Ryan Phillippe 'Begging' Ex Reese Witherspoon to Help Him Make Amends With Estranged Daughter Ava
Ryan Phillippe wants ex-wife Reese Witherspoon to help him fix his relationship with daughter Ava.
May 15 2025, Published 7:45 p.m. ET
Ryan Phillippe has made a desperate plea to ex-wife Reese Witherspoon about his estranged relationship with their daughter Ava, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
While Witherspoon, 49, shares a close bond with Ava, 25, the same can't be said for Phillippe, 50, and the Shooter star has begged his ex-wife to help him mend their estranged relationship as he continues to focus on his sobriety journey.
Ava has cut ties with her dad after he was accused of assault by ex-girlfriend Elsie Hewitt.
Phillippe has long prided himself on his co-parenting relationship with Witherspoon since their 2006 split. The former couple share Ava and son Deacon, 21, together.
He previously said of his ex-wife: "We were always united in support of them. They're both adults, but she and I have a friendship, and we still have calls about various things in their lives."
Sadly, Phillippe has not had a positive relationship with his daughter for several years now, according to a Hollywood insider.
A Broken Relationship
Phillippe (right) has spoken highly of his co-parenting relationship with Witherspoon.
The father-daughter relationship was said to sour after Phillippe's ex-girlfriend Elsie Hewitt accused him of throwing her down a flight of stairs and sued him for domestic assault in 2017, accusations the 50-year-old vehemently denied.
While Phillippe denounced the allegations, Ava was said to view her father in a different light following the lawsuit.
A source explained: "Ava shut him out after he settled the claims out of court.
"She started to see him differently – he wasn't this kind of hero who worshipped her anymore."
'Zero Tolerance'
Ava's personal relationships were also said to be a major factor in her distancing herself from Phillippe.
The source added: "She has girlfriends who've gone through terrible situations, some even worse, and she's seen how much it can break someone. She has zero tolerance for it, and Ryan did very little to change her mind."
Despite Ava taking a stand, Phillippe apparently believes all hope is not lost and has attempted to salvage the relationship through Witherspoon.
Sources said Witherspoon (right) can't 'play mediator all the time' with her adult children and ex-husband.
Although Phillippe is said to want Witherspoon to convince Ava to give her dad a second chance, a source close to the Morning Show star said "she simply can't."
They added: "As much as she'd love for her daughter to have a supportive and functional relationship with her dad, it's not up to her to play mediator all the time.
"They're both adults now, and she's not about to put any more pressure on Ava than there already is."
Meanwhile, Ava has made it clear she wants nothing to do with her father and has unfollowed him on social media as she allegedly believes he's the reason their feud has gone public.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Ava is said to want to change her last name from Phillippe to Witherspoon amid the rift.
An insider explained: "The fact that it's out in the open has made Ava more determined to stay away from him because she's convinced he must have leaked it to try and shame her into contacting him.
"It's a nightmare because Reese has Deacon to consider, too. Deacon's keeping well away from the situation and has told Ava he's not taking sides. He's a lot more hopeful that this will mend itself over time, but for now he's laying low, just like his mom."
While Deacon has refused to pick sides, Ava has made it clear she's done, and the insider claimed she wants to drop her father's surname.
The source explained: "She's always hated not having the same name as her mom, and now she's ready to build up a career of her own; she doesn't think it should be with her dad's name."
Witherspoon is said to be "heartbroken" over the increasingly dramatic situation and "wishes she could fix it but respects Ava's choice."
