Fans Say Reese Witherspoon And Daughter Ava Look Like 'Twins' In Beautiful Photograph

Nov 03, 2022 by apost team

Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe were once an adoring couple, and to this day, they are still great co-parents to their two children. The actors first met back in March 1997 at Witherspoon’s 21st birthday party and were engaged by the end of the following year. They also starred in the teen romantic drama “Cruel Intentions” in 1999.

Witherspoon and Phillippe tied the knot in June 1999 in a small ceremony in Charleston, South Carolina. Just a few months later, they welcomed their first child and only daughter named Ava Phillippe on Sept. 9, 1999. Their second child together, Deacon Phillippe, was born on Oct. 23, 2003. 

Witherspoon and Phillippe divorced in 2008 and now share joint custody of their children. However, “Cruel Intentions” was a huge success and cemented their relationship on celluloid forever, even though they didn’t work out in real life.

Nowadays, the pair’s children are growing up and are sharing some moments in their lives for the world to see. Ava has a striking resemblance to her mother, and it seems like she also has the potential to enter show business just like her two famous parents. As she grows up, Ava is starting to really find herself and is beginning to express her desires for the future. Along with this, she is also opening up more about her personal life.

But what fans still can’t get over is just how much Witherspoon and Ava look alike. If you didn’t know better, you would think they were twins! Let’s take a look at their mother-daughter relationship.

Actress Reese Witherspoon, 46, and her daughter Ava Elizabeth Phillippe, 23, are a celebrity duo that proves just how strong and unbreakable a mother-daughter bond can be. 

Witherspoon and her daughter have always looked similar to one another. But now, as a full-fledged adult, Ava’s resemblance to her mom has reached a peak that goes beyond their striking blue eyes and blonde hair.

From her Instagram page, it looks like Ava celebrated her 21st birthday back in 2020 on a boat in the San Francisco Bay Area among friends. “it was the best of times (during the worst of times) ⛵️ #birthdaybubble #21,” she captioned her post on the social media platform. As she is now of age, Ava was seen enjoying some drinks in the photo series. 

Witherspoon makes appearances quite a fair bit on her newly-minted-adult daughter’s social media site, with one being for Mother’s Day 2020. In the picture, the mother and daughter pose sweetly under an arrangement of flowers. Ava dedicated the post to her famous mom, writing: “happy mother’s day to my first best friend! thank you for your everyday commitment to raising and loving us to the best of your ability. I am so lucky to learn from and be loved by you.💗”

Based on Ava’s history and family, it's no surprise that she will likely grow up to have a booming show business career like her mother. According to sheknows.com, Ava studied at the University of California, Berkeley. Ava leaving for college took a toll on Witherspoon, who told Ellen DeGeneres in an interview:

“I might have gone into her empty room, laid down on her bed and cried when she went to college.”

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Not only is Ava set up for a big future with her education, she also has a famous namesake. Her dad Ryan Phillippe told Jay Leno in an interview in 2008 that he and Witherspoon named her after Ava Gardner, the late actress and singer who was also the wife of Frank Sinatra. “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,” dad Phillippe said.

As though she wasn't busy enough with school, Ava is even her mom’s fashion consultant. “She’s very cutting-edge, and she knows a lot about fashion,” Witherspoon said of her firstborn in an interview with Us Weekly in April 2016. “And she has her own sense of style, which is amazing. We try to kind of confer about new styles. She tells me whether or not I can wear things.”

As a sister, Ava is very close to her brother, Deacon Phillippe. One proof is in the caption she wrote for this picture: “When did my little brother become one of my best friends? 💛" Ava previously posted a picture of her and Deacon for his 17th birthday and coupled it with a sweet message.

Witherspoon was the third highest-paid actress of 2019, but it seems like no one is a bigger fan of hers than her daughter is. Ava has never been shy about showing just how proud she is to be Witherspoon’s daughter and has taken to social media several times to boast about her talented mom.

