Minetree was revealed as the younger version of Elle Woods for the new Prime Video series in February 2025
Credit: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Lexi Minetree celebrated her casting as young Elle Woods by buying pink earrings and listening to Hoku’s “Perfect Day”
- Reese Witherspoon provided Minetree with iconic wardrobe pieces, including a Marc Jacobs dress from the original Legally Blonde premiere
- Minetree embraced Elle Woods’ signature style, wearing pink outfits to multiple events and borrowing items from the show’s wardrobe
Lexi Minetree had the perfect way to celebrate getting the part of young Elle in the Legally Blonde prequel.
The 25-year-old actress tells PEOPLE she decided to channel her new character by listening to the perfect song and tapping into her inner fashionista. "I remember the first thing I did when I booked it, I went and bought myself a pair of these pink earrings to celebrate and I put on Hoku's 'Perfect Day,' " she recalls about the moment she was cast in the role.
"I was walking around the streets of New York City and I was like, 'Yeah, I did it. Nobody knows I did it, but I did,' " she continues, recalling how she initially had to keep the news a secret. "I think that moment I was just like, 'You freaking did it, dude.' "
Credit: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty
She adds, "I'd put so much time into it, but also a lot of people put a lot of time into things and things don't pan out. So I was like, to be one of the lucky people where it does, I was so grateful. I was really excited to tell my parents, too."
During a panel at Obsessed Fest on Saturday, June 27, Minetree delved further into the moment by recalling how she couldn't even tell "my agents or anything." She added, "So, I had this crazy big secret.”
When it comes to the earrings, she noted, "It was like the nicest thing I'd ever gotten in my life."
However, the special gift to herself didn't quite last. “Of course, I did lose them two months later, but they were really nice from when I had them,” she shared at the panel.
Minetree, who was announced by Reese Witherspoon, 50, in February 2025 as the younger version of Legally Blonde's Elle Woods for the new Prime Video prequel show, also shared her enthusiasm for taking over the character's wardrobe. “Yeah. I did borrow indefinitely a couple of items,” the actress admitted. “I'm afraid to say what because I'm in my place of work, in a way.”
Minetree has been quick to take up the “pink” mantle from her predecessor Witherspoon. The actress wore a pink sequin dress to Prime Video's 25th anniversary 'Elle Woods' celebration in New York City on June 20.
She also appeared on The Tonight Show on June 17 wearing the same pink Marc Jacobs dress Witherspoon wore in 2001 for the premiere of Legally Blonde. Witherspoon revealed how the full-circle moment came to be during her own appearance on the late-night talk show.
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"Her stylist is a friend of mine for so many years," explained The Morning Show actress. "And she said to me, 'Do you have any dresses from the time period?' And I have all the wardrobe in storage."
Witherspoon said that she wanted Minetree to choose "as many dresses" as she wanted, including the Marc Jacobs dress that "fit perfectly."
"It's like Cinderella's slipper," said Witherspoon. "She was meant to be Elle Woods!"
Elle premiered July 1 and is now streaming on Prime Video.
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