If you’ve spent any time on TikTok lately, you've probably seen the comments. People are genuinely convinced that Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe have been "reincarnated" through their daughter. It’s a bit of a weird internet obsession, honestly. But the focus isn’t just on Ava’s uncanny resemblance to her mother anymore. Now, the spotlight has shifted toward Ava Phillippe’s boyfriend, a musician who has managed to trigger the collective memory of every 90s kid on the planet.
His name is Dakota Brubaker.
They aren't just some casual "spotted at a coffee shop" pair. As of early 2026, things have actually gotten pretty serious between them. They’ve moved past the "rumored" stage and into the "living together and hitting red carpets" phase of a Hollywood relationship. But there is a lot more to Dakota than just being a lookalike for a 1999 cult classic film star.
Who Exactly is Dakota Brubaker?
Dakota isn't just another influencer or a "nepotism" addition to the scene. He’s an artist in his own right. Most fans know him as Vindigo, which is the stage name he uses for his music. He started out with a band under that same name while he was a student at the University of California, Berkeley.
That’s actually a major piece of their puzzle. Ava and Dakota both went to Berkeley.
Dakota graduated in 2020 with a degree in Cognitive Science and a minor in Journalism. Ava followed a couple of years later with a degree in social welfare. It’s that classic college-to-real-world pipeline, though most Berkeley alums don't end up with millions of people analyzing their facial structures on the FYP.
By August 2024, Dakota transitioned Vindigo into a solo project. He’s released tracks like "Constant Pleasure" and "Cities," and if you look at his Instagram comments, Ava is basically his biggest hype-woman. She’s even the one behind the camera for a lot of his promotional shots. It’s a very collaborative, "artsy" vibe.
The Viral "Cruel Intentions" Moment
We have to talk about the turtleneck.
In June 2025, a fan left a comment on one of Ava’s videos saying, "Close enough. Welcome back Reese & Ryan!" It was a reference to the iconic 90s "it-couple" status of Ava’s parents. Instead of ignoring it, Ava and Dakota leaned into the joke.
They posted a TikTok where Dakota walked into the frame wearing a black turtleneck and round, wire-rimmed glasses. It was a direct, shot-for-shot homage to Ryan Phillippe’s character, Sebastian Valmont, from Cruel Intentions.
💡 You might also like: Jenna Elfman Age and Career: Why the Dharma & Greg Star is Still Everywhere
Ava’s reaction in the video? A hilarious, mock-horrified "no, no, no, no."
It was a smart move. By acknowledging the resemblance, they kind of took the power back from the commenters. It showed they have a sense of humor about the whole "dating your dad's doppelgänger" narrative that the internet won't let go of.
Moving In and Getting Serious
While the internet was busy comparing jawlines, Ava and Dakota were busy packing boxes. In June 2025, about six months after they went Instagram official, the couple revealed they had moved in together.
Dakota posted a TikTok of them hugging in their new place with the caption: "You’ll be married in a year in the suburbs or something like that." That's a pretty bold statement in the world of young Hollywood. It suggests that this isn't just a rebound or a fleeting summer romance. For context, Ava previously dated Owen Mahoney (another Berkeley guy) for several years before they split sometime in 2024. Transitioning into a live-in relationship with Dakota so quickly after they went public shows a high level of commitment.
They’ve also started making more formal appearances as a unit. They made their official red carpet debut in late June 2025 at Charlize Theron’s Africa Outreach Project Block Party in Los Angeles. More recently, in August 2025, they were spotted at the premiere of the indie hit Lurker.
Is it Eerie or Just Coincidence?
Look, people love a pattern.
Reese and Ryan met at Reese's 21st birthday party in 1997. They were young, blonde, and seemingly perfect. Seeing Ava—who looks like a literal clone of 90s Reese—with a guy who shares Ryan’s curly blonde hair and sharp features is a lot for fans to process.
But if you look past the hair color, Dakota has a very different energy. Before the music took off, he worked as an employment specialist for individuals with disabilities at Easterseals Southern California. He’s written openly about how much he loved his clients and how that work grounded him.
He’s also a big traveler. He’s spent time in:
- Havana, Cuba, researching financial development.
- Phuket, Thailand, doing marketing for a kickboxing academy.
- Cuzco, Peru, coordinating study-abroad programs.
This doesn't sound like a guy who is trying to be a 90s heartthrob. He seems like a guy with a genuine interest in the world who just happens to be dating the daughter of two of the biggest stars in the world.
What’s Next for the Couple?
Right now, they seem to be focused on their respective careers while nesting in LA. Ava has been dipping her toes into acting—appearing in the ABC series Doctor Odyssey—while Dakota continues to drop new music.
They are navigating that weird space where you want to be a normal 20-something couple while also having your every move chronicled by people who treat your parents' divorce like it happened yesterday.
Actionable Insights for Following the Couple:
- Check the Credits: If you see new promo art for Vindigo, check the photo credit. It's almost always Ava.
- Watch the Lyrics: Dakota’s recent solo work has become much more personal. "Constant Pleasure" is widely believed by fans to be about the early days of their romance.
- Ignore the Marriage Rumors: Despite Dakota’s "married in a year" caption, there’s been no official news of an engagement. They seem content with the "living together" milestone for now.
The "next-gen Reese and Ryan" label is likely going to stick around for a while, whether they like it or not. But as they move through 2026, Ava and Dakota are proving that they’re more than just a nostalgic aesthetic. They’re a real couple with a shared history from Berkeley and a very modern, very public life in Hollywood.