Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine sold in Blackstone-backed venture

Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY
·2 min read

Reese Witherspoon’s entertainment group Hello Sunshine has been sold to a company backed by private equity firm Blackstone Group Inc.

Hello Sunshine, which produces Apple TV+'s "The Morning Show" and Reese's Book Club, is the first investment for the new media company led by former Disney executives Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, according to a press release Monday.

Hello Sunshine, a women-led media business founded by Witherspoon in 2016, has created content from television and feature films to podcasts, and also hosts Reese's Book Club, whose picks regularly pop up on USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list.The company is also behind five-time Emmy nominated limited series "Little Fires Everywhere" (Hulu).

Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine CEO Sarah Harden will continue to run the company and remain equity holders, as well as join the board of the new media company, according to the press release.

'Morning Show' reviews: Critics say Apple's newsroom drama is 'brutally dull,' a 'snore'

'Little Fires Everywhere': How Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington transformed 'Little Fires Everywhere' for TV

“Today marks a tremendous moment for Hello Sunshine," Witherspoon said in a statement Monday. "We’re taking a huge step forward by partnering with Blackstone, which will enable us to tell even more entertaining, impactful and illuminating stories about women’s lives globally. I couldn’t be more excited about what this means for our future."

She continued: "I am committed to continuing to create opportunity for filmmakers, authors and creators of all backgrounds and experiences to tell their stories in their own way, and to reach more audiences who will see that their stories matter … I am deeply proud of the team that got us to this incredible moment, and I’m thrilled to be working with Blackstone, Kevin, and Tom to grow a next generation media company. They are committed to helping our mission to empower women and the people who celebrate them."

Mayer and Staggs also said they "look forward to backing Reese, Sarah and their world-class team as they continue to produce and identify dynamic, engaging content."

Hello Sunshine is “a perfect fit for our vision of a new, next generation entertainment, technology, and commerce company,” they said.

Books: Read along with these online book clubs from home

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Reese Witherspoon: Hello Sunshine sold in Blackstone-backed venture

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