Photo:Reese Witherspoon/Instagram
Reese Witherspoon/Instagram
Like mother, like daughter!Reese Witherspoon’s eldest child,Ava Phillippe, is the spitting image of her famous mom.
While theLegally Blondestar loves being mistaken for her 24-year-old,tellingInStyle, “It makes me feel so young,” she understands if her daughter has a less enthusiastic reaction to the constant comparison. “I’m sure it’s not easy looking exactly like your mother,” she said.
Despite looking like one of the most successful faces in Hollywood, Ava is creating her own identity.
“My parents have always encouraged me to choose the path that’s right for me and, you know, guide me along the way to make better choices than I might make,” she shared during an appearance onDaily Popin 2021.“I’m so grateful for that. That is such a privilege to have parents that support you in that way and want you to be who you truly are meant to be.”
Ava, who attended UC Berkeley, hasn’t decided if she’ll follow in her parent’s footsteps and venture into acting. However, she’s already launched a successful modeling career, working with major brands like Ivy Park and Pat McGrath Labs.
“Ava is so down-to-earth. She wants to do great things in the world,” Witherspoon toldInStyle.
So, who is Ava Phillippe? Here’s everything to know about Reese Witherspoon’s eldest child and only daughter.
She was born on Sept. 9, 1999, in Los Angeles
Reese Witherspoon and her daughter, Ava Phillippe.Ava Phillippe Instagram
Ava Phillippe Instagram
TheBig Little Liesactress and her first husband,Ryan Phillippe, welcomed their daughter on Sept. 9, 1999, in Los Angeles, two months aftermarrying.
Despite not having a strong support system, it was important to Witherspoon to be a good role model for her daughter.
“Having kids made me clearer about who I was as a woman. I just wanted to exhibit good qualities for my daughter,” sheshared withEllein 2013.
Witherspoon and Phillippe welcomed a second child, son Deacon, in 2003 before splitting up in 2006.
She is named after Ava Gardner
Reese Witherspoon and Ava Phillippe attend Molly R. Stern X Sarah Chloe Jewelry Collaboration Launch Dinner in 2017.Stefanie Keenan/Getty
Stefanie Keenan/Getty
Witherspoon and Phillippe chose a classic moniker for their daughter: Ava Elizabeth Phillippe. TheSummit Feveractor shared how he and Witherspoon came up with their daughter’s name during a 2008 interview withJay Leno.
“My daughter’s name is Ava … [like] Ava Gardner, because to me she was the only woman who could break Sinatra. So the idea of that name to me is very classy and strong," he said.
Ava’s middle name Elizabeth is also the middle name ofWitherspoon’s mom.
She is a model
Ava Phillippe attends Armani Beauty Celebrates Tessa Thompson in 2022.Kevin Mazur/Getty
Kevin Mazur/Getty
Ava made hermodeling debutwhen she posed in the lookbook for Rodarte’s Fall 2018 collection, and later that same year, starred in an ad alongside her actress mom for Witherspoon’s clothing company,Draper James.
She has since modeled forHalls of Ivy— the 2021 holiday collection forBeyoncé’s fashion label, Ivy Park — before becoming the face of Pat McGrath Labs' limited-editionBridgertoncollection in 2021.
“I was like … Pat McGrath is DMing me? Huh?” Ava recalled of landing her first beauty campaign to PEOPLE. “I havesuch admiration for her. And for her to even reach out to me or think of me was flattering.”
She enjoys art
Ava Philippe Instagram
Ava takes after her maternal grandmother Betty Reese in her love for creating art. The budding artist frequently posts original paintings, sketches, photography and poetry on herInstagramin addition to some of her grandmother’s works, including custom painted plates and a portrait of Ava’s dog, Benji.
Witherspoon takes pride in her daughter’s work and is supportive of her creative endeavors. When Avapostedan image of a painting – of what appears to be her and Benji – and shared that she was “not super satisfied” with the finished product, her mom wrote, “This is wonderful! I love seeing your art.”
