Reese Witherspoon's marriage woes had been "brewing for a long time", an insider has claimed.
The 47-year-old actress has Ava, 23, and Deacon, 19, with her first husband Ryan Phillippe and went on to tie the knot with Jim Toth - with whom she has 10-year-old son Tennessee - in 2011 but announced on Friday that they are to go their separate ways.
Now, an insider has claimed that the “Legally Blonde” star "never wanted" to call time on her marriage even though it has been on the cards for some time.
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The source told UsWeekly: “Reese never wanted her marriage to end, but it’s not a secret that this has been brewing for some time. She really does adore Jim.
“(She) couldn’t have asked for a better step-dad and father to their son, Tennessee. They had a very healthy relationship and a lot of great times together, but like a lot of couples, they grew apart.
Witherspoon and Toth recently announced their split in a statement posted on Instagram.
The “Big Little Lies” actress and the talent agent explained that in spite of their break-up, they're "moving forward with deep love, kindness and mutual respect".
The statement read: "We have some personal news to share... It is with a great deal of care and consideration that we have made the difficult decision to divorce.
"We have enjoyed so many wonderful years together and are moving forward with deep love, kindness and mutual respect for everything we have created together.
"Our biggest priority is our son and our entire family as we navigate this next chapter.
"These matters are never easy and are extremely personal. We truly appreciate everyone’s respect for our family’s privacy at this time."