Renee Zellweger Is A Good Sport About False Tabloid Stories In Her Past

Related:

A Lookback at Renee Zellweger's Past Relationships

Harvey Weinstein Allegedly Claimed Charlize Theron, Renée Zellweger Gave 'Sexual Favors' in New Lawsuit

Renée Zellweger Supports Boyfriend Financially, Court Documents Reveal

An Oscar Campaign

Actress Renee Zellweger is currently gearing up for an Oscar campaign for her role in Judy, and she's earning tons of praise for her portrayal of the iconic Judy Garland. In a new profile for InStyle, Zellweger opened up about what she learned from the role.

"Different hardships that are unexpected can sort of assist you moving forward. With this job, it’s peculiar because you’re not born with the faculties to know how to handle the things that come your way. I found that shifting your perspective is really important."

Dealing With Media Scrutiny

After digging into her role in Judy, Zellweger explained that she deeply related with the media scrutiny that Garland faced in her time. According to Zellweger, she learned to not let things phase her "pretty early on."

"I don’t internalize things, and I don’t personalize things, and I don’t engage. I spend a lot of time focusing on the work itself, not the consequences of the work or people’s perceptions of it."

She shared a story that really changed her perception of media coverage, opening up about a painful split (she didn't specify which high profile romance and how it was covered in the tabloids.

"I was devastated about a breakup, and it was plastered all over the tabloids. None of it true, all of it humiliating. Never mind that living the experience [of the relationship] was plenty."

An Incident That Changed Everything

However, once incident in a grocery store with her brother changed her mind about the whole thing.

"I was at a supermarket with my brother. And he saw some of those magazines, and, unbeknownst to me, he bought them. He opened one while I’m driving down Sunset Boulevard, and I looked over, and his shoulders were shaking. I was trying to figure out what was going on. I was like, ‘Is he crying?’ He was in tears. He was laughing so hard, he could barely breathe.

He’s reading my quotes from this supposed interview I had done. Things I supposedly said about this personal relationship that I have never talked about and never will. And he was reading them in a voice that he imagined this fictional person to be. And then we were both laughing, because of the tone of voice and the delivery of these lines."

Looking At It As Entertainment

Ultimately, Zellweger decided to view it as entertainment, not something that was personal.

"It is entertainment, and it’s funny if you look at it in the right way. You wouldn’t choose it, and you have to resign yourself to certain things that aren’t natural, and to the fact that you will not necessarily determine how you will be remembered in the world. That what someone chooses to put out there about you has nothing to do with the truth of your life [or what that means for] your grandchildren when they are asking about who you are. That kind of thing."

Zellweger has a great attitude, and considering how cutthroat Hollywood can be, and here's hoping she is able to keep that positivity up through awards season.