Is Ryan Phillippe Gay? Fans of the 'Cruel Intentions' Star Thought He Came Out in 2021

Many people have been asking whether 90's heartthrob Ryan Phillppe is gay. What can be confirmed is that he is indeed a father of three and has tasted marriage with his break-out movie costar, Reese Witherspoon.

Ryan Phillippe was born on September 10, 1974, to his parents, Susan and Richard Phillippe. He rose to fame in the 90s and won the hearts of Americans—straight and queer.

Although she was gaining more popularity than him, Phillipe won his ex-wife's heart at her party, and they went on to work together, get married, and birth children at a pace they now consider to have been hasty. Around Christmas 2021, social media activity on the actor's end rumored him to be gay.

Ryan Phillippe at\\u00a0the\\u00a0Newport Beach Film Festival at The New Port Theater, Newport Beach, CA, on October 15, 2022. | Source: Getty Images

Ryan Phillippe's Parents "Shunned" Him for Playing a Gay Teenager

The start of Phillippe's acting career was, in a nutshell, a conflicting period that was dampened by a moral dilemma. His first role as a gay teenager, Billy Douglas, in "One Life To Live," came to him when that sort of character had not been screened before. It was a risk for Phillippe, considering he comes from a strict Christian home.

He grew up attending a baptist Christian school, and by the time he got the role, his school had written him off and disassociated themselves from him. Phillippe starred in "Cruel Intentions," as Sebastian Valmont in the following years. The film's plot was not the usual romance — it was a concoction of adultery and incest.

This pushed the limits that his parents had for him even further; he admitted that, at the time, he thought his parents were going to disown him. When "Cruel Intentions" was released, Phillippe was 23 and building a resume of controversial characters — much to the displeasure of his parents who "shunned" him.

The film was well received by people worldwide and has been credited by many gay men as a sexual awakening. So successful that for the 20th anniversary, the film returned to theatre. Phillippe was moved by this and said this only occurs for movies with a similar impact as "The Godfather."

Although these roles brought a lot of tension in his real life, Phillippe says that he would like to move away from comedy for a while to pursue a role like the flippant and theatrical one he played in "Cruel Intensions."

Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon at the premiere of "Cruel Intentions" in\\u00a0the Sony Lincoln Square, on March 4, 1999. | Source: Getty Images

Ryan Phillippe's Fans Thought He Came Out as Queer in 2021

Last year, this time, Phillippe's fans felt he was finally living up to the person they connected with in "One Life To Live." Phillippe and a friend, Matt Sinn, posted a picture of themselves looking rather cozy under the Christmas tree with the caption, "Merry Christmas from our house to yours," and a male couple emoji.

Fans thought the "Cruel Intentions" star was finally coming out and exposing the sexuality they suspected. Sinn posted a photo to his story on Instagram with the caption, "He love me," which almost confirmed what people thought and gave the media the confirmation they were looking for.

Later on, Sinn posted another story; this time, the photo had their girlfriends lying by the Christmas tree, mimicking Sinn and Phillippe's image, with the text that reads, "No, Ryan Philippe didn't come out. Here are the girlfriends." Very anticlimactic for fans who were expecting the photos to be an exciting Christmas revelation.

Fans were excited to support Phillippe in his potential queer relationship, specifically as a bisexual male considering that he was married to Reese Witherspoon from 1999 to 2007.

He is also a father of three children: He has a daughter, Ava, and a son, Deacon, with his ex-wife, Witherspoon; he also has a daughter, Kai, with his ex-girlfriend, Alexis Knapp.

Ryan Phillippe Has a Complicated Relationship History

Phillippe and his "Cruel Intentions" costar, Reese Witherspoon, were in a relationship that began very early in their careers—one of the most interesting. They met at a party in 1997 and got engaged in 1998, a year before the film that kickstarted their career was released.

People were under the impression that their romance began on the set of "Cruel Intentions;" however, they were dating before that. In a 1998 interview, Witherspoon revealed that they met at her 21st birthday party. She explained:

"I don't know what came over me — maybe the seven Midori sours — but I told him, 'I think you're my birthday present.'"

Witherspoon added that Phillippe was so flattered and now feels embarrassed about how she acted in hindsight. After their quick engagement, the movie was released in March 1999, and their marriage followed within a few weeks. They were already expecting their first child at the time of the wedding.

Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe at\\u00a0the "Cruel Intentions" Premiere at Mann Village Theatre in Westwood, California, United States, on February 9, 1999. | Source: Getty Images\\u00a0

Witherspoon was 23 and her husband 25 when they welcomed Ava on September 9, 1999. She was terrified of balancing motherhood and her career, and after a few years, they began attending couples therapy. Witherspoon told People that she and her partner were ordinary people experiencing problems.

They welcomed their second child, Deacon, in October 2003 and, three years later, announced their divorce, which was official in 2007. Rumors went around about Phillippe having an affair with Abbie Cornish, which led to his divorce. However, he explained that he had relationship problems before meeting her.

Phillippe felt people were pitting him against his wife and almost fueling a fallout between them because she was more successful at the time. Although experiencing hardships in their relationship, Ava and Deacon's parents remained devoted to co-parenting and showed unity on their son's 18th birthday.

He, however, did not have a smooth landing after their divorce. He was in a relationship with actress Alexis Knapp who was 21 then, and they discovered that she was pregnant with their daughter, Kai, after breaking up.

He was also accused of domestic violence by other women in his past, but he did not stutter in denying those accusations.

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