Reese Witherspoon’s daughter, Ava Phillippe—whom the actress shares with fellow “Cruel Intentions” star Ryan Phillippe—has spoken out about the negative remarks she has faced online about her appearance, referring to body-shaming as “toxic behavior.”
In a recent TikTok video, the 24-year-old influencer addressed two contradictory comments she received on social media, which claimed that she was “too fat” and “too thin,” respectively.
“The first said I should get on Oz*mpic because I’m too fat… The second accused me of starving myself because I’m too thin… My weight did not change in the time period between their comments (& it wouldn’t be any of their business if it did!),” she described in the message.
“It’s such [expletive]” the text continued. “No one deserves to be picked apart for what they look like. You don’t always know what someone’s gone through or what they struggle with. But no matter who you are… Your beauty exceeds such superficial measures.”
In the clip’s accompanying caption, Ms. Phillippe wrote: “Pretty is as pretty does, babes...& bodyshaming is simply toxic behavior. (P.S. I put ‘woman’ because I see this type of thing happening disproportionately to young girls & women, but let me be clear; bodyshaming is toxic no matter who the subject is. We all deserve to feel safe & at peace in the vessel we live in.)”
Reese Witherspoon’s Three Children
Ms. Phillippe’s TikTok about body-shaming received an outpouring of supportive messages, including one from her celebrity mother, who commented “yes to all of this” on the internet personality’s video.In addition to her daughter, Ms. Witherspoon shares son Deacon, 20, with Mr. Phillippe, whom the “Legally Blonde” star was married to from 1999 to 2007. Ms. Witherspoon also welcomed her son, Tennessee, in September 2012 with her now ex-husband Jim Toth. The former couple wed in March 2011 before going on to finalize their divorce last year.
In a statement shared online announcing their separation, Ms. Witherspoon and Mr. Toth said the decision to divorce was difficult and made with “a great deal of care and consideration.”
“We have enjoyed so many wonderful years together and are moving forward with deep love, kindness and mutual respect for everything we have created together. Our biggest priority is our son and our entire family as we navigate this next chapter,” they penned.
In September 2019, while still married to Mr. Toth, Ms. Witherspoon gave insight into her motherhood journey during a video shared on the YouTube account for Hello Sunshine, a media company the actress co-founded in 2016 that centers on female-driven content, which she reportedly sold in 2021 for $900 million.
The then 43-year-old, who gave birth to her three kids at ages 23, 27, and 37, described being a mother as “the biggest part” of her life.
Ms. Witherspoon also shared advice for women who are considering starting a family, such as financial needs and finding a solid support system.
“If you want to be a mom and that’s important to you, you should have every right to do that and don’t put it off because of, you know, all the things that seem like a barrier, you’re gonna figure it out. I figured it out, you’re gonna figure it out, your mother figured it out, your grandma figured it out,” she offered.
“There’s incredible resources that you can use to help figure it out, and whatever your motherhood journey is, I wish you luck and love and light and success and happiness,” she added.
“Because being a mom is really great, it’s a big part of my life—I would say it’s the biggest part of my life is being a mom to my three kids,” she continued. “Love my kids.”
