Reese Witherspoon's Son Deacon Is One Of The Cutest Young Men Alive Today

Apr 21, 2021

Known as one of Hollywood’s hottest couples of the late 1990s into the early 2000s, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe made headlines when they were married in 1999. They have since gone on to have incredible Hollywood careers and fulfilling personal lives. They met at Witherspoon’s 21st birthday party and were together for nearly ten years before separating in 2007.

Witherspoon is best known for her roles in the film “Legally Blonde” and the TV series “Big Little Lies,” along with "Water for Elephants" and "Sweet Home Alabama." With a knack for both romance and comedy, she has accomplished much as both an actress and as a producer. Phillippe is best known for starring in “Cruel Intentions” alongside Witherspoon, and “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” Both actors have long lists of accomplishments, Witherspoon is an Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA winner.

Witherspoon and Phillippe have two children together, daughter Ava Elizabeth Phillippe and son Deacon Reese Phillippe. Both children are almost all grown now, with Ava at age 21 and the younger Deacon already at age 17. Deacon has already begun his own music career as a producer and his first single dropped this past summer. He hasn’t graduated high school yet but he keeps himself busy with creative projects on the side. 

Raising children in the public eye is never easy. This talented family has been through a lot throughout their time together, but Witherspoon and Phillippe have done a great job taking care of their kids. Everyone seems to be thriving and really coming into their own. Witherspoon and Phillippe couldn’t be happier or more proud of their children. 

Read on to learn more about Reese Witherspoon's son Deacon and which passions he's pursuing today.

Reese Witherspoon was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1976, and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. Her father served in the United States Army Reserve and was a surgeon. Her mother earned three degrees, including a Ph.D. in pediatric nursing. She later became a professor at Vanderbilt University. 

At the young age of just seven, she was chosen to model for a florist’s TV commercials which inspired her to take acting lessons. Witherspoon was a motivated child, earning good grades all throughout high school where she also did cheerleading. After graduating from high school, Witherspoon attended Stanford University where she majored in English literature but decided to leave prior to graduating.

Like her son Deacon, she also began her career at a young age, starring in the film “The Man in the Moon” when she was still a teenager. After that, she went on to star in “Fear” opposite Mark Wahlberg in 1996. What really made her a household name was her breakthrough supporting role in “Cruel Intentions” with Phillippe and another household name at the time, actress Sarah Michelle Gellar in 1999. Launching her even further into stardom was her role as Elle Woods in the film “Legally Blonde” in 2001.

Witherspoon received critical acclaim for her role as June Carter Cash in the film “Walk the Line,” having won the academy award for best actress. The role also won her a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. Throughout her entire career, she has been nominated for two Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes and two British Academy Film Awards. Her career is legendary and she has already received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

Ryan Phillippe was born in 1974 in New Castle, Delaware. His father was a chemist and his mother ran a daycare center. He has three sisters named Kristin, Katelyn and Lindsay. He is of French descent, explaining where the family name Phillippe comes from. 

He grew up in Delaware and later graduated from Barbizon Modeling School in Wilmington, Delaware. Later he was signed to Cathy Parker Management in Vorhees, New Jersey. Soon after that, Phillippe appeared on ABC’s popular soap opera “One Life to Live” where he played the first gay teenager on a daytime drama from 1992 to 1993. 

After that role ended, he moved to Los Angeles where he took many small roles in television series until landing a role in the film “Crimson Tide” in 1995. The films that really pushed him into stardom were “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “Cruel Intentions” alongside Witherspoon.

The couple first met at her 21st birthday party in 1997. According to the New York Post, after Witherspoon had a few drinks she turned to Phillippe and boldly said, “I think you’re my birthday present.” They clearly had chemistry from the very beginning and it is no wonder they started dating one another after this party.

The couple got married in 1999 when Witherspoon was already six months pregnant with Ava. Deacon was born a few years later in 2003. In 2005 the couple went on the “Oprah Winfrey Show” and discussed that they had been to couples counseling. They were married for seven years and were divorced in 2007.

In an interview with Larry King from 2015, Phillipe said about the reason behind the divorce, “I think more of the problem was age. When we got together we were so young. I think it can create issues with two people in this industry because there's so much noise that goes along with it." It seems that the split was amicable and was a mutual decision between both parties.

Witherspoon opened up about the topic as well back in 2017 during an interview with ITV’s Lorraine she said, “I got married when I was 23 and I had two kids by the time I was 27. So I don’t know, you know, sometimes it’s good to know yourself." She makes a good point about knowing who you are before entering into a marriage. Regardless, the two have grown into wonderful parents. 

