Reese Witherspoon passes Elle Woods 'pink torch' to Lexi Minetree

Reese Witherspoon endorsed Lexi Minetree as new Elle Woods ahead of 'Elle' series debut

Reese Witherspoon publicly endorsed Lexi Minetree as the next actress to portray Elle Woods during an event celebrating the 25th anniversary of Legally Blonde and the upcoming release of the prequel series, Elle.

The Oscar-winning actress appeared at the Elle World pop-up event in New York City on Saturday, where she reflected on passing the role to Minetree, who will play a younger version of the iconic character in the new Prime Video series.

Speaking during a panel discussion, Witherspoon praised Minetree’s talent and character while describing her as the right person to continue the franchise.

“So, I wanna say on top of being this incredibly disciplined, talented young woman, she has such a beautiful heart,” Witherspoon said.

She continued, “And she told me things about her life and her family and things that just showed me her character, and I just could not be more proud to pass the baton or the pink torch to Lexi Minetree as the new Elle Woods. I love you so much. You have no idea. I'm just so proud of you.”

Witherspoon also revealed that Minetree’s audition immediately stood out during the casting process. According to the actress, the 25-year-old recreated the memorable Harvard Law School admissions video from Legally Blonde, going beyond a traditional audition tape.

“I have to tell you, When I saw Lexi Minetree in her video, it stopped me, it took my breath away,” Witherspoon said.

She explained that Minetree recreated the sequence with the help of her mother, including the details and costumes featured in the original scene.

“She had gone into her backyard with her mom and recreated the whole Harvard admissions video,” Witherspoon recalled.

Although she was impressed by the audition, Witherspoon said she wanted to speak with Minetree personally before confirming the casting.

During a Zoom conversation, she discussed the significance of the role and the expectations attached to portraying a character who has remained popular for more than two decades.

“I want you to understand the responsibility of what this means to people,” Witherspoon said she told the actress.

Elle is scheduled to premiere on Prime Video on July 1, introducing a new chapter in the Legally Blonde franchise.