Actress Reese Witherspoon has a close group of girlfriends who she calls her "southern mafia".

In an interview with InStyle magazine, the "Hot Pursuit" actress opened up about the value of female friends.

She said: "I learned a few years ago that there are people who don't want good things for you. You've got to get away from them. Now I surround myself with supportive friends. I have a close group of girlfriends I call my Southern Mafia. One's from Oklahoma, one's from Arkansas, another's from Tennessee."

The New Orleans-born, Nashville-raised Oscar winner, 39, added: "I get a lot out of my relationships with them."

Members of Witherspoon's "southern mafia" relate to each other on many levels.

"Parenting, getting through your marriage, getting through your day, these are hard things, and I find solace in the fact that other people struggle with the same stuff I do. We all have concerns about our kids, our marriage, our dreams," she said.