On August 20, Reese Witherspoon paid a heartfelt tribute to her mother, Mary Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Reese, celebrating her 76th birthday with a series of affectionate Instagram photos that highlighted their close bond. The post, centered on Reese Witherspoon mother birthday celebration, quickly captivated fans who noted the striking resemblance between the actress and her mother.
The images shared showed Witherspoon and Betty both dressed in black, smiling warmly for the camera. Another candid photo captured Reese applying vibrant red lipstick to her mother’s lips, a shade Betty clearly loves. The final picture featured Betty joyfully posing behind a tray of cupcakes, marking her special day.
In her caption, Witherspoon expressed her affection:
“Happy birthday to my wonderful mother Betty, who always teaches me to appreciate homemade art, flowers in the garden, little babies, & all the dogs and horses in the world!”
She also added,
“Ps. She LOVES red lipstick so I bought her this one called PIP @westmanatelier.”
Fans and Celebrities React to the Birthday Tribute
The birthday post drew numerous comments from fans amazed at the physical similarity between Reese and her mother. One admirer remarked, “Wow you look so alike,” while another said,
“Betty’s genes run strong! Happy birthday to her.”
The warm wishes extended beyond fans to celebrities as well. Famed filmmaker Ava DuVernay commented,
“Love her smile. Makes you wanna smile when you see it,”
and actress Sharon Stone reacted with, “Omg you’re twins.” Actress Octavia Spencer also shared a birthday greeting, writing, “Betty!!!!! The best. Happy birthday.”
Betty Reese is no stranger to her daughter’s social media followers, having been celebrated previously during Mother’s Day in 2021. In that post, Reese called her mom
“the original Mama Bear who taught me to be fierce and loving. Kind and strong,”
sharing gratitude for her mother’s humor and guidance.
Values Passed Down Through Generations
Reese Witherspoon has often reflected on the upbringing she received from her parents in Nashville. In a 2009 interview with People magazine, she described how respect for elders was an important part of her childhood, noting,
“I grew up in Nashville, and my parents taught me to respect my elders. We’d say things like ‘yes, ma’am’ and ‘no, sir’ to adults. But kids in Los Angeles don’t do that.”
She is also raising her own children with these same principles. Witherspoon shares three children—Ava Elizabeth and Deacon Reese with her ex-husband Ryan Phillippe, and Tennessee James Toth with her ex-husband Jim Toth. The actress explained,
“I’ve drawn the line at my children calling adults by their first names. I tell them they can call people ‘Miss Shannon’ or ‘Miss Heather,’ but that using only first names is too familiar. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned.”
