Reese Witherspoon Reveals the "Profound" Effects of a Past Abusive Relationship

During an interview with her A Wrinkle in Time costars Oprah Winfrey and Mindy Kaling, Reese Witherspoon spoke candidly about one of the most difficult decisions she's ever had to make: leaving an abusive relationship. She explained that when she was really young, she endured "psychological" and "verbal" abuse. "I drew a line in the sand, and it got crossed, and my brain just switched. I couldn't go any further," she said. "It was profound."

The moment marked a turning point for the actress, who said standing up for herself completely changed her. "It's part of the reason I can stand up and say, 'Yes, I'm ambitious,'" she said. "Because someone tried to take that from me." Watch the moving clip above to hear Reese's powerful words about her experience, including how it contributed to her work on Big Little Lies.