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Reese Witherspoon has appeared to accidentally reveal the name of an A-list actor “doesn’t like” her after a speech-gone-wrong.
On Thursday (20 January), the Legally Blonde and Big Little Lies star said that a female Hollywood star, whose name she didn’t reveal, was left unimpressed after Witherspoon “roasted” her at a “classy” awards show in the UK.
‘It was pretty bad,” Witherspoon, who stars in new comedy You’re Cordially Invited, with Will Ferrell, told PEOPLE. “Yeah, not even kidding – she doesn’t talk to me anymore.”
According to the actor, she is still “haunted” and “embarrassed” by the reaction to her speech, which she wrongly assumed should be a roast sending up the unnamed star, which many are deducing to be Kate Winslet.
“So this friend of mine – who I didn’t really know that well, but she was a very serious, proper actress – she asked me to give her an award,” Witherspoon said.
“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. The tone was British and elegant and classy, and I was like, ‘Remember the time we got laser hair removal?!’”
Internet sleuths jumped to action and quickly surmised that Witherspoon might be talking about Titanic star Winslet.
Their evidence derives from the fact that Witherspoon poked fun at the British actor while presenting her with an award at the Bafta/LA Cunard Britannia Awards – and cracked a joke about laser hair removal.
A Witherspoon fan site, as flagged by JustJared, states that the actor said in November 2007: “I always wanted to be a European movie star, wear giant sunglasses, elaborate neck scarves, smoke hand-rolled cigarettes, and have savoir faire and gravitas.
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“Imagine my good fortune when Kate Winslet moved into my neighbourhood, rang my door bell and said, ‘Darling, Sam [Mendes, Winslet’s ex] is off shooting, and I believe our children are the same age. Could they possibly have a play date and oh, by the way, it’s almost nine o’clock and I’ve had nothing to do drink. So you have any wine?’”
She then revealed that the pair once considered getting laser hair removal and also hinted at a funny escapade in their underwear, telling the crowd she can’t delve into the stories as “they’re all too bawdy or tawdry or drunken to tell”.
Witherspoon said in the new interview: “I thought it was so funny and it was, just, I had the wrong audience.”
Both Witherspoon and Winslet appeared on stage together at the Oscars in 2016 to present two Best Picture nominees, Bridge of Spies and Spotlight. The pair didn’t speak to one another during their segment.
The actor’s new film, You’re Cordially Invited, is out now.
