Ryan Phillippe's Rarely-Seen Daughter Kai Is Growing Up Fast
Ryan Phillippe has his hands full. Not only is he an actor, but he has three kids, and one of them has rarely been out in the public eye.
According to People, the actor became a father at 25 years old after he welcomed his first child, Ava Phillippe, with Reese Witherspoon. Four years later, the former couple gave birth to their second child, Deacon Phillippe. Both Deacon and Ava haven't shied away from the public eye, but Ryan's third child has. In 2011, Ryan and his now ex-girlfriend, Alexis Knapp, welcomed their first child together, Kailani Merizalde Phillippe Knapp, or Kai for short.
Ryan prides himself on being a father of three, even if his kids might be embarrassed by him. He shared with ET, "I don't think any parent gets the ultimate cool card. Maybe once they get into their twenties, and they're past the teenage period, I might become cool again." The actor has been vulnerable about what it has been like to be a father and has even shared stories about Ava and Deacon. But while he is willing to bring his two eldest kids into the limelight, he tends to keep Kai out of public conversation. On very rare occasions, Ryan and Alexis will talk or share photos of Kai. And while fans may not see or hear of her as often as his other kids, Kai is growing up.
Kai is nearly a teenager
To Ryan Phillippe and Alexis Knapp, it probably seems like just yesterday when they welcomed little Kai Knapp into their lives in 2011. But believe it or not, Kai is nearly a teenager. Throughout the years, fans have been able to catch glimpses of Kai through Alexis and Phillippe's social media.
In September 2021, Alexis shared a snap of her and Kai on the set of a production. The young kid had followed in both her parent's footsteps and took on the world of acting, although it might have just been the one project. Still, Alexis was thrilled to have her daughter on set with her. In another post of Kai on set, she wrote, "A star is born.....Now taking calls in need for all 10 year old action stars."
Alexis' posted the photo of Kai over two years ago, and it had been a while since fans had seen her. But Phillippe shared some rare photos of his daughter in 2023, which had people talking about how much older Kai had gotten. In November 2023, Phillippe posted about how he spent the Thanksgiving holiday weekend with his daughter. He wrote, "Had the BEST Thanksgiving wknd w these lil beauties. Sawyer, Ever, Kai & Isla. Pizza was had, Elf was watched, Young Sheldon was binged(along w teen romance anime)." The two, along with their fellow family members, had a quite fun-filled weekend, as Kai is now all grown up.
Mystery surrounded Kai's birth
Ryan Phillippe's post of Kai Knapp in November 2023 was the first time the actor has ever posted his youngest daughter on his Instagram feed. Based on the post, it seems the two have an unbreakable bond, but it might not have always been that way.
Phillippe and Kai's mother, Alexis Knapp, had a short-lived romance. According to the New York Post, the two actors dated for four months in 2010 before they split. Although they may have thought that the end of their relationship would be the last time the two would have to interact, they were wrong because Alexis got pregnant with Kai. However, when it became public knowledge that the "Pitch Perfect" actor was pregnant, Phillippe reportedly was seeking a paternity test, per Us Weekly (via Daily Mail). A source revealed that the "Lincoln Lawyer" actor wasn't sure the child was his. But they did explain that, "If it's his [the baby], he'll take responsibility."
Even when Alexis gave birth to Kai in July 2011, there was still mystery surrounding the father's identity and whether it was Phillippe, per People. Despite Phillippe reportedly being by Alexis' side as they welcomed their daughter, he still wasn't listed as the father on the official birth certificate. It's unclear whether that ever changed, but Phillipe is the father of Kai, it just took some time to be sure.