Reese Witherspoon and Ex Ryan Phillippe Reunite at Son Deacon's College Graduation
Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe's intention? To support their kids.
And the former couple did just that on May 15, when they reunited to watch their son Deacon Phillippe graduate from New York University.
Clad in navy blue dress under a white blazer with matching heels, Reese beamed as she stood outside of New York City's iconic Radio City Music Hall to take photos of her 21-year-old in his purple graduation robe and golden academic stole.
Ryan—sporting a white button-down dress shirt, black trousers and sneakers—also couldn't contain his excitement, pulling out his phone own for pictures.
The exes, who also share 26-year-old daughter Ava Phillippe, each posed with Deacon. Meanwhile, Reese's other ex-husband Jim Toth and their son Tennessee Toth, 13, stood nearby.
The momentous occasion comes nearly 20 years after Reese and Ryan's divorce. Though separated, the pair—who initially ended their seven-year marriage in 2006—continued to co-parent their two kids over the years.
“My ex-wife and I are blessed with kids who have [an] incredible sense of self,” Ryan, 51, told E! News in February, "and also are incredibly conscientious and very academically driven—intelligent. So, they make really good choices."
That's why the Cruel Intentions actor said he and Reese, 50, are comfortable with being “sounding boards” as their kids pursue careers in the entertainment industry.
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“It’s nice to offer your experience to them,” Ryan—who is also dad to daughter Kai Knapp, 14, with ex Alexis Knapp—continued, “and to let them know what you've been through and to guide them that way."
He's also happy to see his children explore their "diverse interests," with his Ava following his footsteps into acting and Deacon pursuing a career in music.
“My son feels like my best friend,” Ryan added. “Yes, I'm still a father and he regards me as such, but we also have so many similar interests in music and comedy, and we share all of those things."
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Likewise, Reese encourages her kids to dive into their passions—regardless of success.
"As parents, it’s our job not to make them conform to who we want them to be," the Oscar winner explained during a 2023 appearance on Good Inside with Dr. Becky. "It’s our jobs to figure out who they are and help them play to their strengths."
"Learning from failure is actually a valuable tool that you can’t take away from kids,” she added. “You rob them if you don’t let them sit in the discomfort of the experience."
Read on for more co-parenting insights from celebrities.
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Ricky Martin & Jwan Yosef
Though the Grammy winner and Swedish-Syrian artist called it quits in 2023, the pair continue to partner when it comes to their kids Lucia and Renn.
“We’ve actually had the most wonderful relationship,” Jwan told Attitude in September 2025. “It’s a very solid and calm co-parenting situation. We live 10 minutes away from each other. We speak every other day. We love our kids so much.”
He added, “It’s been an extremely lovely kind of experience. It’s not an experience—it’s a way of living.”
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Megan Fox & Brian Austin Green
Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green have a body of co-parenting experience. So the Jennifer’s Body star and the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum—who share kids Noah, Bodhi and Journey—try to follow a key rule.
"The number one," Brian told E! News in April 2024, "is always make sure that everything is centered around the experience of the kids."
Because as he put it, a breakup is “gonna affect the kids. The only choice you have is how it affects the kids.” Part of that, Brian continued, is recognizing that it’s important to “pick your battles.”
"The person that you were with that you're now separated from, you guys are separated for a reason," he added, "because you didn't get along. So, you can't expect to then get along after the fact in raising your kids. So, you have to decide, ‘OK, it's not about us getting along anymore. It's about us co-parenting, which is a totally different situation.'"
Megan—whose divorce from Brian was finalized in 2022 two years after the filing—agrees.
"I think it's really important when people separate to never ever disparage the other parent or even in a passive aggressive way make remarks," the Transformers actress said on a 2023 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show. "I don't let anything in my energy like that when I'm around my kids. Because if I don't accept and love their father, I'm rejecting a part of them because he's a part of who they are always. He's in their blood, and he's in their psyche, and they exist because of him."
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Josh Duhamel & Fergie
Where is the love? Josh Duhamel and Fergie certainly have it for each other as co-parents.
"Fergie is an amazing woman. She really is," the Safe Haven actor said on a 2023 episode of The Jess Cagle Show, going on to share how the singer welcomed his wife Audra Mari into the family. "She's taken Audra in. And it could be much worse. That's the thing—you never know how these things are going to go."
In fact, Josh said Fergie was thrilled for the couple after they announced in 2023 that they were expecting their first child together: Shepherd. The little one—born in January 2024—joined big brother Axl, whom the Las Vegas alum shares with the former Black Eyed Peas member.
"Because she's such a kind-hearted person, she really truly is, she only has love for Audra and is excited as—well, I can't believe how excited she is for us," continued Josh—whose divorce from Fergie was finalized in 2019, two years after they announced their split. "Like I said, it could be a lot worse. I've seen it, I've lived it. Thankfully, we have a really civil situation."
