6 minute readReese Witherspoon’s eldest daughter Ava Phillippe has been known for her close resemblance to her famous mother since she was a teenager. Now 26, she clearly looks up to her mother and has worked quite hard to establish her own identity despite following in her entertainment footsteps. Her father is also in the industry, so it makes sense.
Witherspoon and actor Ryan Phillippe previously co-starred in the cult hit Cruel Intentions. The former couple were married for seven years before breaking up in 2006. Eva and her younger brother, Deacon, continued to have a co-parenting relationship.
Here’s everything we know about Philip’s eldest son.
When was Eva Philippe born?
Ryan and Witherspoon welcomed Ava in September 1999, two months after they married. In a 2008 interview with Jay Leno, Ryan said he named her after actress Ava Gardner.
“My daughter’s name is Eva,” he explained. “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.”
Her middle name is Elizabeth, after Witherspoon’s mother. Appearing on The View in 2021, Witherspoon talked about how difficult it was for her to be away from her family when Ava was born.
“I was living apart from my mother. She had a full-time job as a nurse and I had a young baby, only 23, so I was raising the baby on my own,” she said. “I don’t have any sisters or aunts. I literally had no friends because I was alone in a new city called Los Angeles. I would have cried.”
In 2003, Witherspoon and Ryan welcomed their second child, Deacon. Witherspoon had another child with her second husband, Jim Toth, in 2012, and they named her Tennessee.
Eva says that she and her half-siblings are very close despite the large age difference between them.
“I used to worry about our 13-year age difference, but being able to share my favorite childhood movies, shows, books, activities, and memories with him has been the greatest gift ever,” she wrote in a tribute on Instagram.
She and Deacon are also good friends and often attend events together.
What does Eva do?
Eva attended college at the University of California, Berkeley before considering various career paths. She has already achieved some success as a model.
“My parents always encouraged me to choose the path that was right for me and guided me to make better choices than I would have made,” she told Daily Pop in 2021. “I’m so grateful for that. It’s such an honor to have parents who support you like that and want you to be who you really are.”
Her modeling debut was in 2018 for Rodarte’s fall lookbook. That same year, she posed for her mother’s clothing company, Draper James. She modeled for Ivy Park’s 2021 holiday collection, Hall of Ivy, partnered with Aerie, and was the face of Pat McGrath Lab’s limited edition Bridgerton collection that same year.
“I felt like…Pat McGrath was DMing me? Huh?” Eva told People at the time. “I have so much respect for her, and it was such an honor for her to reach out to me and even think of me.”
Is Eva pursuing acting?
yes. Eva made her acting debut as Veronica in Doctor Odyssey, which premiered on April 3, 2025. For the announcement, she wore a pink string bikini and played her mother’s iconic Legally Blonde character, Elle Woods.
She stars in Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, playing the titular Laura Dean.
What are her hobbies?
Eva frequently posts photos of her original paintings, photographs, and poems on Instagram. She is also a devoted dog mom to Benji, whom she adopted in 2020.
Does she get along well with her parents?
In a June 2021 interview with Interview magazine, Witherspoon talked about her close relationship with her children.
“The thought of having a long-term relationship with my adult children makes me want to cry,” she said. “I never expected to have this kind of relationship with them, but it’s so rewarding to be able to have children and move through life bit by bit. And they make me understand the complexity of what it means to be human.”
In May 2023, Eva spoke passionately about her mother on Mother’s Day.
“Oh I love sharing life with you,” she wrote.
Does she have a partner?
Eva keeps her current relationship status private, but her last romantic relationship was with Dakota Brubaker.
On December 3, 2024, Eva and Brubaker made an official Instagram post, which was later deleted on April 3, 2026. Ava, then 25, shared photos from the holiday on Instagram, including a shot of Brubaker kissing her on the cheek. Brubaker is a musician who goes by the name Vindigo.
She captioned the post, “Happy Days to You.”
Brubaker also shared the same photo on his Instagram. He also included another shot of them at The Hollywood Reporter’s “Next Gen 2024” event on Nov. 20.
“Happy Honda Days (recent highlight of my life),” Brubaker wrote in the caption. Eva continued Honda’s holiday season commercial joke in the comments section, writing, “Seriously, December’s (sales event) is going to be one to remember.”
Prior to her big announcement in December, Eva hinted that she was dating Brubaker in September of the same year. Eva celebrated her birthday on Instagram, posting a photo of herself resting her head on Brubaker’s chest.
On June 28, 2025, Eva and Brubaker made their red carpet debut at the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project 2025 Block Party held in the Universal Studios backlot. Eva wore an ivory knit sundress, while Brubaker wore a beige suit over a white T-shirt, cinched with a black belt.
Brubaker wasn’t the first person Eva publicly shared about her relationship. She dated Owen Mahoney in 2019 while they were students at the University of California, Berkeley. She did not say when their relationship ended, but noted that in June 2024, E!Eva secretly deleted all posts with Mahoney.
At that point, Eva wrote about her sexuality on Instagram. “Once upon a time, a girl on the internet said, ‘Any gender is fine’ when it comes to her sexuality,” she said. “Many took her words out of context, but she knew what she meant. Anyway, this is her post on the first day of Pride Month 2024. 🌈✨🪩🫶🏻.”
How did she and Dakota Brubaker react to jokes about them looking like Ryan Phillippe?
In June 2025, Eva responded to a TikTok comment that suggested her partner Dakota Brubaker looked like her father, Ryan Phillippe. “Welcome back, Reese and Ryan!” a user wrote.
Eva, who stared at the camera in fear and disgust, waved, and Brubaker immersed herself and stared at the camera. They set the clip to The Verve’s “Bitter Sweet Symphony,” which was played at the end of Cruel Intentions. TikTok has since been deleted.
Did Eva and Brubaker appear in 2026?
On February 5, 2026, Eva attended the Scream 7 premiere with Barbaker. She wore a fitted black snakeskin patterned slip dress, which she styled with red heels and drop earrings.
Brubaker posed with her wearing a black shirt and black suit.
What role did Eva play in Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” music video?
Eva had a special role in Ella Langley’s April 2026 “Choosin’ Texas” music video, playing the former lover of Langley’s partner. She wore an embroidered black vest with a concho belt and flared blue denim jeans. She accessorized with a silver bolo tie necklace with a longhorn pendant at the base.
Watch the video below.
Additional reporting by Starr Bowenbank.
