Born in Venezuela while her parents were travelling missionaries, Liberty Phoenix is the fourth of the five Phoenix children, the younger sister of River, Rain and Joaquin and the older sister of Summer. She acted as a child in the early 1980s, sang in a punk band with her sisters, and later built a quieter life in Gainesville, Florida, as a designer, green-store owner and staff member at the peace center her mother founded. This biography covers her family, her short acting career, her marriages and children, and what we know about Liberty Phoenix’s net worth.
| Date of Birth | July 5, 1976 |
|---|---|
| Age | 50 years |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac Sign | Cancer |
| Occupation | Former Child Actress, Musician, Designer |
| Birth name | Libertad Mariposa Bottom |
| Birthplace | Venezuela |
| Parents | John Lee Bottom, Arlyn "Heart" Phoenix |
| Siblings | River, Rain, Joaquin and Summer Phoenix; half-sister Jodean Bottom |
| Husband | Andy Lord |
| Former husband | Ernesto Asch (1996–2004) |
| Children | 5 |
| Band | The Causey Way |
Atarah Mayhew
Charles OkochaBiography
Liberty Phoenix was born Libertad Mariposa Bottom on July 5, 1976, in Venezuela. Her parents, John Lee Bottom and Arlyn Dunetz, had joined the religious group the Children of God and were serving as its “archbishops” of Venezuela and Trinidad when she was born, according to People.
Her mother was born in New York to Jewish parents with Russian and Hungarian roots. Her father came from California and had English, German and French ancestry. Liberty also has an older half-sister, Jodean Bottom, from her father’s earlier relationship.
The family left the Children of God in the late 1970s and sailed from Venezuela to Florida on a cargo ship. They later swapped the surname Bottom for Phoenix, and her mother became known as Heart. Liberty grew up vegan, and she has credited her parents for it. “Both of my parents raised me vegan and have taught me to love and respect the Earth through not eating animals,” she told Vegetarian Star in 2009.
Brothers and Sisters
Liberty is the fourth of five children. River was born in 1970, Rain in 1972, Joaquin in 1974, and Summer, the youngest, in 1978. You can read more about each of them in our guide to Liberty Phoenix’s siblings.
River became the family’s first big star with Stand by Me in 1986 and an Oscar nomination for Running on Empty. He died of a drug overdose outside the Viper Room in Los Angeles on October 31, 1993, at 23, when Liberty was 17. Joaquin went on to win the Best Actor Oscar for Joker in 2020.
Career
Child Actress
After the children won singing contests in Florida, the family moved to Los Angeles, where the kids started acting. Liberty’s screen career was short. In 1982 she played Christie in “Christmas Song,” an episode of the TV series Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, in which River had a main role as Guthrie McFadden.
Her only other credit came in 1986, when she played a Brownie Scout in the TV movie Kate’s Secret. She stopped acting after that and never went back.
Music
Liberty turned to music instead. She was a founding member of the punk band The Causey Way with her sisters Rain and Summer. The band released three albums and an EP before it broke up, People reported. She has also sung backing vocals for Rain’s later band, Papercranes.
Fashion and Indigo Green
In 2005 Liberty designed a line of dresses and skirts that sold through Some Odd Rubies, a boutique in Manhattan. She also taught at the Florida School of Traditional Midwifery in Gainesville.
In March 2007 she opened Indigo Green, an eco-friendly store in Gainesville. It sold non-toxic building materials and home supplies, from natural cleaners to bamboo flooring, and it marked its second anniversary in May 2009. Like River, who spoke out for animals and the environment, she built her work around caring for the planet.
River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding
Liberty has also worked as office manager of the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding in Gainesville. Her mother and stepfather, Heart Phoenix and Jeffrey Weisberg, founded the nonprofit in 2012, and it runs programs on conflict resolution, restorative justice and peace through sports. Heart Phoenix still leads it as board president and co-founder, according to the center.
Personal Life
Husbands
Liberty married Ernesto Asch in 1996, when she was 20. The couple divorced in 2004. She later married Andy Lord, and she has used the name Liberty Lord Phoenix in her business life.
Children
Liberty is a mother of five, with children from both of her marriages. She has raised her family in Gainesville, close to her mother, Heart.
Family in the News
The Phoenix name keeps her family in the headlines even though she stays out of them. In February 2020, the week after his Oscar win, Joaquin rescued a mother cow and her newborn calf from a Los Angeles slaughterhouse and named the cow Liberty, CBS News reported. In October 2023, People profiled all five siblings, including Liberty’s work with her mother’s peace center.
Timeline
August 23, 1970: Older brother River Phoenix is born.
July 5, 1976: Liberty is born Libertad Mariposa Bottom in Venezuela.
Late 1970s: The family leaves the Children of God, sails from Venezuela to Florida and later takes the surname Phoenix.
1978: Younger sister Summer is born.
Early 1980s: The family moves to Los Angeles, where the children start acting.
1982: Liberty plays Christie in an episode of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
1986: Plays a Brownie Scout in the TV movie Kate’s Secret, her last acting role.
October 31, 1993: River dies in Los Angeles at age 23.
1996: Marries Ernesto Asch.
2004: Divorces Ernesto Asch.
2005: Designs a line of dresses and skirts sold by Some Odd Rubies in Manhattan.
March 2007: Opens Indigo Green in Gainesville, Florida.
May 2009: Indigo Green marks its second anniversary.
2012: Her mother and stepfather found the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding.
February 9, 2020: Joaquin wins the Best Actor Oscar for Joker.
February 2020: Joaquin names a rescued cow Liberty.
October 24, 2023: People profiles Liberty and her siblings.
July 5, 2026: Liberty turns 50.
Net Worth
Liberty Phoenix’s net worth has never been made public, and her income comes from a small business life rather than Hollywood. Her acting ended in 1986, and since then her money has come from her own work: designing clothes, running Indigo Green, teaching and her job at the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding.
Her brother Joaquin is the family’s highest earner, with pay from Joker and its 2024 sequel. Liberty has chosen a very different path, building her life and work in Gainesville, far from that kind of fame.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Liberty Phoenix?
She is the younger sister of River, Rain and Joaquin Phoenix and the older sister of Summer. She was a child actress in the early 1980s and later worked as a musician, designer and business owner in Gainesville, Florida.
How old is Liberty Phoenix?
She was born on July 5, 1976, so she is 50 as of October 2026.
What was Liberty Phoenix in?
She played Christie in a 1982 episode of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and a Brownie Scout in the 1986 TV movie Kate’s Secret.
Who is Liberty Phoenix’s mother?
Her mother is Arlyn “Heart” Phoenix, born Arlyn Dunetz in New York. Heart co-founded the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding in Gainesville in 2012 with her husband, Jeffrey Weisberg.
Who is Liberty Phoenix married to?
She is married to Andy Lord. She was previously married to Ernesto Asch from 1996 to 2004.
What is Liberty Phoenix’s net worth?
Her net worth is not public. Her income has come from clothing design, her Gainesville store Indigo Green, teaching and her work at the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding, not from Hollywood.
