Everything We Know About Reese Witherspoon's Daughter Ava Phillippe (2024)

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Louisa Ballhaus, Sarah Long, Kristyn Burtt

September 9, 2022 at 1:00am EDT

Plus IconAva Phillippe, Reese WitherspoonRCF/Everett Collection. Design: Jennifer Ciminillo/SheKnows.

It’s no secret that our worlds are being taken over by the gorgeous and amazingly talented offspring of the Hollywood elite. Paris Jackson quickly stepped out of the shadow of her iconic father, Michael Jackson; Judd Apatow’s daughters, Maude and Iris, shine in every movie of his that they appear in (including Netflix’s Love, which happens to be created by Judd himself); and Willow and Jaden Smith, well, they’re keeping it real. Even Blue Ivy and North West are becoming famous in their own right, separate from their famous parents — Blue Ivy was featured on the Lion King soundtrack, and North West performed at Paris Fashion Week.

And we can’t forget about Ava Phillippe.

Ava, who was always been adorable, is all grown up! The now-adult daughter of Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon has developed into an amazingly talented young woman — in December, she starred in her first beauty campaign with makeup icon Pat McGrath. Ava is drop-dead gorgeous (and looks like a carbon copy of Reese Witherspoon 23 years ago), has a modeling career on the rise, and manages to stay grounded, focused, and down-to-earth through it all. It’s obvious Ava was born to be Hollywood royalty.

So, what have we been able to learn about this sophisticated young lady who loves fashion, friends, and sharing clothes with her mom? When it comes to Ava, there’s a lot more than meets the eye. Here’s a little to know about her.

A version of this article was originally published in November 2016.

She’s a Student at UC Berkeley
Ava Phillippe is a student at UC Berkeley, and she’s entering her senior year! Mom Reese confessed to Ellen DeGeneres that she took the exit hard when she left for school: “I might have gone into her empty room, laid down on her bed and cried when she went to college.”
She Has a Famous Namesake
In a 2008 interview with Jay Leno, Ryan Phillippe revealed how he and Reese Witherspoon came up with Ava’s name. “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.”
She’s Not Afraid to Play With Her Hair
Ava may look a lot like her mom, Reese Witherspoon, but the model and influencer isn’t afraid to stand out on her own. She has dyed her locks everything from pastel pink to fuschia. She’s even sported rainbow streaks!
She’s Very Loved
Ava was gifted 18 letters from her mom, Reese Witherspoon, to open up every year on her birthday. The last letter was given when she turned 18 in 2017. Ava wrote on Instagram: “18 letters that made me cry (hard) today, courtesy of my lovely mother.”
See Also
Reese Witherspoon's 3 Kids: All About Ava, Deacon and Tennessee Ava Phillippe: Everything To Know About Reese Witherspoon’s Daughter, 21, With Ryan Phillippe
NGL, we’re crying, too.
She’s Her Mom’s No. 1 Supporter
Not only will you spot plenty of selfies on Ava’s Instagram account showing her and her mom, Reese Witherspoon, but Ava is her mom’s biggest supporter. Case in point: When Witherspoon launched Time’s Up, Ava was quick topost about itto her 600,000-plus Instagram followers.
She’s Into Photography
Ava is constantly uploading the photos she takes to her Instagram account, and most of them are quite breathtaking.
Brother Deacon Is Her BFF
Ava and younger brother Deacon are best of friends. Don’t believe us? Just look at her Instagram!
“When did my little brother become one of my best friends? 💛,” the 23-year-old captioned.
She’s a Talented Sketch Artist
It’s also evident that Ava is a very gifted artist. She shares her sketches of people, animals and abstracts on social media.
Her works are really quite amazing.
And She’s a Sculptor
Avaalso dabbles in clay sculpture and creates extremely life-like renderings.
Seriously, is there anything this girl can’t do?
She Loves Her Pups
Just like all us dog owners, she has tons of pics of her pup on her Instagram.
She’s Outspoken
Ava isn’t afraid to speak out and speak up about what’s important — and what she believes in.
For instance, after the Las Vegas music festival tragedy in 2017, Ava posted to her Instagram, writing:“This is no isolated incident. I strongly believe that we need to talk more about how guns and a lack of mental healthcare accessibility factor into these tragedies. I believe [it] is an American responsibility to find a way to protect each other from this type of domestic terrorism and violence. My deepest condolences to those involved in this tragedy and others like it who, yet again, have to process this pain. #prayforlasvegas”
But She’s No Snob
While most of her family drives luxury vehicles, Ava reportedly asked for a used Volkswagen Jetta last year when she turned 16.
“She’s so down-to-earth,” an insider told Us magazine. “Even the nanny has a Lexus to drive, but Ava desperately wants to be unassuming.”
She’s a Fashionista
Witherspoon may have access to all of the best stylists in the industry, but it’s Ava she runs to when she wants fashion advice.
“She’s very cutting-edge, and she knows a lot about fashion. And she has her own sense of style, which is amazing,” Witherspoon toldUs Weekly in April. “We try to kind of confer about new styles. She tells me whether or not I can wear things.”
She’s Now Officially a Fashion Model
Ava has officially made her way into the fashion world, starring in the lookbook for Rodarte’s Fall 2018 collection alongside many other kickass women in Hollywood, like Danai Gurira and Tessa Thompson. And we can’t wait to see where else modeling takes her.
She’s Super-Close to Her Dad
We often associate Ava with Witherspoon (mostly because of their looks), but she’s also incredibly close to her father.
“Happy father’s day to the most artistic, intelligent, versatile, and all-around awesome guy in my life,” she captioned one Instagram. “You’ve always loved and supported me in whatever weirdness that comes, and I am so lucky to have a dad like you. I love you tons.”
But She’s Embarrassed by How Young He Looks
Ava most likely hears how hot her dad is all the time, which isn’t exactly music to any daughter’s ears. Ryan even recently admitted that Ava hates how young he looks.
“One thing that I know my daughter gets embarrassed sometimes by is the fact that I do look so young, and I get mistaken for her brother at times, which repulses her,” he said in an interview with James Corden in November 2016. “It absolutely repulses her that anyone could mistake me for being her brother.”
She’s the Face of Draper James
After making her modeling debut for Rodarte, Ava became the face of another fashion brand: her mom Reese Witherspoon’s clothing and lifestyle line, Draper James.
They modeled together for the line’s Spring 2018 collection — and were so freaking adorable in the process.
She’s Dating, & Mom Reese Is a Fan of Ava’s BF
Ava Phillippe has been dating boyfriend Owen Mahoney since roughly 2019. The two met at UC Berkeley, where they currently attend undergrad, and have been very particular about what they post on social media. But just a few months ago, in June 2021, Ava shared the cutest photo with Owen — and fans got major throwback vibes considering how much the couple looked like Ava’s parents, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe!
Not only were Ava’s Instagram followers a fan of the rare photo, even Ava’s mom thinks the young couple is super cute. “These two,” Reese commented on the photo, adding a cute heart emoji.
She’s a Rising Influencer
With over a million followers on Instagram, Ava Phillippe has become quite the influencer. In addition to her Pat McGrath beauty campaign for Bridgerton, she was also recruited by Beyoncé to model in her Ivy Park Holiday 2021 campaign — that’s an A-list compliment if Queen Bey calls.
She’s an LGBTQ+ Ally
During a January 2022 Q&A on herInstagramStory, Ava Phillippe responded to the question, “Do u like boys or girls?” — and revealed exactly how her Oscar-winning mom raised her. She responded with a sweet selfie, sharing, “I’m attracted to… people! (Gender is whatever).”