Reese Witherspoon found herself in hot water after sharing her thoughts on modern dating.
The actress said during Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast that romance in real life had faded because romantic comedies were no longer being made.
Reese believed that people once “learned social dynamics” from rom-coms and sitcoms, and their absence left younger generations unsure how to connect.
But many people online were not impressed, social media users called her opinion “tone-deaf,” “out of touch,” and “embarrassingly Hollywood.”
However, they argued that real-life struggles like social anxiety and financial pressure made dating harder, not the lack of rom-coms.
One person wrote, “Maybe dating’s hard because of housing prices and social anxiety, not because we’re missing Meg Ryan.”
Another added that old romantic comedies taught unrealistic lessons about love, not healthy relationships.
Others said Reese’s comment showed how Hollywood stars lived in a bubble, far removed from how dating works for most people today.
Some agreed with her in part, saying movies once encouraged effort and emotional honesty, but even they felt her words came across as “privileged and dated.”
The debate quickly took over social media and even overshadowed her upcoming Hulu series All’s Fair and the ongoing success of The Morning Show.
Reese has not responded yet, but her comments have sparked a larger discussion about how movies, culture, and technology have shaped modern love.