Ryan Phillippe fights charges he beat 21
Martha Ross mross@bayareanewsgroup.com
One-time Hollywood 'bad boy' and ex-husband of Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe faces a lawsuit alleging he assaulted his 21-year-old Playboy model girlfriend.
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The Mercury News
Once upon a time Ryan Phillippe was one half of Hollywood’s most dazzling young super couples with Reese Witherspoon. But he also had his “Hollywood bad boy image.” In 2006, he and Witherspoon went their separate ways after eight years of marriage, two children and her winning an Academy Award.

At one point Phillippe, now 43, said they married too young, but there were also rumors that he cheated on Witherspoon with Australian actress Abby Cornish.

Things with Cornish lasted about three years, and Phillippe had a brief relationship with “Pitch Perfect” actress Alexis Knapp in 2010, which produced a third child for Phillippe, a daughter. Phillippe next spent five years in a relationship with civil rights attorney Paulina Slagter and even got engaged but they split up in November 2016.

Now, Phillippe’s latest relationship, with 21-year-old Guess and Playboy model Elsie Hewitt, has ended in turmoil. She has filed a $1 million lawsuit accusing the actor of beating her up over the July 4 holiday, according to The Blast.

Hewitt claims Phillippe, who stars in the USA Network show “Shooter,” was “extremely drunk” and assaulted her when she went to pick up some things from his home, according to documents obtained by The Blast. Hewitt claims Phillipe left her with chest pain, bruising and abrasions.

Hewitt also alleges that Phillippe uses a variety of drugs, including cocaine, ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms and steroids. She said he attacked her during a July 4 visit and threw her down some stairs. She went to a hospital and reported the incident to police who took a report and issued a temporary protective order, the Blast said.

However, sources close to Phillippe told the DailyMail.com that Hewitt instigated the incident, showing up to the actor’s home “under the influence” and physically attacking him. They insist she fell and hurt herself as she was being escorted from his home. The domestic violence allegations are false and the lawsuit is all about “revenge and fame,” the sources told the Daily Mail.

Moreover, Philippe isn’t facing any charges related to the incident, nor is there a protection order currently in place, the sources said.

With this turmoil attached to Phillippe, it’s easy to believe that Witherspoon is probably relieved she moved on. However, she and Phillippe reportedly have maintained a friendly relationship for the sake of their two children, Ava, 17, and Deacon, 13.

In fact, Witherspoon apparently isn’t concerned about Hewitt’s allegations, with friends telling The Blast that he’s always been a great father and that she’s never known him to be violent.

After a two-year romance with Jake Gyllenhaal, Witherspoon married CAA agent Jim Toth in March 2011, and they welcomed son Tennessee, now 2, the following year. She’s now enjoying a career resurgence as both an actress and as a power producer who brought acclaimed films “Wild” and “Gone Girl” to the big screen and just won an Emmy for co-producing the hit limited HBO series “Big Little Lies.”

As for Phillippe, his romantic life may be tumultuous right now, but he has also kept busy as an actor and producer, mostly in television.

In a 2015 interview with Us Weekly. Phillippe tried to downplay his bad boy image. “I’m a pretty regular dude,” he said, disregarding the label. “I’m also a pretty dedicated dad and have multiple companies, so there’s not a lot of time for me to be a Hollywood bad boy.”