She has spent years fiercely guarding her children's privacy, but Keri Russell made an exception for Paris — and the result was nothing short of show-stopping. The Diplomat star brought her 13-year-old daughter Willa to the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2027 fashion show at the Louvre on 6th October, marking the teen's first major public appearance, and the resemblance between mother and daughter left onlookers doing a double-take.
A Mini-Me Moment at the Louvre
Willa arrived looking every inch the natural at fashion week, dressed in a light red skirt suit with a matching zip-up sweater, black heels and a red purse, her brunette hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail. Russell, for her part, looked effortlessly chic in an oversized white button-up shirt, a short black skirt, black heels and — naturally — a Louis Vuitton handbag. Standing slightly taller than her mother, Willa drew comparisons immediately, the pair sharing the same button nose, brunette colouring and warm smiles.
It was the kind of mother-daughter outing that feels both glamorous and quietly meaningful. Russell, 49, has long kept her three children away from the spotlight, so Willa's appearance at one of fashion's biggest annual events felt like a genuine milestone.
Three Kids, One Very Private Family Life
Willa is the second of Russell's children with ex-husband Shane Deary. The former couple also share son River, 19. Russell has been in a relationship with her The Americans co-star Matthew Rhys for several years, and the pair welcomed son Sam, now 10, in 2016.
Russell has spoken candidly about the joys and chaos of parenting across different ages and personalities. "I'm just starting with, 'Don't be a jerk,'" she told People with characteristic wit. "I think it's just different based on the kid. You never know. You get what you get, and they're all so different and wild and weird and good in their own way."
Rhys, too, has reflected on the beautiful madness of raising three children. Speaking to Esquire, he said of the evening routine:
"If you get all three fed, vegetables eaten, someone's asked me a question at dinner, bath, Harry Potter's read, they're in bed, and all three haven't cried, it's an enormous success."
Willa's Verdict on Felicity? 'So Cringy'
For all Willa's apparent ease on the front row of a Paris fashion show, she has been considerably less impressed by another aspect of her mother's career — namely, her iconic role as Felicity Porter in the teen drama Felicity, which ran for four seasons from 1998 to 2002.
Russell recounted the priceless moment on a 2023 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, describing how she encouraged Willa to give the show a go one afternoon. The verdict came swiftly — and brutally.
"After about 15 minutes, she turned it off and she went, 'Ugh, mom, it's so cringy. Why would you think I'd want to watch your college experience making out with weird boys and stuff?'"
The anecdote speaks to something endearing about Russell's approach to fame and family — self-deprecating, warm and firmly grounded.
Grateful for Home Ground
Russell's decision to bring Willa to Paris comes amid what has clearly been a more present chapter of motherhood for the Emmy-nominated actress. The Diplomat, her critically acclaimed Netflix series, films in New York City — a deliberate and deeply valued arrangement, she has said.
"I am enormously grateful, because I still have kids at home," she told Rolling Stone in 2024. "It's just immensely important to be close to home and not leave your kids to be raised by wolves."
With Willa now making her Parisian debut and Russell riding high on the continued success of The Diplomat — which is heading into a fourth season — it looks very much like life is good on both the red carpet and the home front.
