Celebrity

Reese Witherspoon Shares Adorably 'Awkward' Photo to Support Puerto Rico Relief Efforts

Reese Witherspoon shared an adorable throwback photo in support of Nick Kroll's #PuberMe challenge, which raises money for Hurricane Maria relief in Puerto Rico

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Published on September 30, 2017 10:59 AM

Reese Witherspoon is looking back at her teenage years for a good cause.

The 41-year-old actress shared an adorable throwback photo of herself to Instagram on Friday in support of Nick Kroll’s #PuberMe challenge, which asks celebrities to share photos of themselves during their awkward teen years.

“There’s catharsis in showing who we were and what we became,” Kroll, 39, said on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Wednesday. Colbert, 53, then made the challenge more interesting by vowing to make a donation from his Americone Dream Fund toward Hurricane Maria relief in Puerto Rico for every celebrity that participates (Kroll promised to match the donations).

The out-of-the-box idea has been spreading like wildfire on social media since with celebrities like Busy Philipps, Jimmy Kimmel, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Gina Rodriguez, Sarah Silverman, Topher Grace, Lena Dunham and more.

And now, Witherspoon.

“Here you go @nickkroll…,” she captioned the charming photo on Instagram — which showed her eyes closed mid-laugh. “Giant glasses, awkward hands, feeling 14! All for a good cause. God Bless Puerto Rico. #PuberMe #PuertoRicoRelief.”

Witherspoon’s BFF Chelsea Handler also got in on the action sharing a picture from her pageant days. The 42-year-old looked nearly unrecognizable in the shot, wearing a blue satin gown with a “Teen of America” sash and some major ’80s hair.

“My awkward phase came in my early 40s,” Handler joked in the post’s caption.

Meanwhile celebrities continue to urge others, including the White House, to help relief efforts in Puerto Rico.

Hurricane Maria pummeled the U.S. territory on Sept. 20 with ferocious 155-mph winds that ripped trees from the ground, tore roofs from buildings, and caused flooding that made many streets look like raging rivers. The most powerful storm of its kind to hit the island since 1932, it ravaged the island and left millions without homes.

Electricity has been knocked out completely, with residents in need of electricity having to rely on backup generators. Experts estimate it could take half a year to restore power to the 3.5 million people who live there. Cell phone service has also been completely shut down.

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“This is total devastation,” Carlos Mercader, a spokesman for Puerto Rico’s governor, told CNN. “Puerto Rico, in terms of the infrastructure, will not be the same… This is something of historic proportions.”

The storm has claimed at least 16 lives in Puerto Rico so far, the Associated Press reports. Experts estimate that without electricity and supplies, that number could increase to thousands.