Reese Witherspoon finds herself 'caught' between Oliver Haarmann romance and ex Jim Toth's struggles

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Reese Witherspoon is thriving in her relationship with German businessman Oliver Haarmann, with whispers of wedding bells in the air.

However, behind the scenes, the 'Legally Blonde' star finds herself "caught in the middle" balancing between her new romance and her enduring ties to ex-husband Jim Toth, Radar Online has learned.

Reece Witherspoon’s fresh start with Oliver Haarmann complicated by business ties to Jim Toth

Reece Witherspoon, 48, and Jim Toth, 54, finalized their divorce in August 2023 after 12 years of marriage.

In a joint statement, the duo said: "It is with a great deal of care and consideration that we have made the difficult decision to divorce. We have enjoyed so many wonderful years together and are moving forward with deep love, kindness, and mutual respect for everything we have created together."

While they remain amicable co-parents to their 12-year-old son, Tennessee, their deep-rooted business ties have complicated Witherspoon’s fresh start with Haarmann, 57.

"Even though Jim's not officially working for any of Reese's businesses anymore, he's still listed as a founding partner in all of them," a source shared, referencing their past ventures, including the sale of her production company, Hello Sunshine.

Now, with financier Haarmann in the picture, things are getting even more tangled.

"Oliver is a respected businessman with incredible ideas on how to expand Reese’s empire," the insider revealed.

But despite her growing success, Witherspoon remains committed to supporting Toth’s business pursuits, hoping he will "find his own niche in the world."

Jim Toth’s career struggles add to the complexity

Jim Toth has faced significant professional setbacks in recent years.

After leaving his high-profile talent agent position at CAA in 2019, he took a major financial hit investing in the now-defunct streaming service Quibi.

"It's been hard for him to pick himself back up this time," the source admitted, adding, "It's been humbling for Jim, who still sees Reese all the time and is very involved with co-parenting duties with her."

Watching Witherspoon flourish both personally and professionally has reportedly left Toth feeling overshadowed.

"Jim was never fully happy being a talent agent, but his years at CAA and his relationship with Reese gave him clout and fame," another source added. "That has totally evaporated in the last few years," they stated.

Jim Toth fails to reinvent himself as Reese Witherspoon moves on with billionaire boyfriend

While Jim Toth walked away from the marriage with tens of millions, Oliver Haarmann—an actual billionaire—has redefined what success looks like in Reese Witherspoon’s world.

"You have to credit Jim for the money he made while they were married," a friend of the ex-couple added, noting, "He came out of the marriage with tens of millions of dollars and Reese still has hundreds of millions of her own."

“Jim has to cope with the fact that Reese is now with someone who is more successful than him by any possible metric,” a friend of the former couple said.

Toth was expected to reinvent himself after the divorce, but "unfortunately, that hasn't happened," and he instead finds himself living a quieter life,

“Now he’s just like any other single dad driving his kid to practice,” the insider noted and continued, "And you can see it all over Jim's face that it doesn't feel good – the poor guy is a shadow of his former self."

Witherspoon's romance with the 57-year-old German businessman, Haarmaan was evident with both being spotted together on several occasions. 

Their relationship first caught public attention in July 2024 when they were reportedly spotted having dinner at L'Artusi in New York City's West Village.

As per Daily Mail, they were recently spotted in October 2024 with Witherspoon's son Deacon Phillippe (whom she had with ex Ryan Phillippe) in attendance while having dinner in New York City, further solidifying their relationship.