In the same interview, Witherspoon said that she has no regrets about how everything turned out with Phillippe. She said she would never change anything about the past adding, "I've said to my daughter, I think, you know, (at) 25, you start to know yourself a little bit better." It is great that she has moved on from such a difficult situation and is able to set a wonderful example for her children.

The situation between Witherspoon and Phillipe isn’t uncommon. According to the American Psychological Association, between 40 and 50 percent of marriages in America end in divorce. The two parents share custody of their children and clearly make an effort to be there in each of their lives despite having such successful careers. Divorce is never easy, but you can see that they make family a priority and support and love their children very much.

Witherspoon has also shown support for her son and his music on her social media accounts. On her Instagram account, she shared a video of her and Deacon listening to his new song with the caption, “When your kid has his first single... you gotta dance!” It is a fun short clip of the two sitting together on a couch and listening to the song on Deacon’s phone.

In the video, you can see Witherspoon dancing along to the catchy tune looking full of joy for her son. At one point she stands up and has the idea that she should make up a dance for the popular social media platform, Tik Tok. Upon hearing this Deacon quickly covers his face in embarrassment, shaking his head and saying no to the idea. The two are so funny and heartwarming together. 

That Instagram post alone has 10 million views, giving her son and his new song a huge amount of exposure. Witherspoon couldn’t look happier or more proud of her son. You can tell she genuinely enjoys the music from the way she just can’t stay seated while the song is playing. Witherspoon’s followers sent in over 14,000 comments with praise for Deacon and his new song, and of course, sending their regards to his mother for raising such a talented son.

Witherspoon made another post over the summer on her Instagram in support of the single with a clip of the song and the caption said “New Song of the Summer! #LongRun So proud of my son @deaconphillippe... his first single with the incredibly talented @ninanesbitt is out now! It’s the perfect summer bop with a sick beat and dope drops (is that what the kids say?!) check it out! link in my stories.” She is hilarious and it’s touching to see her being so supportive of her son’s music.

Witherspoon and Phillippe’s youngest son is already starting out with a successful music career. Deacon released his first single this past summer. The song is called “Long Run” and features vocals from Nina Nesbitt.  The music video already has over a hundred thousand views on YouTube.

Deacon told Billboard, "It’s always a good feeling when you’re getting recognition for stuff that you do, especially on a creative level I was glad people were seeing something I took part in. It was really significant." He sounds incredibly grateful and like he has a good head on his shoulders.

Witherspoon gets a front-row seat to her son’s creative projects, with his studio being in her basement. Deacon said, “Because my studio is in my mom’s house, and a lot of the time it can get really loud. I’m sure they can hear it from upstairs, but they bear the sound annoyances, and they’ll still come down and tell me what they think of each song. My mom likes to tell me what her favorite song of mine is, and that's really helpful because she has good taste.” It sounds like she is an incredibly supportive mom.

Deacon explained that his family has been there for him on his music career journey from the very beginning he said, “They’re so supportive, always. I couldn’t have a more supportive family. I’m just really lucky that they also inspire me creatively and help me with whatever they can. When I make songs, the first people I show them to are my mom, my dad, my brother and my sister.” It’s so heartwarming to see such a close-knit family rally behind their son in this way.

Deacon spoke with Interview Magazine about what it was like growing up in the limelight, “From the time I was really young, I remember paparazzi being around. I don’t really know what it’s like not to be seen by the public.” It must have been a challenge to grow up under such difficult circumstances, but you can tell that he has found a way to cope with the attention and is making his way in the world. 

As for the future, Deacon is looking forward to more stuff opening up and getting back to life in person, “As things open up, I’m looking forward to collaborating with people I haven’t met yet. I feel like the best records are made in person.” He makes a good point, collaborating on creative projects like the music that he makes must be easier in a traditional studio setting.

Deacon credits his dad for helping him first learn about music production. He said they were in the car one day listening to the radio when it suddenly clicked for him, “I realized there’s more to making music than just being a vocalist, and that a lot of times it’s the production that makes me feel something. I asked my dad about how it works, and he taught me all the stuff he knew, and then I started watching YouTube videos.” Deacon seems like a very thoughtful and passionate young man.

Witherspoon and Phillippe really raised some great kids, despite all of the ups and downs that come with stardom and raising a family in the public eye. Witherspoon has another young son, a 7-year-old named Tennessee from her current marriage to Jim Toth. Usually, Witherspoon and her family split their time between Nashville and Los Angeles. As Witherspoon's family continues to grow, we're sure that her son Deacon will continue to receive his mother's support and grow up to do big things, even if it's in music rather than acting.

Isn't Deacon such a sweet young man? Do you think Deacon looks more like his mom or his dad? Have you listened to his new song yet? Let us know your thoughts and be sure to pass this along to your friends and family!