Ava Phillippe Makes Surprise Cameo in Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Music Video

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Reese Witherspoon’s oldest daughter Ava Phillippe has been famous since her teens for looking so much like her famous mother. The now 26-year-old has done quite a lot to establish her own identity, even though she clearly admires her mom and has followed in some of her entertainment footsteps. That’s only natural since her dad is also in the industry.

Witherspoon and actor Ryan Phillippe even starred in a film together, the cult hit Cruel Intentions. The former couple was married for seven years before splitting in 2006. They continued to have a co-parenting relationship with Ava and her brother Deacon.

Here’s everything we know about the eldest Phillippe child.

When was Ava Phillippe born?

Ryan and Witherspoon welcomed Ava two months after they got married, in September 1999. In a 2008 interview with Jay Leno, Ryan said they named her after the actress Ava Gardner.

“My daughter’s name is Ava,” 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 in honor of Witherspoon’s mom. In a 2021 appearance on The View, Witherspoon shared how being away from her family when Ava was born was very challenging.

“I lived away from my mother. My mom had a full-time job as a nurse and I had a baby really young—I was 23 years old—and so I was raising her by myself,” she said. “I don’t have any sisters, I don’t have any aunts. I was alone in a new city, in Los Angeles, and I literally had no friends. I would cry.”

In 2003, Witherspoon and Ryan welcomed their second child, Deacon. Witherspoon went on to have another child with her second husband, Jim Toth, in 2012, whom they named Tennessee.

Ava has said she is very close to her siblings, even though there’s a big age gap between her and her half-brother.

“I once worried about our 13-year age gap, getting to share some of my favorite childhood movies, shows, books, activities, and memories with him has been the greatest gift I never saw coming,” she wrote in a tribute on Instagram.

She and Deacon are also close and often attend events together.

What does Ava do?

Ava attended college at UC Berkeley before investigating different career paths. She has already had some success as a model.

“My parents have always encouraged me to choose the path that’s right for me and, you know, guide me along the way to make better choices than I might make,” she said on Daily Pop in 2021. “I’m so grateful for that. That is such a privilege to have parents that support you in that way and want you to be who you truly are meant to be.”

Her modeling debut was in 2018, for Rodarte’s fall lookbook. She also posed that same year for her mom’s clothing company, Draper James. She has modeled for Ivy Park in its 2021 holiday collection Hall of Ivy, partnered with Aerie, and was the face of Pat McGrath Labs’ limited-edition Bridgerton collection that same year.

“I was like…Pat McGrath is DMing me? Huh?” Ava told People at the time. “I have such admiration for her. And for her to even reach out to me or think of me was flattering.”

Is Ava pursuing acting?

Yes. Ava made her acting debut as Veronica in Doctor Odyssey, which premiered on April 3, 2025. She channeled her mom’s iconic Legally Blonde character Elle Woods by wearing a pink string swimsuit when making the announcement.

She is starring in Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, playing the titular Laura Dean.

What are her hobbies?

Ava frequently posts pictures of her original paintings, photos, and poetry on her Instagram. She’s also a committed dog mom to her rescue, Benji, whom she adopted in 2020.

Does she get along with her parents?

In a June 2021 Interview magazine interview, Witherspoon talked about how close she is with her kids.

“That makes me want to cry, the idea of having a long relationship with adult children,” she said. “I never expected the kind of relationship that I have with them, but it’s so rewarding to be able to have kids that you can process life with a little bit, and they help me understand the complexities of what it means to be a human now.”

In May 2023, Ava gushed about her mom for Mother’s Day.

“Gosh I love sharing life with you,” she wrote.

Does she have a partner?

Ava has kept her current relationship status private but was last romantically linked to Dakota Brubaker.

On Dec. 3, 2024, Ava and Brubaker went Instagram official in posts that have since been deleted as of April 2026. The then-25-year-old shared an Instagram of holiday photos and included a shot of Brubaker kissing her cheek. Brubaker is a musician who performs under the name Vindigo.

She captioned the post, “happy y’all-idays.”

Brubaker shared the same photo on his own Instagram. He also included another shot of them at The Hollywood Reporter’s Next Gen 2024 event, which took place on November 20.

In his caption, Brubaker wrote, “Happy Honda Days [some highlights from my life as of late].” Ava continued the Honda holidays commercial joke in the comments section, writing, “gonna be a real December-to-remember (sales event).”

Prior to their big December reveal, Ava hinted she was dating Brubaker that September. Ava celebrated her birthday with an Instagram that included a photo of her resting her head on Brubaker’s chest.

On June 28, 2025, Ava and Brubaker made their red carpet debut at the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project 2025 Block Party at the Universal Studios Backlot. Ava wore an ivory knit sundress, while Brubaker wore a beige suit over a white T-shirt with a black belt.

Brubaker was not the first relationship that Ava shared publicly. She dated Owen Mahoney in 2019 while they were both students at UC Berkeley. She did not share when their relationship ended, but in June 2024, E! pointed out that Ava had quietly taken down all her posts with Mahoney.

At that point, Ava wrote about her sexuality on Instagram. “Once upon a time, some gal on the internet said ‘gender is whatever’ in reference to her own sexuality,” she shared. “Many took her words out of context, but she knew what she meant. Anyways, this is her posting for the first day of pride month 2024. 🌈✨🪩🫶🏻”

How did she and Dakota Brubaker respond to jokes about his resemblance to Ryan Phillippe?

In June 2025, Ava responded to a comment on TikTok that insinuated her partner, Dakota Brubaker, resembled her dad, Ryan Phillippe. “Welcome back Reese & Ryan!” the user wrote.

Looking at the camera in horror and disgust, Ava waved her hands and Brubaker dipped in to stare at the camera. They set the clip to “Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve, which played at the end of Cruel Intentions. The TikTok has since been taken down.

Did Ava and Burbaker make any 2026 appearances?

On Feb. 5, 2026, Phillippe stepped out for the premiere of Scream 7 with Burbaker. She wore a fitted black snakeskin-patterned slip dress, styled with red heels and drop earrings.

Brubaker posed with her, wearing a black suit paired with a black shirt.

What role did Ava play in Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” music video?

Ava had a special role in Ella Langley’s April 2026 “Choosin’ Texas” music video, playing the former love interest 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 that featured a longhorn pendant at its base.

Watch the video below:

Additional reporting by Starr Bowenbank.

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