaining and showing off her signature Southern hospitality to peaceful escapes with tranquil interiors, the 46-year-old multihyphenate has acquired, renovated, and sold several noteworthy properties during the last two decades. Most recently, Witherspoon’s Brentwood mansion in Los Angeles—which she purchased with husband Jim Toth for $15.9 million in March 2020—just sold in May 2022 for $21.5 million.

Ahead, AD walks through the impressive real estate portfolio Witherspoon has collected.

2001

Two years after their hit film, Cruel Intentions, was released, Witherspoon and her then husband Ryan Phillippe purchased a mansion in the ritzy Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles for $3.3 million. Clocking in at 8,772 square feet, the sprawling home sat on one acre and featured four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a media room, and a large primary bedroom wing on the ground level complete with a sitting room and wet bar. There was also a swimming pool, spa, garden, patio, and barbecue area. Originally built in 1969, the home, designed by architect Gerard R. Colcord, featured striking pitched beam ceilings, oak flooring throughout, and a brick fireplace. The couple sold it in 2004 for $4.5 million, and it came back on the market in 2017 with a list price of $16 million.

2003

Back in the early aughts, it appeared that Witherspoon was making a serious play to settle in Brentwood, where she ended up purchasing three separate properties throughout the course of nearly a decade, creating her own compound of sorts. The first home she purchased featured nearly 7,000 square feet and came with a price tag of $4.7 million.

2008

When life in Hollywood got too fast-paced, Witherspoon headed north about 100 miles to Ojai, California, where she bought and renovated a 1920s rustic retreat for $5.8 million. Designed by architect Wallace Neff and decorated for Witherspoon by her friend Kristen Buckingham, the home featured wood ceilings, wrought iron chandeliers, and an original fireplace. It was also Witherspoon’s wedding venue; she married talent agent Jim Toth on the property in March 2011. Despite originally listing it at $10 million, she eventually sold her Ojai refuge for just under $5 million in 2013.

2009

Back to Brentwood she goes. After her divorce from Phillippe was finalized in 2008, Witherspoon shelled out $3.325 million for the house next to the existing Brentwood home she owned, which she then demolished, razed, and turned into additional yard space.

2010

In August 2010, Witherspoon continued to expand her California footprint, purchasing a ranch house from actor Steven Seagal for $7 million. Located in L.A.’s Mandeville Canyon, the estate sits on 2.5 acres and once belonged to actor Tom Selleck. Ever the fan of starting from scratch, Witherspoon razed the existing house and buildings on the property, ultimately selling the vacant land in 2012 for $7.5 million.

2012

What do you know? Another Brentwood property on the list. Rounding out her compound in the buzzy, celeb-filled neighborhood, Witherspoon bought a 1956 ranch for $3 million. Previously owned by 1940’s-era actor Elyse Knox, the house featured four bedrooms, four bathrooms, hand-painted oak floors, a glass-enclosed breakfast room, a pool, a guest house, and more. Ultimately, Witherspoon sold off all of her Brentwood properties by 2014, but not before showing the main house off in a Vogue “73 Questions” video.

2014

On a 2020 episode of Organized With the Home Edit, organization experts Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin helped Witherspoon arrange the closets of her Nashville home.

Photo: John Shearer/Netflix

Witherspoon headed back to her Tennessee roots in 2014, investing in a four-bedroom fixer upper for $2 million in the upscale Oak Hill area of Nashville. In 2020, fans got a glimpse inside her Nashville home (we can only assume it is the same one) when it was featured on an episode of Get Organized with The Home Edit.

2014

Not quite ready to give up California completely, Witherspoon and Toth settled on a property in Pacific Palisades, located between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. With a purchase price of $12.7 million, the 10,300-square-foot home featured five bedrooms and five bathrooms, and served as the couple’s primary residence until April 2020, when they sold it for $17 million.

2019

Witherspoon found a new getaway destination in Malibu, purchasing a ranch nestled above Zuma Beach for $6.3 million in August 2019. The main farmhouse was built in 1949, and the home was outfitted with wood floors and rustic design touches. Life as a farm owner didn’t last long for Witherspoon, who sold the space in November 2020 for $6.7 million.

2020

No matter where her real estate interests take her, it seems Witherspoon can’t resist the allure of Brentwood. In March 2020, she and Toth paid $15.9 million for a seven-bed, nine-bath home in her beloved L.A. neighborhood. Built in 1993, the English country-style estate sits on three acres, boasting dark hardwood floors, ceiling beams, French doors, and a wood-paneled library. There’s also a saltwater swimming pool and an expansive outdoor cooking area. But they ended up listing the home in March 2022, originally on the market for $25 million, but ultimately selling it for $21.5 million.

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