Reese Witherspoon's daughter Ava Phillippe says 'gender is whatever' in response to question about her sexuality

• Ava Phillippe recently responded to a fan's question about her sexuality over Instagram.
• The 22-year-old wrote: "I'm attracted to… people! [Gender is whatever]."

Ava Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe's daughter, recently responded to a fan's question about her sexuality by saying that "gender is whatever."

Last week, the 22-year-old gave her more than 996,000 Instagram followers an opportunity to submit questions for her, leading one person to ask Ava if she likes "boys or girls."

"I'm attracted to… people! [Gender is whatever]," Ava wrote on a photo of herself smiling and wearing deep blue eyeshadow.

Ava is dating Owen Mahoney, a fellow student at the University of California, Berkeley. Ava confirmed their relationship over social media in 2019, and he's since been photographed spending time with her and her family.

The model is often compared to Witherspoon, partially because she's the "Hello Sunshine" founder's only daughter and also because the pair share a striking resemblance, but she said she hasn't felt pressure to follow in her mother's footsteps.

"My parents have always encouraged me to choose the path that's right for me and, you know, guide me along the way to make better choices than I might make," she told E! News' "Daily Pop" in December 2021.

She continued: "I'm so grateful for that. That is such a privilege to have parents that support you in that way and to want you to be who you truly are meant to be. So I think I'm trying to do that."

At 22, Ava has already been forging her own path. In November 2021, she modeled for Beyoncé's Ivy Park collection and became the face of Pat McGrath's "Bridgerton" themed makeup line the following month.

Still, she hasn't ruled out acting as a profession and told E! News that it's not "out of the question."

"That's kind of what I'm trying to figure out in this stage of my life, what's the right fit for me and what's going to do the best for others within that context, and what can I be most impactful with," she said.

Witherspoon and Ryan, who met while filming "Cruel Intentions" (1999), also share 18-year-old son Deacon Phillippe.

Following their divorce in 2008, the "Legally Blonde" actress welcomed son Tennessee Toth, 9, with her second husband, talent agent Jim Toth.

Ryan had a daughter named Kai Knapp, 10, with his now ex-girlfriend, actress Alexis Knapp.