Ryan Phillippe has shared a throwback photo of him and his ex Reese Witherspoon from when they were “hot”.
The actor, 49, took to his Instagram Story on 27 May to share the snap of him and his ex-wife, who he was married to from 1999 to 2006. In the picture, Witherspoon wore a black and white striped halter dress with three pink buttons, while Phillippe had a white and blue striped tank top on.
Phillippe was also wearing a pair of black pants and matching sunglasses, while his hair was styled in a classic ‘90s mohawk.
He quipped about his and Witherspoon’s style in the caption, writing: “We were hot and drenched in late 90’s angst… (such a cooler time than today).”
The old photo was first captured in July 2001, when the then-couple attended the premiere of Witherspoon’s hit film, Legally Blonde, in the Hamptons.
Months before tying the knot in 1999, Witherspoon and Phillippe were expecting their first child, now 24-year-old daughter Ava. In 2003, the two actors welcomed their second child, now 20-year-old son Deacon.
Witherspoon and Phillippe officially announced their divorce in October 2006. “We are saddened to announce that Reese and Ryan have decided to formally separate,” a representative for the then-couple said in a statement at the time, shared via People. “They remain committed to their family and we ask that you please respect their privacy and the safety of their children at this time.”
In 2011, Witherspoon went on to marry Jim Toth, and they later welcomed a son, Tennessee, 11. However, in March 2023, the pair announced their split after nearly 12 years of marriage.
Months later, the Big Little Lies star opened up about her breakup, revealing how it was different from her split from Phillippe. “It’s interesting what happened to me,” she told Harper’s Bazaar in July 2023. “When I was divorced before, the tabloid media got to tell people how I was feeling or how I was processing, and it felt very out of control.”
Since their divorce, Phillippe and Witherspoon have remained on good terms, as they even reunited with their children in April 2023 to celebrate the release of Deacon’s song, “A New Earth.”
“Awesome night w family and friends celebrating the release of, ‘A New Earth’ by @deaconphillippe !! Thank you so much to everyone who attended,” the Cruel Intentions star wrote in the caption of his Instagram post, which included a snap of Witherspoon posing with Deacon and Ava.
As both Deacon and Ava are entering careers in the entertainment industry, their father has also addressed the “nepotism” talk surrounding them. When asked how he felt about his children becoming actors or musicians, Phillippe noted that, like most twentysomethings, Ava and Deacon are figuring out their place in the world.
“She’s sort of getting her feet wet, you know?” he said of his daughter’s acting ambitions, during an interview with Extra in March “She’s taking time to figure out exactly what it is she wants to do.”
“That’s what always annoys me about this whole nepotism talk with the industry,” he continued. “So many people grow up and end up doing what their parents do, to some degree or another.”
He also defended children who’ve decided to become actors after seeing their parents work in the entertainment industry.
“To me, I always get offended for the children of actors and entertainers when people bring that up because, of course, that’s what they’ve grown up around,” The Prey star added. “These kids have grown up watching on set with Reese or with me. It seems natural, I think.”
