Witherspoon Details Postpartum Depression in Harper's Bazaar

Reese Witherspoon told Harper's Bazaar she battled postpartum depression and anxiety after the 1999 birth of daughter Ava, describing the first six months as simultaneously happy and depressed, with constant crying, exhaustion, and hormone drops after birth and again when she stopped nursing. A friend encouraged her to seek professional help, which she was able to obtain through her connections, and she warned that many women lack access to similar care. She said she first experienced depressive symptoms as a teenager and that her mother, Betty, also struggled with depression, which informed her openness about mental health. Witherspoon said her anxiety helped drive her career but she is learning to pace herself, and she has spoken publicly about menopause symptoms such as brain fog to normalize women's health issues. Appearing on Harper's Bazaar's cover and set to receive a Cultural Icon award, she used the platform to urge greater honesty and support around mental-health challenges.