Highlights
- Deacon Reese Phillippe's expensive living arrangements have led to criticism and the label of being a "Nepo Baby".
- Deacon's parents are Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon.
- While Deacon benefits from his famous parents' connections, he is focused on establishing himself as a standalone talent.
Deacon Reese Phillippe was always going to be famous. When you take into consideration his dad, Ryan Phillippe is a movie star, and his mom, Reese Witherspoon, is an Oscar winner, you realize it would have been harder for him to not be famous.
The 20-year-old is currently attending New York University, and his expensive living arrangements have led to many labeling him a "Nepo Baby." It's a difficult label to shake, but it's led to a greater conversation about Deacon, and whether he's coasting on his fame or taking steps to establish himself as a standalone artist.
Deacon Reese Phillippe Was Dubbed A Nepo Baby After Showcasing His NYC Apartment On TikTok
Deacon Reese Phillippe went the wrong kind of viral after giving TikTok star Caleb Simpson a walk-through tour of his apartment. The NYC apartment has high ceilings, an open floor plan with a spiral staircase, and a beautiful outside view. When asked how much it costs, Deacon coyly replied: "West Village prices." For context, The Raw Deal ranked the West Village number one on the list of Manhattan's most expensive neighborhoods.
The celebrity progeny didn't endear himself by holding an expensive Perrier water bottle and showing off his vinyl collection at various points during the video. Simpson's 7.8 million TikTok followers swarmed to the comment section to criticize Deacon's aloofness.
"How much do you pay? The correct answer is: ask my mom and dad," wrote one annoyed user.
Conversely, there were those who felt that Deacon's demeanor, coupled with the fact that he was living with two roommates, made him seem grounded and surprisingly well-adjusted for having two Hollywood parents. "To the detectors [sic] is Reese and Ryan's son supposed to bum it in NYC? [H]e could've had a palatial home or apartment alone, but he's sharing a normal space with friends," opined another user. "I think it's a great compromise."
Deacon's estimated net worth is a bit of a mystery, though it's safe to assume he's not hurting for money. You will find wildly different amounts depending on which website you visit, as evidenced by the table below:
Website | Estimated Net Worth |
Married Biography | $2.5 million |
All Famous Birthdays | $5 million |
Idol Net Worth | $30 million |
None of these figures have been verified or supported by evidence, but the ones listed by Idol Net Worth is especially unlikely, given that Celebrity Net Worth claims Ryan Phillippe is also worth $30 million.
Deacon Reese Phillippe Acknowledges His Family's Impact & Influence During Interviews
An aspect of the Caleb Simpson TikTok that went overlooked was Deacon's musical ambition. The college student gave viewers a tour of his bedroom recording studio, which included a microphone and a keyboard, and he even previewed an unreleased track for Simpson. Music isn't a passing interest, either. Deacon has been working on his craft for several years, as evidenced by the impassioned conversation he had with Interview Magazine in 2020:
"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. I asked my dad about how it works, and he taught me all the stuff he knew, and then I started watching YouTube videos."
While the interviewer draws a distinction between Deacon and his parents, and how the former prefers to work "behind the scenes," he does acknowledge that Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon had already done cover stories for the magazine. "When I told my parents about the opportunity, both of them were like, 'Oh, we've done features in it,'" Deacon admitted.
Despite having to live in the shadows of celebrity parents, Deacon maintains that Ryan and Reese (who have been divorced since 2007) are his biggest supporters. "When I make songs, the first people I show them to are my mom [and] my dad," he revealed to Billboard. "My mom likes to tell me what her favorite song of mine is, and that's really helpful, because she has good taste."
Deacon Reese Phillippe Has Found Individual Success As An Actor & Musician
There's no evidence to support Deacon being worth as much as his dad, but there's lots of evidence to suggest that he's forging his own career path. He made his acting debut in the third season of the Netflix drama "Never Have I Ever", and drew positive reviews for his performance as the villainous Parker. He was also praised by the show's co-creator, Lang Fisher. "This is his first acting gig, but he just was great," she told Entertainment Weekly. "He showed up like a real pro. He was really, really professional on set. He was just a joy to work with."
The acting takes a backseat, however, to the music. Deacon's 2020 single "Long Run" with Nina Nesbitt was an unexpected hit, reaching the Top 20 on iTunes, and his long-gestating debut album, "A New Earth", was released in April 2023. The college student told People Magazine it was difficult to record the album while maintaining a full schedule of classes, but he was ultimately proud of the hard work and sacrifices he made.
"[Fitting everything in is] the hardest part, but I think that if you're doing what you love, it's worth the sacrifice of being stressed out sometimes. I try to create routines. I have a daily schedule and I try to relax in certain times and then go hard in others."
There's no denying that Deacon's name has helped him. He DJ'd the launch part for H&M's newest designer collaboration, and he was the opener for another musically-inclined son of an actor, Magnus Ferrell, in October 2023 (Reese Witherspoon is set to star opposite Magnus' dad, Will Ferrell, in the upcoming comedy "You're Cordially Invited"). Deacon will always turn heads due to his family connections, as opposed to someone who's completely unknown. Such is the world we live in.
That being said, Deacon is taking advantage of the opportunities he's been given, and he's done his best to maximize them. It's clear he wants to establish himself as a standalone talent, and if he keeps going about his career in the right way, he'll be able to shed the "Nepo Baby" label with ease.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGibnpmTpLtuvsSeqp5loJ22rbjIqaeeZZ6avbB5wZqZsmWdlrimeceiqmamlal6uLvRrZ9mr5mptbDB02anmqqVo8G0eceeo6ln