Reese hands over the Pink Torch: It’s officially Lexi Minetree’s turn as Elle Woods

Reese Witherspoon has officially handed over the reigns, along with that iconic pink Marc Jacobs gown she rocked to the 2001 Legally Blonde premiere, to Lexi Minetree. The 25-year-old actress will be bringing a teenage version of Elle Woods to the big screen in the upcoming Amazon Prime Video prequel series titled Elle.

Pass the Baton – and Pink Dress! A Quarter-Century Later

The momentous handover took place on June 20, 2026, at the Elle World pop-up event in New York, commemorating the franchise’s 25th anniversary. While Minetree recently graced the stage at Jimmy Kimmel Live! In the exact same pink designer dress Witherspoon wore on the premiere night, Witherspoon herself addressed the crowd, solidifying the symbolic passing of the baton.

“I just could not be more proud to pass the baton or the pink torch to Lexi Minetree as the new Elle Woods. I love you so much. You have no idea.

I’m just so proud of you,” Witherspoon declared, adding that Minetree’s audition tape was a showstopper.

“It stopped me, it took my breath away.”

The World of Elle: Teenage Days Before Harvard Law

Premiering July 1, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video, Elle plunges viewers back into the mid-1990s to follow Elle Woods during her formative years as a high school student in Seattle. Years before she graced the halls of Harvard Law School, this “regular ‘90s high school girl” would embark on the journey that made her the most iconic Gemini vegetarian to graduate from the prestigious institution. With Witherspoon at the helm as an executive producer via her Hello Sunshine banner, the series will explore the themes of “kindness, authenticity, and believing in yourself.”

That “Breathtaking” Audition: bikinis, Butt Slaps, and ‘I Object!’

Minetree secured her career-defining role following a nationwide open casting call. In a heart-warming detail shared by Witherspoon, for her audition, Minetree recreated Elle’s viral Harvard admissions video right in her own backyard with her mother as the camera operator.

“She had the sparkly bikinis. She did the little walk and the guy touched her butt, and she’s like, ‘I object!’ And there was something divine about it,” Witherspoon recounted, visibly emotional. “It stopped me, it took my breath away.”

The Pink-tastic Reunion: Original Cast Cheers on New Elle

The Elle World event brought together a host of familiar faces, including Legally Blonde co-stars Selma Blair, Jennifer Coolidge, Ali Larter, Matthew Davis, and Victor Garber, all gathered at Hall des Lumires. Fresh faces from the upcoming prequel series, such as June Diane Raphael and Tom Everett Scott, also joined the festivities.

“Passing the pink torch and it feels so good,” Witherspoon beamed on Instagram, sharing a celebratory photo alongside Minetree, both dressed in coordinating pink ensembles.

What to Expect: Bend and Snap Beginnings and the Rise of Bruiser

Already renewed for Season 2 before its initial release, the teaser for Elle hints at the familiar magic that made the original a classic: a conniving mean-girl rival, a swoon-worthy yet complicated love interest, and even a glimpse into the early days of Bruiser Woods, Elle’s beloved chihuahua. Upon its release, Legally Blonde, which raked in $141.9 million worldwide, was heralded for shattering stereotypes, iconic fashion, and cementing phrases like “Bend and snap” into the cultural lexicon.