How Deacon Became Mom Reese Witherspoon's Last Minute (And Well-Dressed) Red Carpet Date

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 07: Deacon Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon attend the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 07, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.
(Image credit: Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

This past weekend, Reese Witherspoon attended the 2024 Golden Globe Awards, as she was nominated for her work on The Morning Show. (The show has been a consistent presence during awards season since its premiere in 2019.) The Legally Blonde star may be single, but that doesn’t mean she showed up to the star-studded event solo. The actress brought her son, Deacon Phillippe, as her date for the evening. However, the young actor didn’t initially plan on going to the ceremony, and we now know how he ended up escorting her to the event. 

Getting to go to the Golden Globes is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for some people but, for Deacon Phillippe, it was a last-minute affair that he was invited to by his mom. The NYU student was home amid his school break and decided to accompany his famous mother to one of the biggest Hollywood events of the year. It may not have always been the plan for him to attend, but the mother-son duo looked like they had the best time. Reese Witherspoon said of her last-minute plus one to ET:

Well this kinda came up last minute, I was like ‘Do you wanna be my date to the Golden Globes?’ And he was like ‘Sure!’ So we got a tux real quick and threw it together.

The two later revealed that Deacon Phillippe ended up getting his tux only two days before the big event, which is pretty impressive, considering most stars plan what they'll wear months in advance. While it was a last-minute suit, the 20-year-old looked very dapper alongside his mom, who wore a stunning pink and black velvet dress. It was a sweet family moment, and it’s nice that they got to spend time together amidst Reese Witherspoon Witherspoon's divorce from Jim Toth. You can see a cute photo Witherspoon shared on Instagram post of the two of them below:

The Election actress also shared a Instagram story post of her and her son in a hallway, making their way to the event. While she wasn't one of the 2024 Golden Globes winners, she seems more than happy over the fact that her kid accompanied her on the special evening. You can see the post below:

Deacon Phillippe and mom Reese Witherspoon walking down the hallway together on their way to the Golden Globes

(Image credit: Reese Witherspoon's Instagram Story)

The Walk the Line star isn’t the only one who decided to make the Golden Globes a family affair this year. Martin Scorsese, who was nominated for directing Killers of the Flower Moon, brought his daughter, Francesca, as his date. Meanwhile, Maestro's Bradley Cooper walked the red carpet with his mom. It's always fun to see what couples will make their red carpet debut at the Globes, but it’s even sweeter when stars bring their family members to events. Deacon Phillippe, for his part, seemed stoked to be supporting his mom on her big night, and it’s adorable that they are so close. 

The young man is an aspiring musician and also has some acting experience under his belt. So it may not be too long before he is bringing his mother as his plus one to an awards show. He made an appearance on the Mindy Kaling-produced series Never Have I Ever. He has also starred in two music videos for two of his own songs. With parents like Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, Deacon has a lot of talent running through his veins, and it’ll be fun to see if he follows in their footsteps. At the very least, we can say he’s already got the red carpet experience.

You can see Reese Witherspoon’s Golden Globe-nominated performance in The Morning Show, which is currently streaming its third season for Apple TV+ subscribers. You can also check out Deacon Phillippe in his own small-screen debut on Never Have I Ever, which is now available with a Netflix subscription

Caroline Young
Writer

Writer, podcaster, CinemaBlend contributor, film and television nerd, enthusiastic person. Hoping to bring undying passion for storytelling to CinemaBlend.