Chelsea Handler: Reese Witherspoon Is "Fine," Arrest "Not a Big Deal"
By Allison Takeda
Chelsea Handler says Reese Witherspoon's arrest was "no big deal." Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images
Is all the fuss over Reese Witherspoon's recent arrest much ado about nothing? Chelsea Handler certainly seems to think so. Asked about her A-list pal at the annual E! Network upfronts in New York City on Monday, April 22, the late-night host (who was arrested herself at age 21 for DUI) said that Witherspoon was dealing well with the fallout from her minor run-in with the law.
"She's doing fine. She's doing fine, you know?" Handler told Entertainment Tonight of the Mud actress, who was arrested on Friday, April 19, in Atlanta, Ga. "She was just trying to protect her husband, so…I mean everybody makes mistakes, so it's not a big deal."
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Handler would certainly know whether the Oscar-winning star is okay. She was among a small group of friends — including Cameron Diaz, Michael Keaton, Judd Apatow, and Leslie Mann — who met up with the actress and husband Jim Toth two days after the couple's arrest. Following a brief appearance at the Cinema Society screening of Mud on Sunday, April 21, the same day news broke of the incident, Witherspoon, 37, and Toth, 42, joined their pals at the Greenwich Hotel in New York City, Us Weekly reported exclusively on Monday.
"Nobody was drunk — it was pretty tame," a source said of the group, who sipped on San Pellegrino instead. "They all seemed really happy. There was no indication that there was anything wrong." In fact, Witherspoon and Toth "were cuddling" and looked "cute," the source added.
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As Us Weekly previously reported, the actress and her CAA agent husband were pulled over shortly after midnight on Peachtree Road in Atlanta, after an officer noticed their Ford Fusion weaving into the lane for oncoming traffic. Toth, who was behind the wheel, was given a sobriety test, during which time his wife became increasingly agitated, according to the police report. Both were subsequently arrested — Toth for driving under the influence and Witherspoon for disorderly conduct.
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Witherspoon later apologized (via her rep) for her behavior in Atlanta. "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," she told Us Weekly in a statement. "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 statement continued. "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."