Oscar-winning actress and producer Reese Witherspoon is embracing the festive season with her three children, sharing a series of heartwarming holiday snaps on social media. The star, who turns 50 in March, is also balancing family time with a bustling professional schedule, including major television renewals and her children's own forays into the entertainment industry.
Family Festivities and Lookalike Daughter
Witherspoon, 49, posted a festive Instagram slideshow on Sunday, captioned 'Making merry!' to her 47.4 million followers. The collection included a personalised gingerbread house, iced with her name and those of her children: Ava, Deacon, and Tennessee. She also shared a mirror selfie with her eldest son, Deacon Phillippe, 22, and a snowy snap with her youngest, 13-year-old Tennessee Toth.
Her daughter, Ava Phillippe, 26, who bears a striking resemblance to her mother, recently made headlines. After bleaching her brown hair back to blonde last September, the likeness became even more pronounced. Named after screen legend Ava Gardner, she has recently wrapped filming on a significant project.
Following Famous Footsteps: The Next Generation
Despite studying social sciences at college, Ava Phillippe is pursuing an acting career. On November 26, she completed filming the titular role in Tommy Dorfman's adaptation of the graphic novel Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, a lesbian teen romance. She has also scored guest-starring roles on Netflix's Ransom Canyon and ABC's Doctor Odyssey, which aired in April.
Her brother, Deacon Phillippe, is also building an acting portfolio. In May, the DJ-actor starred in Amazon Prime Video's coming-of-age drama Motorheads, appearing alongside his famous father, Ryan Phillippe. Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, who met on the set of Cruel Intentions, were married for seven years before divorcing in 2007.
Tennessee is Witherspoon's son with her ex-husband, Flowcode board member Jim Toth. Their 11-year marriage ended in 2023.
Milestones and Major Projects on the Horizon
Looking ahead, Witherspoon has revealed plans to celebrate her 50th birthday in March with a whirlwind trip to Europe with her son Tennessee. "It's just me and him – I'm excited about it! I'm off to visit friends in Italy, kind of tootling around a little bit," she told Harper's Bazaar last month. She expressed a positive outlook on ageing, stating, "I like getting older. I think it's great to be wiser and understand your place in a business."
Professionally, her slate is full. Apple Studios officially renewed The Morning Show for a fifth season on September 17. Witherspoon, who reportedly earns $2 million per episode, will reprise her role as former UBA news anchor Bradley Jackson. The hit newsroom drama is a loose adaptation of Brian Stelter's 2013 book Top of the Morning.
Her other upcoming ventures include producing Apple TV+'s Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle, and both producing and starring in the highly anticipated third season of HBO's Big Little Lies. The show famously reunited her with co-star and friend Laura Dern, with whom she also worked on Wild (2014) and Tiny Beautiful Things (2023).
Witherspoon's festive posts also included a photo with Dern from inside a designer boutique, and a poignant tribute to Dern's late mother, actress Diane Ladd, who passed away on November 3 at age 89. Witherspoon called Ladd "my inspiration and my Other Mother."
