Reese Witherspoon turned the world premiere of Elle into a family occasion.
The 50-year-old Oscar winner was accompanied by her son, Deacon Phillippe, on the red carpet on Tuesday, June 23, for the New York City debut of her latest project, a Legally Blonde prequel series.
Witherspoon, sharing son Deacon, 22, and daughter Ava, 26, with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe, dazzled in a pink gown adorned with lace floral details. Deacon complemented his mother’s look with a black suit and a pink tie.
Following in his parents’ footsteps, Deacon has ventured into acting, featuring alongside Ryan, 51, in the coming-of-age drama Motorheads, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video in 2025.
“It’s quite special to be in a setting where you’re collaborating on a show with genuinely good people,” Ryan shared with Us Weekly in May 2025. “It certainly didn’t go unnoticed by either of us.”
“There were moments when we’d look at each other and think, ‘Can you believe we’re actually doing this?’” he continued.
Costar Nathalie Kelly commented to Us, “[Deacon is] the most charismatic, polite, thoughtful young man I have ever met.”
“I’m like, wow! If this is what the new generation of men are coming out, looking like, sounding like, acting like, then I feel more at ease about the future of our species,” she continued. “Honestly, what an incredible young man.”
“For [Deacon], it was a significant acting debut, and witnessing the father-son dynamic was heartwarming,” Kelley added. “Ryan tried to balance being involved and allowing Deacon to find his process. Observing Ryan as a father taught me a lot, especially with my own kids on set, highlighting the beauty of life’s cycle.”
Witherspoon and Phillippe began their relationship in 1997, prior to their roles in Cruel Intentions. They married in 1999 but announced their separation in 2006, finalizing their divorce a year later.
Despite their split, a source informed Us in April that the pair has maintained a close relationship. Both attended Deacon’s graduation from New York University recently.
“She is very close to Ryan,” the insider shared. “They have been co-parenting over the years and remain friends.”
Balancing a Hollywood career and family life was a genuine challenge for Reese Witherspoon. On Thursday, August 14, she shared on Instagram her experiences raising her three children, Ava, 25, Deacon, 21, and Tennessee, 12, while thriving in her acting career. (Witherspoon shares Deacon and Ava […]
“Since her separation from Ryan, she has supported her children’s pursuits in the entertainment industry,” the source mentioned. “Both parents are supportive of whatever path their children choose.”
Witherspoon is an executive producer for Elle, a series exploring the high school years of her Legally Blonde character, Elle Woods, set to debut on Prime Video on July 1.
