Reese Witherspoon Pens Heartfelt Birthday Tribute to Son Deacon on His 23rd
Reese Witherspoon marked a family milestone this week with an emotional public tribute to her son Deacon Phillippe, who turned 23. The Oscar winner took to Instagram with a series of photos of the pair and a caption reflecting on the Los Angeles fires that raged around the time of his birth, according to IANS via The Times of India.
“Happy Birthday to my son Deacon, who is turning 23 today! The year you were born, there was a fire in LA. Raging all around us,” Witherspoon wrote. “Somehow that fire forged you: You were born into the light, you carry it inside you, and you help us see it in ourselves. I love you so much, so lucky to be your mom,” she added, tagging @deaconphillippe.
Witherspoon shares Deacon and daughter Ava Elizabeth Phillippe with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe, whom she met at her 21st birthday party in 1997 and married in 1999 before their 2006 separation, the report noted. Deacon, born October 23, has occasionally appeared alongside his mother at public events, and the birthday post drew warm reactions from fans celebrating the family moment.
A busy year for Witherspoon
Witherspoon was last seen onscreen in the 2025 romantic comedy “You’re Cordially Invited,” opposite Will Ferrell and directed by Nicholas Stoller, IANS reported. She will next appear in “The Nightingale,” the adaptation of Kristin Hannah’s bestselling historical novel.
A look back
Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe’s relationship was one of Hollywood’s most-watched romances of the late 1990s and early 2000s. They met at Witherspoon’s 21st birthday party in March 1997, became engaged in December 1998 and married in 1999, according to the report. Daughter Ava Elizabeth Phillippe was born in September 1999, followed by Deacon on October 23. The couple announced their separation in October 2006, and Witherspoon filed for divorce that November, citing irreconcilable differences.
The birthday post is the latest in a string of warm family moments Witherspoon has shared publicly this year, offering fans a rare glimpse of the actress’s life beyond the screen. Messages for Deacon poured in under the post as fans and friends joined the celebration.