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Irina Shayk & Bradley Cooper
Irina Shayk, who shares daughter Lea with ex Bradley Cooper, isn't a big fan of the terminology.
“I never understood the term co-parenting,” the model told ELLE in 2021. “When I’m with my daughter, I’m 100 percent a mother, and when she’s with her dad, he’s 100 percent her dad. Co-parenting is parenting.”
Though Irina and Bradley split in 2019 after four years together, they've continued to stay on good terms. And even with their busy schedules, the runway vet and the Silver Linings Playbook actor have continued to go on family vacations, hang out in New York and support one another since their breakup.
“He’s the best father Lea and I could dream of," she told the magazine in 2023. "It always works, but it always works because we make it work.”
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Mariah Carey & Nick Cannon
As Mariah Carey put it, love takes time—and so can finding a rhythm in co-parenting. However, Nick Cannon, who shares twins Moroccan and Monroe with the Grammy winner, suggested they’ve settled into a good routine.
“Mariah and I co-parent very well,” The Masked Singer host said on a 2022 episode of The Language of Love with Dr. Laura Berman. “We’re really great friends. She’s taught me so much. That’s family.”
And Mariah seems proud of how far she and Nick have come since their split in 2014 and subsequent divorce.
"They spend time with him, and they have a good time; they spend time with me, and they have a good time," she explained to Harper's Bazaar in July 2025. "I want to make sure I’m always fair about the situation because it’s tough to grow up with divorced parents."
In addition to being father to Moroccan and Monroe, Nick shares Zion Mixolydian, Zillion Heir and Beautiful Zeppelin with Abby De La Rosa; Golden “Sagon,” Powerful Queen and Rise Messiah with Brittany Bell, Legendary Love with Bre Tiesi, Onyx Ice with LaNisha Cole and Halo Marie and the late Zen with Alyssa Scott.
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Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin
Of course, we have to include Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin. After all, the Oscar winner and the Coldplay singer—who share kids Apple Martin and Moses Martin—did popularize the phrase “consciously uncouple” when they announced their split in 2014.
“Chris and I committed to putting them first, and that’s harder than it looks,” Gwyneth said on a 2020 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show. “Because some days, you really don't want to be with the person that you’re getting divorced from. But if you're committed to having family dinner, then you do it. And you take a deep breath, and you look the person in the eye, and you remember your pact, and you smile, and you hug, and you make a joke, and you just recommit to this new relationship that you're trying to foster.”
And the Goop mogul noted she and the musician will always be family.
"That's how it will be forever," she continued. "Some days it's not as good as it looks. We also have good days and bad days. But I think it's driving towards the same purpose of unity and love and really what's best for them. We have this idea that just because we break up we can't love the things about the person anymore that we loved and that's not true."
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Tom Brady & Gisele Bündchen
After divorcing in 2022, Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady had to tackle a new challenge.
“I think there’s easier days than others,” the supermodel, who shares kids Benjamin and Vivian with the former quarterback, admitted in a 2024 interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts, later adding, “They’re super smart children. They know what they can get away with. So I think it’s natural that it has different rules, and then kids just adapt. And they’re going to try to do what they want. And I can only control what I do.”
And as Gisele put it, it’s all about balance.
“Tom has time with them, and I have time with them,” she added, “which I think is amazing because they get to really experience—again, more-enriching for their lives—two different worlds, and they get to learn from two different worlds and that’s wonderful for them I think.”
Tom also shed some light on how the exes are on the same team.
"I'm trying to raise them—we all are, myself and their mom—in a very loving way toward one another," the athlete, who also shares son Jack with ex Bridget Moynahan, told E! News in 2023, "to be very kind, to be empathetic and to have great perspective. Our kids are growing up in different ways than we grew up but also we want to raise them with the right values."
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Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner
Having played a superhero, Ben Affleck knows one when he sees one IRL. And he includes ex-wife Jennifer Garner—with whom he shares kids Violet, Seraphina and Samuel—in that league.
"Jen is a superhero mom,” the Oscar winner—whose divorce from the 13 Going on 30 star was announced in 2015 and finalized three years later—told E! News in 2016. “She’s an amazing mother, and I'm really lucky to have her as a partner to co-parent these kids with. We try our best, we put them first and that's what we do."
Jennifer Lopez, who wed her fiancé from the aughts Ben in 2022 before filing for divorce two years later, agreed—previously telling Vogue Jennifer is “an amazing co-parent,” and that she and Ben “work really well together.”
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Zayn Malik & Gigi Hadid
While Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik’s split in 2021 made headlines, they’ve been able to move forward together as co-parents for the sake of their daughter Khai.
“Co-parenting is good,” the One Direction alum said on a 2023 episode of Call Her Daddy. “We have a really good relationship for Khai. She’s the main importance. So yeah, it’s going well I think.”
As for their advice for other parents in similar situations?
