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Recently, actress Reese Witherspoon has fended off rumors that her relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal has come to and end. But now, she’s got more important issues to face with her work in helping to raise awareness about domestic violence in the U.K.

The 33-year-old Academy Award-winning actress tells GMTV of the event, “We are talking about everyone’s lives are touched by this issue, whether it be our children, or our mothers or our sisters. So many women.” She added, “The most important thing I can do here today is start this dialogue that we’re having.”

During her visit, Witherspoon visited the Houses of Parliament, where she made a short address and listened to domestic abuse victims testify their personal experiences. A witness says Reese appeared “quite emotional,” “almost tearful” as she listened to the testimonies.

Gallery Info: Reese Witherspoon reveals Wall of Silence around Domestic Violence.