She is a dog mom
Ava Phillippe’s dog, Benji.Ava Philippe Instagram
Ava takes pride in herfour-legged friend, Benji, whom she adopted in 2020. Calling him “a dream of a rescue dog,” in a post shortly after taking him in, she also shared that “he is the happiest, smartest boy, and I’m so grateful to be his person.”
Her Instagram is full of snaps from their adventures, which include hiking, going on walks, hanging out at the pier and weathering the rain.
She even uses him as inspiration for her artwork, posting an image of theportraitshe painted of him.
She recreated her mom’s iconic pool scene from ‘Legally Blonde’
Ava Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon attend the premiere of “Sing 2” in 2021.Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
Stretched out on a striped towel with her hair cascading over her shoulder, the poolside photo promoted herpartnership with Aerie, where she sported a periwinkle one-piece bathing suit from the line.
She is a red carpet pro
Ava Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon attend the 2017 WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards.Taylor Hill/WireImage
Taylor Hill/WireImage
With two actor parents, Ava grew up going to red carpet events from a young age, including her mom’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2010.
One of her earliest memories of makeup was watching “the waymy mom would get glammed upfor events," she previously told PEOPLE.
In January 2024, Ava and Witherspoon attended theCritics Choice Awardstogether. Both women dazzled in strapless black dresses.
She experiments with fashion and beauty
Ava Phillippe.Ava Phillippe Instagram
Ava isn’t afraid of taking risks when it comes to fashion and beauty. In addition to sporting bold eyeshadow colors, she’s also donned vibrant hair.
“I mean, I’ve hadso many different hair colors,” she told PEOPLE during Coachella in 2022. “I’ve gone pink, blue, purple, whatever.”
She’s close with her siblings
Reese Witherspoon Instagram
Ava is a big sister to two younger brothers: Deacon and Tennessee, whom Witherspoon welcomed with her then-husbandJim Tothin 2012.
Despite her 13-year age gap with Tennessee, the siblings have a close bond. In fact, the model called their age difference the “greatest gift"while celebrating her little brother’s 10 birthday in September 2022. “I once worried about our 13-year age gap, getting to share some of my favorite childhood movies, shows, books, activities, and memories with him has been the greatest gift I never saw coming,” she wrote.
As for Deacon, the brother-sister duo have a lot in common thanks to their burgeoning careers in the spotlight (Deacon madehis acting debutin the third season of Netflix’sNever Have I Ever).Ava and Deacon regularly attend industry events together, most recentlystepping out in coordinating outfitsat a fashion event in Hollywood in August 2023.
She often twins with her mom
Reese Witherspoon and her daughter, Ava Phillippe.Reese Witherspoon Instagram
Ava has a close relationship with her entire family, but has an especially tight-knit bond with her mom. Ava and Witherspoon not only spend quality time together behind the scenes, but they also regularly step out together at events —often in twinning outfits!
In July 2023, the pairwalked the red carpetat advocacy group Oceana’s annual Sea Change summer party in coordinating attire. Witherspoon wore a sage green cinched dress while Ava donned a champagne white, cinched top. “Summer nights with my favorite daughter 😎💗✨,” the actress captioned asnap of the duoon Instagram, where they further matched with nearly identical black sunglasses.
While speaking with PEOPLE in April 2022, Ava shared how she and Witherspoonbond over their mutual love of fashion— even when they’re apart. “When we’re separated, we’re like, ‘What are you wearing? Oh! That’s weirdly similar,” she said.
Witherspoon also touched on the duo’s connection during an interview withInterviewmagazinein June 2021.
“That makes me want to cry, the idea of having a long relationship with adult children,” she said. “I never expected the kind of relationship that I have with them, but it’s so rewarding to be able to have kids that you can process life with a little bit, and they help me understand the complexities of what it means to be a human now.”
Ava echoed the sentiment in a Mother’s Day tribute for Witherspoon in May 2023. “Gosh I love sharing life with you,” shecaptioned a throwback photoof her mom giving her a kiss.
source: people.com