“Just keeping the importance of the child’s happiness at the forefront,” Gigi told The Sunday Times that same year. “You have a long life alongside this person.”
And the fact that Khai “can be with both parents,” the supermodel continued, “makes me very happy.”
Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Remy Martin
Tristan Thompson & Khloe Kardashian
Khloe Kardashian is keeping up a co-parenting relationship with ex Tristan Thompson.
However, the reality star has admitted that maintaining this bond with the basketball player—who was at the center of several cheating scandals during their time together—for the sake of their children True and Tatum Thompson hasn’t always been easy.
"It's way harder when you're really mad at someone, it's really hard to sit in their face in front of your kids and be like, 'Hi!'" she told tmrw in January 2024, per People, later adding, "Trust me, that's not how I feel every day. I had to learn to take control of my feelings. There were so many times that my feelings got control of me and I was impulsive and I tweeted something or posted something and things that you regret. But in my opinion, I'll never regret being a nice person."
And ultimately, Khloe wants her kids to have a strong connection with Tristan, who is also dad to son Prince from his relationship with Jordan Craig and fathered son Theo with Maralee Nichols.
"I want my kids to have beautiful relationships with their dad,” the Good American mogul added. “And if we're blessed enough to have a dad that wants to be there and wants to show up and be hands-on, why would I prevent that from happening?”
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Orlando Bloom & Miranda Kerr
While Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr broke up in 2013, they’re still part of a co-parenting fellowship for son Flynn—one that also includes The Lord of the Rings star’s ex, singer Katy Perry, and the supermodel’s husband, Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel.
“I adore Katy, and I just feel so happy that Orlando’s found someone that makes his heart so happy,” Miranda said on a 2020 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show. “Because at the end of the day, for Flynn to have a happy father and a happy mother, it’s just the most important thing. So I’m just so grateful that Orlando and Katy found each other and I’m so grateful that I found my incredible husband and just that we all really respect each other.”
And though their schedules keep them busy and their families have grown—Orlando and Katy are also parents to daughter Daisy Dove and Miranda and Evan share sons Hart, Myles and Pierre—they still manage to come together.
“When it comes to special occasions when we have to be together, we work it out,” Miranda added. “So we have compromises that we work out together for what is the best for our whole family? But we really do always think of what is the best thing for Flynn? And I just think that that’s the most important thing at the end of the day.”
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Matt Bellamy, Kate Hudson & Chris Robinson
Unlike a love fern, Kate Hudson doesn’t think she has to let her amicable bond with exes Chris Robinson and Matt Bellamy die.
“Chris and I just need to check in once in a while,” the How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days actress told The Sunday Times in 2022 of her former spouse and dad to son Ryder.
As for Matt, dad to her son Bingham, he's "so wonderful—I couldn’t have asked for a better co-parent," she continued. "For me it’s like, you loved this person. That doesn’t just go away, but you can re-establish a different kind of love. You can have an amazing time with an ex-partner because you’re really only focused on the love of your child.”
Kate is also mom to daughter Rani, whom she shares with fiancé Danny Fujikawa.
“It might not look traditional from the outside, but on the inside I feel like we’re killing it,” she added. “The unit that I’ve created with three children with three different fathers is a seriously strong unit, and it’s ours.”
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Anna Faris & Chris Pratt
Sometimes, it can seem like co-parents are galaxies apart. But Anna Faris has suggested that her relationship with ex Chris Pratt, with whom she shares son Jack, and his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger has grown.
"We're all getting much closer, and I so appreciate that," The House Bunny actress, who split from the Guardians of the Galaxy actor in 2017 and finalized their divorce the following year, told People in 2022. "They're very protective of me, and I want to be very protective of them. I so appreciate their support."
In fact, Anna called Katherine—who also shares daughters Lyla and Eloise and son Ford with Chris—"awesome."
"She's just on top of it," the Mom star continued about The Gift of Forgiveness author. "I love how she is with Jack."
And ultimately, Anna—who is now married to cinematographer Michael Barrett—indicated she's happy with how things are going for the blended family.
"It feels just much easier now that time has passed," she told the outlet. "It feels really good to not live with that internal churning of unpleasantness."
Victoria Sirakova/Getty Images; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic
Mel B & Eddie Murphy
It's good when co-parents wannabe on the same page, and Mel B admits it took a while for her and ex Eddie Murphy to form this kind of relationship.
"I think being in the kind of [situation] that I was in, it was hard for me to step out and have that relationship [with Eddie] flourish," the Spice Girls member told Us Weekly in May 2025 , while reflecting on her past struggles with PTSD and coercive control. "I managed to do it bit by bit."
However, Mel B, who shares teenage Angel with Eddie, says their friendship has "flourished even more" in recent years.
"Angel is coming over [to Murphy’s house]," she continued. "They spend time together. They go on holiday together. He has [10] kids and he’s a proper father."
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Rachel Bilson & Hayden Christensen
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