Ava Phillippe: Everything To Know About Reese Witherspoon’s Daughter, 21, With Ryan Phillippe

View gallery

Longtime fans of Reese Witherspoon know that apart form being an accomplished actress and producer, she is a dedicated mother to her three kiddos — sons Tennessee James Toth, 8, and Deacon Reese Phillippe, 17, and daughter Ava Elizabeth Phillippe, 21. Ava is undoubtedly her mom’s mini-me. The young woman has grown up in the spotlight, but has remained incredibly grounded thanks to her adoring mom. Want to know more about the burgeoning starlet? Learn more about Ava Phillippe with the collection of facts below!

Who Is Ava Phillippe?

Ava Elizabeth Phillippe is the first child of Reese Witherspoon and actor Ryan Phillippe. Ava was born on September 9, 1999. The 21-year-old seemingly lives with her mom, brothers, and stepfather, Jim Toth, whom Reese married in 2011. Much like her mom, Ava tries to keep her life relatively private. She does, however, often share photos, sketches, and more on her Instagram account, which boasts over 955K followers!

What Is Ava Phillippe’s Relationship With Her Parents?

Ava is very close to both her mom and dad. Often times, fans simply associate Ava’s closest relationship with her mom, but her bond with her dad, Ryan Phillippe, is just as important. Ryan has shared photos of Ava on her birthday and during their own bonding time together. While Ryan usually stays fairly private about his personal life, Reese has become more comfortable sharing moments with her daughter for fans to see!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by ryan (@ryanphillippe)

Reese and Ava have actually spent some time at major events together. Back in 2019, Ava joined her mom for the premiere of Big Littles Lies season two. The mother-daughter duo basically looked more like twins than anything. Of course, the similarities don’t end there. “I think the way Ava and I are most alike is our strong opinions and our empathy,” Reese said in a blog post on her Draper James site. “From the time that she could speak, Ava has always had her own ideas, and I love to watch her express herself. She also cares deeply about her family and the world around her. She frequently educates me on news stories and issues young women are facing.”

Even Ava admitted that her mom’s influence extends far past her personality — it comes down to the clothes she wears, too! “The best thing about how my mom has influenced my style is that, while I do take her advice, it’s still my own. She and I agree on a lot of what’s ‘fashionable,’ but we have different taste, and she’s really respectful of my personality as I express it through clothes,” Ava explained. “I think as a teenager, it’s important to have both guidance and freedom in finding your style, and my mom is really good at balancing that.”

Of course, Ava is also incredibly supportive of her inspiring mom, whether she’s doing a photoshoot or on the set of a big movie or TV production. “She also brings a lot of comfort and positive energy with her to work, and I think it’s inspiring to see her personal relationships with everybody on set,” adding, “I love being around my mom.”

What Is Ava Currently Doing?

Ava is currently a student at UC Berkley and is heading into her senior year! During her 2019 appearance on Ellen, Reese shared with host Ellen DeGeneres how emotional she got when Ava went off to start the new chapter in her life. “I might have gone into her empty room, laid down on her bed and cried when she went to college.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by ava (@avaphillippe)

Along with her studies, though, Ava indulges in a lot of fun with her family and friends. Most recently, fans got a glimpse the 21-year-old’s boyfriend! On June 21, Ava took to Instagram to share a sweet selfie featuring her beau Owen Mahoney. The two looked super cute, and fans even drew comparisons to Reese and Ryan from back in the late ’90s and early aughts!

5 Facts About Ava

Ava is an activist

Ava joined her mom in supporting the #MeToo and Time’s Up Movement, and has been outspoken about gun control. After the horrific mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017, Ava posted on Instagram, in part, “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.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by ava (@avaphillippe)

Ava is an artist

Ava is a gifted photographer, sketch artist, and sculptor. She frequently shares her beautiful photos, hyper-realistic sculptures, and abstract drawings on social media.

Ava is named after a classic Hollywood starlet

Reese revealed in a 2008 interview with Jay Leno that Ava isn’t just the daughter of Hollywood stars — she’s named after one, too. Her namesake is legendary actress. As Reese explained, “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.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by ava (@avaphillippe)

Ava loves to play with her hair

Ava Phillippe has never been averse to trying out new styles and looks with her hairdo. In fact, the 21-year-old has even shown her fans that she loves to play with her hairdo’s color! Back in March 2021, Ava posed for a campaign where she showed off her fabulous purple hairdo. The look was styled for a Hally collaboration color for a campaign, aptly named ‘Ava-lanche.’ Of course, Ava has taken to Instagram before and shown off her lilac and sometimes pink-hued hairdo. Just take a look at the photo above!

Ava is very close with her siblings

While it’s super clear that Ava has a strong bond with her mom and dad, her relationship with her two younger siblings is just as tightly knit! Ava loves to share photos of her brothers on Instagram, and regularly posts about them. For their recent birthdays, the 21-year-old took to the social media platform and shared loving birthday tributes to both of her brothers.