Reese Witherspoon Mourns 'Legend' Producer Paula Weinstein: 'I Learned So Much from' Her

The actress said Paula Weinstein was also a "truly wonderful mother and devoted friend"

Reese Witherspoon is mourning the death of producer Paula Weinstein, whom she says she looked up to in the movie industry.

On her Instagram Story Tuesday, the Oscar winner, 48, shared a news article about Weinstein's death at age 78, writing that she is "so sad about losing this legend."

"She was such a class act producer who I learned so much from," wrote Witherspoon. "Also a truly wonderful mother and devoted friend. Rest in Peace, Paula. You are so loved."

Weinstein, an Emmy-winning producer, is known for having a hand in making movies like The Perfect Storm (2000), Monster-in-Law (2005), Blood Diamond (2006) and This Is Where I Leave You (2014). She worked with Witherspoon on the 2010 comedy How Do You Know, which also starred Paul Rudd and Owen Wilson.

Related: Paying Tribute to the Celebrities Who Have Died in 2024

For years, Weinstein was part of Tribeca Enterprises and involved with the annual Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.

Tribeca CEO and co-founder Jane Rosenthal said in a statement that she is "heartbroken by the passing of my close friend, colleague, and mentor."

"Paula was always someone I could Iook up to and served as an inspiration for me and countless other women. She was gorgeous inside and out, smart, politically and socially savvy, with an amazing sense of humor," said Rosenthal. "The industry has lost one of its great and passionate producers and storytellers and Tribeca has lost a family member and a dear friend."

Robert De Niro, another co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival who starred in Weinstein's Analyze This and Analyze That, added in a statement shared by Rosenthal that he is "very sad about the passing of my friend and gifted colleague."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

"It was a privilege and a joy to know her and to work with her," wrote De Niro, 80. "Our tragedy is also the country's loss, as she recently left Tribeca to work for political initiatives to preserve our endangered democracy. I will deeply miss her."

Weinstein's husband Mark Rosenberg died in 1992 at age 44. Her daughter Hannah Rosenberg announced Weinstein's death in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on Monday.

"The world is a lesser place without my mother. She was a masterful producer and a force of nature for the things she believed in, including the many projects that spanned her illustrious career, the stories she fought to tell and the social justice causes she championed."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.