Reese Witherspoon's Emergency Guardianship Request for Her Father Dismissed

Oscar winner can rest easy now that a judge has closed off from the public the details of her family legal drama

By Josh Grossberg Jun 26, 2012 3:23 PMTags
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Wonder what Elle Woods would've thought of this?

Reese Witherspoon's emergency petition for her father, Dr. John Witherspoon, to be placed in a temporary conservatorship was dismissed by a Nashville judge who also ordered that his file be sealed from the public, citing privacy concerns.

The 36-year-old actress filed a request last month to take over management of her father's affairs after Witherspoon's mom, Betty, filed a bigamy lawsuit against her dad seeking to have his Jan. 14 marriage to Tricianne Taylor annulled on the grounds that the latter may be taking advantage of the fact he is suffering from depression and early-onset dementia.

News of the conservatorship bid's dismissal was first reported by Nashville's The Tennessean, whose lawyers filed suit with the court along with a local news channel demanding all legal records in the matter be unsealed in the public's interest.

However, Circuit Judge Randy Kennedy sided with Witherspoon's legal eagle that disclosure of the case's details amounted to voyeurism and tabloid journalism, noting that the release of such documents to the public would "cause undue harm and embarrassment to the parties."

Either way, the judge and lawyers for both Witherspoon and her estranged parents agreed that since there was no longer an emergency, the pregnant Oscar winner and her brother's bid for temporary guardianship should be dropped. In the meantime, Betty Witherspoon has obtained a temporary restraining order barring Taylor from using the last name Witherspoon for any purpose.

Andra Hedrick, attorney for Reese Witherspoon, could not be reached for comment. No word whether the media outlets will appeal the decision to keep the proceedings private.

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