Actor, Ryan Phillippe's childhood prepared him well for his role as father to kids, Ava, 8, and Deacon, 3. 

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Phillippe calls fatherhood his greatest achievement, and the "most important thing" about him.

"My mother had a day-care center in my house growing up. And I come from a big family on the East Coast. We grew up helping take care of and raise kids, so it's very second nature to me."

But Phillippe says he faces a challenge explaining the media attention the family attracts. "You try to make it seem as commonplace as you can. That's sort of the approach you have to take with all of that stuff, with the press, with the paparazzi. You kinda just say, 'Well, you know, Mommy and Daddy do this certain kind of job and it creates an interest in the public,' and you minimize all of that stuff as much as you can."  

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Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon's 8-year-old daughter, Ava, seems mighty comfy around her dad's actress flame, Abbie Cornish.

Phillippe and Cornish, 25, took Ava and her 4-year-old brother, Deacon, 4, Christmas shopping in L.A. on the weekend, Us Weekly is reporting.

"Ava seemed very comfortable with Abbie….(she) picked a wreath and Abbie put it around her head as a joke. They were both laughing," an eyewitness told the magazine.

Cornish and the now-divorced Phillippe are said to have been seeing each other when he split from Reese Witherspoon October last.

I guess that's the lot of a Hollywood child…learning to adjust to the revolving door that is your parent's love life!

Ryan Phillipe was out with his two children on August 11th in Santa Monica. He took his daughter Ava and his son Deacon on a shopping trip to Foot Locker. I can't get over how much Ava looks like her mother, Reese Witherspoon!

Ryan Phillipe filed a response to Reese Witherspoon's divorce claim, seeking joint custody of their two children, daughter Ava, 7, and son Deacon, 3. The documents that People retrieved state that child visitation be "equally allocated."

Reese filed for divorce in November 2007. She asked that the court not grant Ryan any spousal support. Ryan did not request spousal support from Reese and he isn't stopping her from asking for some from him.

For the past two months, Witherspoon dating Jake Gyllenhaal, 26, her costar in the upcoming CIA thriller Rendition. Ryan is working on an Iraq war film, Stop Loss.

It's refreshing to hear from a good father these days.  Ryan Phillippe credits his 7 year old daughter, Ava, with helping him get through his separation and divorce to Reese Witherspoon.  The couple were married for 7 years prior to their break up.  According to People Magazine, Phillippe made an appearance on the Ellen show, which will air tomorrow 2/16.  Phillippe told Ellen, "It's devastating, but the bottom line is the focus is on the children, and they're doing amazingly well and that's really all that matters."  Well said Mr. Phillippe!

Since filing for divorce from husband Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon has said Good-Bye Hollywood, Hello South Carolina! After seven years of marriage, the couple have two children, son Deacon, 3, and daughter Ava, 7.

New York Post columnist, Liz Smith, reports the actress was thoroughly disgusted with both marriage and her life in Hollywood and was ready to return to her Southern roots. Witherspoon moved back to Charleston to be closer to her family. She has enrolled both of her children in local public schools.

Posted 9:35am EST 12-21-06

Reese Witherspoon has filed for divorce to end her seven year marriage to Ryan Phillipe. The papers were filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Witherspoon, 30 cited irreconcilable differences and asked for joint custody of their two kids, Ava, 7, and Deacon, 3. She requested that she receives physical custody of both children and that Ryan, 32, be granted visitation rights. Reese also requests the judge to block Ryan with any attempt to receive spousal support. The couple did not have a pre-nup, so their earnings will be divided equally amongst them.

Posted 10:15am EST 11-09-06

America's favorite Hollywood couple has split, and we want to know why. After seven years of marriage, and two kids later, the couple made an announcement earlier this week about their decision to part ways. But why have they decided to seperate? Rumor has it that it was due to Ryan's infidelity.

The Bosh has reported that Ryan has been involved with his Stop Loss co-star, Abbie Cornish. The two became close while filming in Austin, TX. One night, they were spotted getting cozy over dinner at a restaurant called Kenichi. A spy for the Enquirer claims "They asked the restaurant staff to pull curtains around their table, so no one could see them." Pink Is The New Blog reports another witness to the dinner stating "We sat two tables away from Phillippe and an extremely attractive blonde (not Reese). The couple had a partition placed around their table soon after they arrived, but we could still see their legs intertwined under the table. As we left, we could see them clearly making out behind the partition."

The Enquirer reports that Reese found out about the affair after reading messages to Cornish on her husband's BlackBerry, which he left in the bathroom. 

Our favorite Hollywood couple Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe have officially seperated. A rep for the couple released a statement to TMZ this morning stating "We are saddened to announce that Reese and Ryan have decided to formally seperate. They remain committed to their family and we ask that you please respect their privacy and the safety of their children at this time."

Reese and Ryan have been married for seven years and have two children, Ava, 7, and Deacon, 3. Sources say it Reese has contacted celebrity divorce lawyer Robert Kauffman. Rumor has it that it wasn't one event that lead to this, but instead, cumulative. Divorce papers have not been filed yet.