Reese Witherspoon has offered a reassuring update after her father, John Draper Witherspoon, was taken to a Nashville hospital following a fall. The 50-year-old actress confirmed Friday, August 7, that John, 84, was receiving medical care and doing well.
Her statement came after Page Six reported that he had been found lying near the pool at his condominium building.
Reese Witherspoon Says Her Father Is ‘Fine Now’ After Fall
Reese addressed the incident through her Instagram Stories hours after news of her father’s hospitalization surfaced.
“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. He is being taken care of by wonderful doctors and nurses,” she wrote.
“Thank you to everyone who reached out. It means the world to our family.”
The message offered the first confirmation that John’s hospitalization followed a fall. Reese did not disclose whether he suffered any injuries or say when he might be released.
Reese Witherspoon Thanks Fans After Family Scare
GettyReese’s statement shifted the focus from the frightening circumstances surrounding the fall to her father’s recovery.
Although she did not provide medical details, the actress made clear that John was safe and being watched by a team she trusted. She also acknowledged the messages her family received as the news spread.
Reese has generally kept her relationship with her father out of the spotlight.
In 2020, she shared a rare Father’s Day photo of the two taking a walk together. She captioned the Instagram Stories image, “Hey Dad!”
John Witherspoon Was Reportedly Found Near Nashville Pool
Page Six first reported on Friday, August 7 that John was discovered face down on the concrete near the pool at Windsor Tower, the Nashville condominium building where he lives.
According to the outlet, another resident spotted him from a balcony and alerted the building’s front desk. The doorman and building manager then went outside to check on him.
“The doorman and building manager rolled him over, and they said, ‘Dr. Witherspoon, are you OK?’” a source told the publication.
John reportedly blinked after staff turned him over. He was then transported to a hospital.
Nashville Metro confirmed that emergency personnel responded to a medical incident at the building Friday and took one person to the hospital. Officials did not identify the patient.
Who Is Reese Witherspoon’s Father— John Draper Witherspoon?
John and his wife, Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Witherspoon, raised Reese and her older brother, also named John, in Nashville. Betty worked as a nurse, while John became an otolaryngologist. John also served as a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve, as per People. Soon after Reese was born in New Orleans, the family moved to Wiesbaden, Germany, where he was stationed while fulfilling his military obligation during the Vietnam War era. They remained in Germany for about four years before returning to the United States and settling in Nashville.
Both John and Betty supported Reese at the 2006 Academy Awards, where she won Best Actress for portraying June Carter Cash in “Walk the Line.”
