Ryan Phillippe’s Nostalgic Throwback as He Reflects on ‘Hot’ Pictures With Ex Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon’s ex, Ryan Phillippe, recently took a nostalgic trip down memory lane, sharing a ‘hot’ throwback picture of themselves from their heyday. The duo, who met at Witherspoon’s 21st birthday party in 1997, had a whirlwind romance that swiftly led to their engagement in 1998, followed by a fairy-tale wedding a year later. Their relationship blossomed on the sets of Cruel Intentions. The recent Instagram story featured a picture from the Legally Blonde premiere, which Phillippe captioned, "We were hot and drenched in late 90s angst. Such a cooler time than today." Although Phillippe tagged Witherspoon in the post, the latter is yet to engage with the same.

As per Mirror, during their seven-year marriage, Witherspoon and Phillippe welcomed two children—Ava and Deacon. Their marriage faced several conflicts, which they openly discussed with fans over the years. In an interview, Witherspoon shared, "I'm not interested in the fallacy of the Hollywood relationship...We have perfect children who never cry, we never have problems, we never argue, and we're always best friends. That's just not true. We're normal people with normal problems." Despite their best efforts, the couple announced their separation in 2006. "We are saddened to announce that Reese and Ryan have decided to formally separate. They remain committed to their family and we ask that you please respect their privacy and the safety of their children at this time."

Witherspoon found love again with talent agent, Jim Toth, marrying him in 2011 and welcoming a son, Tennessee, in 2012. The couple announced their separation in March 2023 after nearly 12 years of marriage. Witherspoon later reflected, “It’s interesting what happened to me. 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.” Meanwhile, Phillippe has had several relationships since his divorce from Witherspoon but has never remarried. He has another child with his former flame, Alexis Knapp. Despite the end of their romantic relationship, they have remained on good terms, frequently reuniting for significant family moments.

As per ET, as their children step into the entertainment industry, Phillippe has defended them in nepotism debates. In an interview, he shared, “She’s sort of getting her feet wet, you know? 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. So many people grow up and end up doing what their parents do, to some degree or another. To me, I always get offended on behalf of the children of actors and entertainers when people bring that up because, of course, that’s what they’ve grown up around. These kids have grown up watching on set with Reese or with me. It seems natural, I think.”