9 Photos of Ryan Phillippe Bonding With His Kids

Ryan Phillippe is not afraid to show his love for his kids wherever he is.

In a July 2018 Instagram post, he unveiled a sweet photo of himself and his child Deacon Reese Phillippe as they watched the purple and pink-colored sunset together.

"this sky is a projection of my whole heart's love for my [sun emoji (son)]," he captioned the post.

Deacon Reese was born on October 23, 2003, and he is Ryan and Reese Witherspoon's second and youngest child. The I Know What You Did Last Summer star reportedly influenced his son to get into music.

"When I was listening to the radio in the car with my dad, something just clicked," Deacon told Interview Magazine. "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. I asked my dad about how it works, and he taught me all the stuff he knew, and then I started watching YouTube videos."

Ryan and Witherspoon welcomed their two kids before they split in 2006. They finalized their divorce in 2008 but have remained on good terms while co-parenting their children.

He shared a sneak peek of their close bond on Instagram through a photo of him, Deacon, and Ava Elizabeth Phillippe as they posed for the camera.

Ava became the former couple's first child, and her name has a special meaning.

"My daughter's name is Ava ... [like] Ava Gardner, because to me she was the only woman who could break [Frank] Sinatra," he explained during his appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno in 2008. "So the idea of that name to me is very classy and strong."

To celebrate Ava's birthday in 2017, the Crimson Tide star uploaded a carousel of photos on Instagram and wrote a short message for his daughter.

"happy birthday, punk. i love you more than any strangers need read, but..." Ryan wrote.

During his 2007 interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, he revealed that Ava helped him cope and inspired him after his split from Witherspoon.

"She is beyond, in terms of like conscientiousness and maturity, and she has gotten me through this. I know it sounds pathetic — I'm a 32-year-old guy, but my 7-year-old daughter is getting me through the toughest time in my life, and that's beautiful too," he continued.

Ryan proudly declared that Deacon is not only his son — but his best friend, too.

"fthr n sn n bst frnds frvr," the producer wrote in the caption.

The Cruel Intentions star appeared in one frame with his ex again to celebrate Deacon's 18th birthday in 2021. He called his child "gorgeous, smart, talented and caring" in the post.

"You are a true light in this world and are so loved by all who know you. We are lucky to be your mom and dad. Love you, pup..(I'd say we did pretty good @reesewitherspoon)," he said, tagging Witherspoon.

For Deacon's 16th birthday, the Playing by Heart star shared several photos of himself with his son through the years. In the first snap, they went out in twinning outfits and had a quick photo session to capture the moment.

The father-and-son tandem spends time together as workout partners and hiking buddies.

"We'll do the same workout, and the way he looks after compared to the way I look is really defeating," he quipped in an interview.

On one of their flights together, Ryan took a quick selfie and captured Deacon looking shocked. One of his followers revealed they had them on board years ago, becoming one of their favorite career moments.

The MacGruber actor enveloped his son in his arm as they cozily lounged in a massive bean bag.

"You have to get to that point as a divorced parent, as any parent, where you're not putting yourself first," he told EW about fatherhood.

Kailani Merizalde Phillippe Knapp, or Kai, made a rare appearance on Ryan's Instagram page for a Thanksgiving Day post.

He took a selfie featuring his 12-year-old daughter and her three friends as they enjoyed their "best Thanksgiving weekend."

"Pizza was had, Elf was watched, Young Sheldon was binged (along w teen romance anime). Boba was had, boardwalk shopping, cooking of pancakes was attempted, and we found some fake snow. + the eagles beat buffalo in OT and moved to 10-1, but I think that only mattered to me," he wrote.

Ryan and Alexis Knapp welcomed Kai in July 2011 after briefly dating a year prior.