What, like it’s hard? It’s officially been 25 years since Legally Blonde introduced us to Reese Witherspoon‘s Elle Woods, and we haven’t been the same since.
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The fan-favorite comedy premiered on July 13, 2001, to major box office success.
While the film would go on to inspire multiple sequels, a Broadway show and a Prime Video prequel series, did you know Legally Blonde was actually based on a book?
Keep scrolling for 25 Things You Don’t Know About Legally Blonde in honor of the milestone anniversary, as seen in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now:
1. Legally Blonde hit theaters on July 13, 2001, quickly becoming a box office hit with $142 million grossed worldwide from an $18 million budget.
2. The movie follows Elle Woods (Witherspoon), a sorority girl who plots to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner (Matthew Davis) by attending Harvard Law School.
3. Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Victor Garber, Jennifer Coolidge, Linda Cardellini, Ali Larter and Holland Taylor round out the all-star cast.
4. Witherspoon and Blair had previously shared the screen in 1999’s Cruel Intentions.
15. The film’s opening sequence features “Perfect Day” by then-20-year-old musician Hoku, and it became the theme song for the movie.
16. Over the course of the film, Elle sports over 40 different hairstyles.
17. The movie originally ended at the courthouse after Elle wins the case. Though, McCullah revealed, test audiences wanted to see Elle “succeed” in the future – and thus the iconic montage ending was born.
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18. For the final graduation scene, both Witherspoon and Wilson had to wear wigs, since they had cut their hair for upcoming projects.
19. Legally Blonde was nominated for a Golden Globe, and Witherspoon snagged a nod for her performance as well.
20. Sequel Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, set in Washington D.C., hit theaters on July 2, 2003.
21. Witherspoon had it stipulated in her contract that she would get to keep her entire wardrobe from the sequel – including 77 pairs of Jimmy Choo heels.
22. Bruiser, Elle’s famous Chihuahua, was played by canine actor Moonie. He was with Witherspoon when she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010.
23. Under the care of animal trainer Sue Chipperton, Moonie lived with another famous Chihuahua, Gidget, who was known for starring in the ubiquitous ‘90s Taco Bell commercials. Gidget played Bruiser’s mom in the movie’s sequel.
24. A stage musical adaptation of the movie hit Broadway in 2007, while a direct-to-video spinoff, Legally Blondes, was released in 2009.
25. Prequel series Elle, which follows the protagonist’s high school years before the events of Legally Blonde, premiered on Amazon Prime Video on July 1, 2026.
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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 8:00 AM.