The actress shared the update on her Instagram Stories Friday, after reports emerged that her 84-year-old father had been injured.
“Earlier today, several outlets reported that my dad was taken to the hospital after a fall. I want to let everyone know that he is fine now,” Witherspoon wrote. “He is being taken care of by wonderful doctors and nurses.”
She also thanked those who had contacted the family with messages of concern. “It means the world to our family,” she added.
According to reports, John was found face down on concrete near the pool at his Nashville, Tennessee, condominium. A fellow resident reportedly saw him from a balcony and alerted the building’s doorman.
The doorman and building manager found John on the ground and checked on him. He reportedly blinked when they spoke to him, after which emergency medical help was called and he was taken to the hospital.
Nashville Metro officials confirmed that a medical incident had occurred at the condominium building and that someone had been transported to a hospital. Officials did not identify the person involved.
John is a retired ear, nose and throat surgeon who also served as a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserves. He met Reese’s mother, Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Witherspoon, while they were both attending medical school at the University of Tennessee. Betty later worked as a nurse.
The couple married in 1970 and had two children: son John, born in 1972, and Reese, born in 1976. The family was raised in Nashville.
John and Betty later separated and began living apart. Their marital problems became public in 2012, when Betty filed a lawsuit seeking to annul John’s subsequent marriage, saying she had learned about it from a local newspaper. Betty also discussed John’s struggles with alcohol, infidelity and hoarding at the time.
The couple later reconciled. In a 2018 interview, Betty said they had been back together for some time and remained married.
Both of Reese’s parents have supported her throughout her successful acting career. They were among those cheering her on when she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for “Walk the Line” in 2006 and were also present when she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010.
Reese has frequently shared photos and memories involving her mother, while posts about her father have been less common. In 2020, she marked Father’s Day by sharing a photo of herself walking with John.
For now, Reese’s message offers reassurance that her father is receiving medical care and is doing well following the frightening incident.
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