Reese Witherspoon is scheduled to appear at the 2010 Stand Up To Cancer event in Los Angeles. The telethon will be aired on September 10, 2010 at 8PM – all proceeds from the telethon benefit the Stand Up 2 Cancer Foundation. The one-hour fundraising event will be simulcast live and commercial-free on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Bio, Discovery Health, E!, G4, HBO, HBO Latino, MLB Network, mun2, Showtime, Smithsonian Channel, The Style Network, TV One, and VH1.

Reese Witherspoon goes to Washington to end violence against women and ET’s Kevin Frazier is exclusively interviewing her!

Reese, in her capacity as an Avon Global Ambassador, celebrated Avon’s International Women’s Day event and promoted awareness of violence against women and the launch of the Avon Empowerment Ring. Reese explained that sales of the ring, which sells for $5, will go toward efforts to stop violence against women.

On Wednesday, Reese spoke at a breakfast meeting of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Women at the Department of State before heading to the International Women of Courage Awards, co-hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, where she also spoke.

Are politics in Reese’s future? Kevin asks, “In [your film] ‘Legally Blonde,’ it was kind of hinted and joked about, but maybe one day [will] you run for office or do something political?”

Reese replied, “Haha, that’s funny Kevin … no. I’m just thrilled to do my part.”

“This is how it starts — little by little by little,” Kevin pointed out.

Reese left the door open, saying, “I don’t know, I have been in Washington quite a bit, maybe I’m getting the bug!”

Reese also spilled the beans about her next project — she’s headed to circus training for her new movie, ‘Water for Elephants,’ co-starring Rob Pattinson and new Oscar winner Christoph Waltz.

For more on Avon and its programs to help women, click here.

When Reese Witherspoon was young, her grandmother impressed upon her the importance of self-respect and staying strong – valuable lessons that have helped to make her one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actresses. Now, as global ambassador for Avon cosmetics, she wants to help other women harness their inner strength to escape the trap of domestic violence

The first time I find myself face to face with Reese Witherspoon we are at the Houses of Parliament on a sunny but crisply cold morning. Everyone is swathed in their winter wardrobes, apart from Reese, who is wearing an exquisite – but
bone-chillingly sleeveless – Roland Mouret dress and traversing the flagstones of Westminster Hall in spiky Martin Margiela heels.

It’s the day when the Prime Minister will later, rather embarrassingly, confuse Reese with her friend and fellow actress Renée Zellweger. But actually, when you’ve witnessed full-on Hollywood glamour teleported into the hub of British politics, you can understand why Gordon Brown found himself momentarily flummoxed. It’s not so much that Reese and Renée are both petite and blonde and have names beginning with R; more that Reese and the PM occupy parallel universes. He’s far too dour and serious to cross the threshold into her glitzy world, which begs the question, why is she, as one of the most successful Hollywood actresses of her generation, so eager to dip an immaculately pedicured toe into his?

Now 33, Reese made her name as ditzy Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, but cemented her acting credentials five years ago with her Oscar-winning performance in Walk the Line. Her role as June Carter Cash, wife of the country music legend Johnny, catapulted her to the top of the Hollywood pay league, outstripping Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz, and she commands a reputed $20 million (£12 million) a film.

Like many Hollywood A-listers, she is keen to ‘give back’. Two years ago she became global ambassador for Avon, and it is in this capacity that she is in London, to raise awareness for a new campaign the company is launching with the domestic violence charity Refuge.

In a Westminster committee room, she listens transfixed as Wendy Turner Webster – the television presenter and younger sister of Anthea Turner – speaks about her violent first marriage. It’s a harrowing and sadly all too familiar tale. In her early 20s, Wendy, now 42, spent five years married to a man who beat her and made her feel worthless. She found it difficult to leave him because she felt trapped. As Wendy (who today is thankfully happily remarried with two children) recalls how it felt to be stripped of dignity and confidence, the pained sympathy on Reese’s face is evident.

… read more »

Actress Reese Witherspoon, as honorary chairwoman of Avon Foundation, spoke to British politicians earlier this month in conjunction with charity Refuge’s campaign launch, Four Ways To Speak Out, about domestic violence against women.

According to Avon, two women are killed each week in England and Wales by current or former partners, and one in four women will be victims of domestic violence at some point. However, Avon research shows that most people don’t know of anyone who is suffering from such abuse, due mostly to the shame felt by surviving victims, which keeps them from talking about it. It is a well-kept secret that shouldn’t be.

Witherspoon has called upon the UK government to improve services for victims. “There remains what can seem like an impenetrable wall of silence around violence,” she said, “and we must all play a role in breaking this silence.”

Refuge’s campaign to raise awareness of domestic abuse is their latest attempt to keep domestic violence on the political agenda. You can add your name to the petition at Four Ways To Speak Out.

From Look to the Stars

Reese was in Washington, DC yesterday to speak at the launch of the global mobilization effort against domestic violence, which is being helmed by Avon. Doesn’t Reese look amazing?! There is 53 images from this press conference – you can view them by clicking on the links below.

Gallery Links:
Public Appearances > Appearances From 2009 > Avon Launches Global Mobilization Effort Against Domestic Violence

Reese was in attendance at the Montblanc Signature for Good Charity Gala last night, February 20th. I will be adding a bunch of photos from the event soon – but for right now you can see a preview by clicking on the image below!