Reese Witherspoon is one proud mama.
The actress, 46, spoke with PEOPLE at the premiere of her movie Your Place or Mine in Los Angeles Thursday night about how she felt dropping off 19-year-old son Deacon, whom she shares with ex Ryan Phillippe, at college.
“It means you did your job right,” she says. “And I’m so proud of my kids. They’re thriving in the world and I’m so happy for them.”
Deacon is now attending New York University, and recently posted a collage of photos and videos sharing his dorm life at the school. In one photo, he sat on his dorm bed with several decorations on the wall behind him, including a lit-up broken heart and a red EMBIID 21 basketball jersey.
“In flow” he captioned the post, which also showed his view of the city at sunset outside his dorm room. Deacon has also been sharing some snippets of a song that he’s been working on in the dorm called “Guess” in several other Instagram posts.
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The teen, who graduated from high school in spring 2022, is following in his parents’ footsteps and pursuing a career in the entertainment industry.
He has already taken the first steps in his career as a music producer with the release of his hit single “Long Run” in 2020, and made his acting debut in the third season of Netflix’s hit teen series Never Have I Ever.
Back in December 2020, Deacon opened up about his passion for producing with Interview magazine and shared that his dad, who also makes music, helped him get into it.
“When I was listening to the radio in the car with my dad, something just clicked. 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,” he explained. “I asked my dad about how it works, and he taught me all the stuff he knew, and then I started watching YouTube videos.”
Witherspoon has shown pride for her older son’s musical accomplishments by posting an adorable video of her dancing to “Long Run” on Instagram. “When your kid has his first single … you gotta dance!” the caption read.
In June 2022, Deacon’s parents threw a backyard commencement ceremony to mark his high-school graduation, with Witherspoon sharing a sweet Instagram post about it.
“So proud of the thoughtful, talented, kind & generous young man you have become. You light up our hearts and make us proud everyday,” she wrote in the caption.
As for 23-year-old daughter Ava, in addition to attending UC Berkeley, she’s also pursuing a career in modeling and has landed campaigns with brands like Pat McGrath, Beyonce’s Ivy Park and her mother’s line, Draper James.
In June 2021, Witherspoon opened up to Interview magazine about what it’s been like to watch both Ava and Deacon grow up.
“I never expected the kind of relationship that I have with them, but it’s so rewarding to be able to have kids that you can process life with a little bit, and they help me understand the complexities of what it means to be a human now,” she told Tracee Ellis Ross during the interview. “So I’m really, really grateful that these little humans are in my life. Adult humans. I have two adult children now, Tracee. It’s crazy.”
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