Reese Witherspoon's eldest daughter, Ava Phillippe, was famously known for her striking resemblance to her famous mother even as a teenager. Now 24, she clearly looks up to her mom and has followed in her footsteps in showbiz, but she's also put in a lot of work to carve out her own identity, which isn't surprising considering her father is also in the industry.
Witherspoon and actor Ryan Phillippe starred in the cult hit ” Cruel IntentionsThe former couple were married for seven years, finally separating in 2006. They continued to co-parent Ava and her younger brother, Deacon.
Here's everything we know about the eldest son of the Philip family.
When was Ava Phillippe born?
Ryan and Reese welcomed Ava in September 1999, two months after their wedding. In a 2008 interview with Jay Leno, Ryan said he named her after actress Ava Gardner.
“My daughter's name is Ava,” he explained, “Ava Gardner. To me, she was the only woman who could beat Sinatra, so the name is very elegant and powerful to me.”
Her middle name is Elizabeth, named after Reese's mother. sceneryShe talked about how difficult it was being away from her family when Ava was born.
“I was living apart from my mother. She worked full time as a nurse and I was only 23 when I had my baby, so I was raising him on my own,” she said. “I had no sisters or aunts. I was all alone in a new city called Los Angeles and I literally had no friends. I cried a lot.”
Reese and Ryan welcomed their second child, Deacon, in 2003. Reese had another child with second husband Jim Toth in 2012, whom she named Tennessee.
Ava said she has a very close relationship with her half-brother, despite the big age gap between them.
“Although I once worried about our 13-year age difference, being able to share with him all of my favorite childhood movies, shows, books, activities and memories has been the greatest gift I could have ever imagined,” she wrote in a tribute on Instagram.
She and Deacon are close and often attend events together.
What does Ava do?
Ava attended the University of California, Berkeley, after which she considered a variety of career paths – she's already found some success as a model.
“My parents always encouraged me to choose the path that was right for me and guided me to make better choices than I would have made,” she said. Daily Pop 2021. “I'm so grateful. I'm so blessed to have parents who are so supportive and want me to be who I really am.”
Her modeling debut was in Rodarte's fall lookbook in 2018. She also modeled for her mother's clothing company, Draper James, in the same year. She modeled for Ivy Park's Holiday 2021 collection Hall of Ivy, partnered with Aerie, and was the face of Pat McGrath Labs' limited edition line. Bridgerton Collection from the same year.
“Pat McGrath DM'd me? What?” she said. people That's what I thought at the time. “I have so much respect for her, and it was such an honor that she would reach out to me and think of me.”
What are her hobbies?
Ava frequently posts her original paintings, photography, poetry, etc. on her Instagram, and is also a devoted mother to a dog named Benji, whom she rescued in 2020.
And she's on my side!
Does she get along with her parents?
in interview magazine in June 2021, Reese spoke about how close she is with her kids.
“The thought of having a long-term relationship with my adult children makes me want to cry,” she says. “I never thought I'd have this kind of relationship with my kids, but having kids who share a little bit of life with me has been so rewarding. And they help me understand the complexities of being human.”
In May 2023, Ava gushed about her mom on Mother's Day.
“I'm so happy to share my life with you,” she said.
