"She should be embarrassed"—Internet reacts as Reese Witherspoon claims she lost a friend after roasting her on stage

Reese Witherspoon recently talked about losing one of her actor friends after a speech went wrong during an award show. In an interview with fellow actor Will Ferrell for People Magazine, released on YouTube on Friday, January 31, 2025, Witherspoon recalled the time she accidentally roasted her former friend during an awards ceremony.

While she didn't drop any names, Witherspoon admitted that the said actress no longer speaks to her after the whole ordeal. She mentioned:

"So this friend of mine, who I don't really know that well, but she was a very serious, proper actress. She asked me to give her an award, but I had never been to this award ceremony, so I thought it was like a roast. So I got up and I roasted her."

However, Reese Witherspoon later realized that it wasn't the tone of the award, but instead, it was supposed to be "British, elegant, [and] classy." She told her You're Cordially Invited co-star that she and the actress aren't friends anymore. While the speech was "funny," she admitted that she had the "wrong audience" for it.

Reese Witherspoon's revelation, which she said still "embarrassed" and "haunted" her, circulated on the internet. It garnered various reactions from netizens. One Reddit user, in particular, agreed that she should be embarrassed about what happened.

"This is horrifying and she should be embarrassed. Why would you ever just assume something is a roast without confirming? That just seems very bizarre. I wouldn't want to continue a friendship with her either! Weirdo," a Reddit user wrote.

Fan comment on Reese Witherspoon (Image via@ServiceFinal952/Reddit)

More netizens doubled down on why the Cruel Intensions star would assume that the speech called for a roast of her friend.

"What sends me about this is that she never explains why she thought it was a roast djsjsks like why would you just assume that," another user on X wrote.

"lmfao?! why would she assume it was a roast?," an X user added.

"If I asked u do give me an award and u use the time to roast me I'm beating u with the trophy," an X user commented.

Meanwhile, other netizens called the entire ordeal "awkward" and "cringe" for the actress.

"That sounds like a pretty awkward moment! Reese Witherspoon's roast not going as expected definitely changed things. It's tough when humor doesn't land the way you tend, especially in such a public setting," an X user commented.

"Even the best of us have 'cringe' moments! Public speaking is a skill that takes practice—and every misstep is a chance to grow. What's a moment you've learned from," another user on X wrote.

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Reese Witherspoon previously opened up about her anxiety around public speaking

While Reese Witherspoon's award speech gaffe cost her the friendship of a fellow actress, she admitted once that public speaking isn't her strongest talent. She wrote a post for Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In blog in 2013, recalling the first time she gave her speech:

"I can still remember when I have my first speech—at the UN of all places!—in my role as Avon's new global ambassador. I was so nervous, I could barely speak as I walked up to the podium."

The Legally Blonde actress further said that she had her speech written on a piece of paper and she was shaking so hard the entire time that the "paper rattled audibly" in her hand. She had the same thing happen many times, adding that her "paper shook for almost two years" before she got used to speaking in front of a crowd.

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Reese Witherspoon stars alongside Will Ferrell in the new comedy You're Cordially Invited, streaming on Prime Video as of January 30, 2025.