Reese Witherspoon and Ex Ryan Phillippe Reunite to Celebrate Son Deacon’s College Graduation in New York City (Exclusive Photos)

NEED TO KNOW

  • Reese Witherspoon and her ex-husband Ryan Phillippe reunited to celebrate their son Deacon’s graduation from New York University
  • Deacon, 22, is pursuing a career in entertainment as a music producer and actor, following in his parents’ footsteps
  • Witherspoon and Phillippe are also parents to daughter Ava, whom they welcomed in September 1999

Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe reunited to celebrate their son’s college graduation.

In photos obtained by PEOPLE, The Morning Show star, 50, and the Motorheads actor, 51, could be seen proudly supporting their son Deacon, 22, during his graduation from New York University.

Witherspoon wore a dark blue dress with a white blazer and matching heels, while Phillippe wore black pants and a white button-down dress shirt. The former couple was all smiles as they posed with their now-adult son on his special day.

Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, Kate Hudson, Danny Fujikawa, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn all gather together for Deacon and Ryder's NYU Graduation
Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe and their son Deacon.Credit : BrosNYC / BACKGRID

Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, Kate Hudson, Danny Fujikawa, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn all gather together for Deacon and Ryder's NYU Graduation
Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe.BrosNYC / BACKGRID

In addition to Deacon, Witherspoon and Phillippe are parents to daughter Ava, 26, who was also at the graduation. Witherspoon’s ex-husband Jim Toth, with whom she shares son Tennessee, 13, could also be seen in photos from the special day.

Kate Hudson’s family also attended the NYU graduation for son Ryder, 22, whom she shares with ex Chris Robinson. The Running Point actress, her fiancé Danny Fujikawa and her parents, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, all came together for the milestone.

Hudson’s ex Matt Bellamy, with whom she shares son Bingham, 14, could also be seen in photos, as well as Hudson and Fujikawa’s 7-year-old daughter Rani.

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Deacon has decided to follow in his parents’ footsteps and pursue a career in the entertainment industry. He has already taken the first steps in his career as a music producer with the release of his hit single “Long Run” in 2020, and made his acting debut in the third season of Netflix’s hit teen series Never Have I Ever.

Back in December 2020, Deacon opened up about his passion for producing with Interview magazine and shared that his dad, who also makes music, helped him get into it.

“When I was listening to the radio in the car with my dad, something just clicked. I realized there’s more to making music than just being a vocalist, and that a lot of times it’s the production that makes me feel something,” he explained. “I asked my dad about how it works, and he taught me all the stuff he knew, and then I started watching YouTube videos.”

Witherspoon has shown pride for her older son’s musical accomplishments by posting an adorable video of her dancing to “Long Run” on Instagram. “When your kid has his first single … you gotta dance!” the caption read.

Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, Kate Hudson, Danny Fujikawa, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn all gather together for Deacon and Ryder's NYU Graduation
Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe and their son Deacon.BrosNYC / BACKGRID

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While pursuing his degree, Deacon put a deeper focus on pursuing music. In April 2023, his family came out to support him at the release party for his debut album A New Earth.

“All I can say is that it came from pure love, for what I do and for the people that listen,” the musician wrote on Instagram when announcing his album.

“This is a story of my life, our lives, and of love and life in general; it carries thoughts and emotions that I’ve accumulated, felt, observed, bottled up, and dealt with through the last 19 years of my life,” he continued. “This project was created in my dorm, made by three college kids with big dreams and bigger hearts.”

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