When Witherspoon won the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award in December 2019, Ava was quick to post about it to her followers, saying:

“Major congratulations to my mama, who received an award today for her leadership in the industry that she cares so deeply about improving. I’m so grateful to have a mom this thoughtful, passionate, and courageous, and I’m glad other people can recognize how special she is! 💐”

The story of how Ava’s parents met is just as interesting as who the young woman is turning out to become. The couple — who separately were becoming stars in their own right — met at Witherspoon's 21st birthday party in 1997. She told Jane magazine in 1998 that she made the first move — although she later cringed at the thought. As reported by InStyle, she said:

“I don't know what came over me — maybe the seven Midori sours — but I told (Ryan), 'I think you're my birthday present.' He thought it was so flattering, and now that I think about it...how embarrassing!"

It wasn't long before the couple was engaged, and Witherspoon was pregnant with Ava. They married in a small ceremony in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1999, three months after the release of their classic teen movie “Cruel Intentions.” Just a few months later, Ava came into the world. Then in 2003, the couple had a son named Deacon.

The movie “Cruel Intentions” became a huge hit and cemented their relationship on celluloid forever — even if they didn't work out in real life. By 2006 the couple announced that they were formally separating before they solidified their split through a divorce in 2008. Both parties discussed the breakdown of their marriage and ultimately put it down to being very young when they first got together. 

Phillippe said in a 2015 Larry King interview that he blamed himself for the couple's divorce and added:

"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." 

Meanwhile, Witherspoon opened up in a 2017 interview with ITV's “Lorraine,” stating:

“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."

But she also said she "would never change anything," before adding, "I've said to my daughter, I think, you know, (at) 25, you start to know yourself a little bit better."

Despite going their separate ways, the former partners are clearly loving parents to both Ava and Deacon, as they share custody and continue to be a big part of their children's lives, which is apparent from Ava's Instagram that features many photos of her family alongside her and her friends.

Ever the attractive young woman, she's even begun dating, but her boyfriend has drawn less than preferable comments from social media users, which Ava even commented on. After introducing the world to her boyfriend, whose name is Owen Mahoney, on Instagram in 2019, social media users were quick to give their opinion that Mahoney strongly resembles her father! 

Perhaps Mahoney's curly hair cropped close to the head and boyish grin could be compared to Phillippe, but the similarities end there. While some social media users wrote about the similarities to her father, others defended young Ava, with one writing, "He does not look like your dad," as reported by USA Today. Ava replied to the commenter saying, "Big thx."

Mom Witherspoon took to Instagram to commemorate her daughter’s 21st birthday back in 2020 with two photos: the first of the both of them with their arms around the other and heads together, and the second a throwback black-and-white photo of Ava as a baby celebrating her birthday. Witherspoon paired the pictures with this sweet message:

“Wow! How is it possible that this little girl is now 21 years old? Happy Birthday to my sweet girl who has become the most incredible young woman. 💫 Her kindness, her compassion, and her huge heart never cease to amaze me. Ava, there aren’t enough words to describe how proud I am of everything you’ve already accomplished. I cannot wait to see ALL the Good you will put into this world. I love you so much @avaphillippe 💗”

Witherspoon took to Instagram in September 2022 to celebrate her daughter again using one of the same photos. She captioned the post:

“Always feeling very lucky to have my wonderful, creative , talented daughter in my life ! 💓What a gift to share this life journey with you ..and the best makeup tips... it's really great to share beauty tips, dog memes and the same shoe size. Makes life so fun! 💄 💞💫 #nationaldaughtersday.”

While people were very moved by Witherspoon’s touching message, they couldn’t believe just how much Witherspoon and Ava looked like! One person even commented, “TWINS.”

Another person said, “I thought they were sisters! ❤️” A third person added, “Simply copy paste.”

These two women are truly beautiful inside and out!

How uncanny is Ava Phillippe's resemblance to her mom Reese Witherspoon? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to send this to your family and friends!