Reese Witherspoon had a super-cute 'homeschool graduation' for her son with caps and gowns
Homeschooled kids deserve a graduation, too!
Reese Witherspoon in 2014.
Reese Witherspoon, 46, and her ex-husband Ryan Phillippe, 47, showed that homeschooled kids deserve graduation, too, by putting on an impromptu backyard ceremony for their son Deacon Phillippe, 18.
Approximately 6% of the kids in America are homeschooled, a number that increased significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ryan Philippe, who was dressed up in a cap and gown to play the principal at the graduation, shared photos and a video clip of the ceremony on Instagram.
In the video, Deacon Phillippe proudly accepts his diploma while Elgar's “Pomp and Circumstance” plays in the background. After receiving a few congratulatory hugs, he threw his cap in the air and it landed in the pool. But before the cap was completely water-logged, Witherspoon came to the rescue and fished it out.
Deacon’s diploma says it was from "Mountain High School" and was signed by his parents. He responded to the post by leaving a comment, “Best dad ever."
In addition to Deacon, Witherspoon and Ryan Philippe have a daughter, Ava Phillippe, 22. The former couple met on the set of “Cruel Intentions" and were married in 1999. They divorced in 2007.
Ryan Philippe also has a daughter, Kai Knapp, with his ex-girlfriend Alexis Knapp. Witherspoon has a son with her husband James Toth, Tennessee James Toth, 9.
Witherspoon can’t believe her son grew up so quickly.
“How did this happen?!! @deaconphillippe is 18?!!” she wrote in an Instagram post on his 18th birthday. “One day he was trading Pokémon cards, singing Bruno Mars songs, and playing American Ninja Warrior in the backyard. The next day, he is taller than me, cooking the family steaks on the grill and making his own music with his best friends. My heart is bursting with pride about the young man he is becoming.”
Witherspoon and Philippe have worked hard to remain friends as they’ve co-parented two kids over the years.
“I always tell my kids, ‘You’re so lucky cause it’s not just your mom and dad who love you. You have grandparents that love you, a stepdad that loves you and it’s always such a great opportunity to have as many people in your life nurturing you and carrying you and guiding you in this life,'” Witherspoon told ABC News.
What's next for Deacon Philippe after graduating high school? He has spent a lot of his time making music recently. His first single, “Long Run,” made it to iTunes Top 20 and features vocals by Nina Nesbitt.
“I have a teenage voice,” he told Interview, “so I’m going to stick to writing and producing.”
“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 added. “I asked my dad about how it works, and he taught me all the stuff he knew, and then I started watching YouTube videos.”
However, as the son of two prominent Hollywood actors, Deacon also has his sights set on the silver screen. “That’s definitely something I’m interested in,” he says about pursuing acting. “From the time I was really young, I remember paparazzi being around. I don’t really know what it’s like not to be seen by the public.”
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Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."