Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon has addressed recent speculation about her relationship with fellow star Kate Winslet, firmly denying rumors of any discord between them.
The buzz began after Witherspoon shared an anecdote in a PEOPLE magazine interview alongside Will Ferrell, her "You're Cordially Invited" costar. She mentioned giving an embarrassing award presentation speech for an unnamed actress at a "British" and "elegant" ceremony, which allegedly led to the end of their friendship.
Internet detectives quickly connected the dots to a speech Witherspoon delivered at the 2007 BAFTA/LA Cunard Britannia Awards, suggesting Winslet was the subject of the story.
However, Witherspoon swiftly dismissed these claims on her Instagram Stories. "Hey guys... just spoke to my very dear friend for years, Kate W. We laughed about this stupidity. Please do not believe the internet," she wrote, adding in another post that the speculation was "completely UNTRUE...so silly!"
The actresses' continued friendship is evident through their public appearances together, including their joint presenting duties at the 2016 Academy Awards, where they were seen warmly embracing and chatting.
In the original PEOPLE interview, Witherspoon had described giving a roast-style speech at what turned out to be a formal event, making jokes about laser hair removal that fell flat with the audience. While the story itself appears true, it clearly wasn't about Winslet, as online speculators had assumed.
This incident serves as a reminder that not all internet theories, no matter how convincing they might seem, reflect reality.