Hello Sunshine Layoff: 30 employees sacked after reacquisition by Reese Witherspoon and French media company Mediawan

Approximately 30 employees have been laid off by Hello Sunshine after actor Reese Witherspoon's reacquisition of the production company with French media conglomerate Mediawan. This is around half of the company's total staff. The new owners are reorganising the business and focusing on film and TV production, Reese's Book Club and digital marketing and partnerships. The company will be cutting back on its direct to consumer and lifestyle offerings. The restructuring follows a number of staff cuts at the company after its previous ownership with Candle Media.

Hello Sunshine Layoff

Around 30 employees have been laid off from Hello Sunshine. It is almost half of the company's total staff. It was not a surprise to anyone that the job cuts would take place, a source close to the decision told Deadline.


Those that remain will focus on:

• Film and TV production
• Reese's Book Club
• Social media and digital marketing
• Business partnerships

They will also cut back on its direct-to-consumer offerings and lifestyle and merchandise.

How did Reese Witherspoon and Mediawan reacquire the company?

Earlier in October 2026, Reese Witherspoon reacquired Hello Sunshine with France based media company Mediawan. It had previously been owned by Candle Media. It was backed by private equity firm Blackstone. Candle Media acquired a majority stake in Hello Sunshine in 2021. The deal valued the production company at $900 million.

However, the sources in the industry told Deadline, it was acquired for a fraction of the previous value. It is believed to have been bought for low to mid eight figures, around $50 million. Sources close to the initial investment said that Candle Media and its investors could have lost hundreds of millions of dollars.

What films and TV shows has Hello Sunshine made?

Hello Sunshine was founded in 2016 with investment by Peter Chernin and Jesse Jacobs through The Chernin Group.

The company have produced a number of TV and films including:

• Big Little Lies
• The Morning Show
• Where the Crawdads Sing
• Little Fires Everywhere
• Daisy Jones & The Six
• From Scratch
• The Last Thing He Told Me

They also have Reese's Book Club, which is a brand centred around books chosen and promoted by Witherspoon.