Do the Busby Twins Really Look Like the Fanning Sisters? The Fan Debate That Won’t Die

There is a debate in the OutDaughtered fandom that refuses to fade — and it has nothing to do with Season 11, nannies, or homeschooling. It is about two faces. Specifically, the faces of Ava and Olivia Busby, and whether the identical twins are secretly the second coming of the Fanning sisters.

Fans have been saying it for years. And now that the twins have turned 11, the comparison is back in the spotlight — with the fandom split right down the middle.

The Reddit Comment That Started It All

The whole thing traces back to a fan thread on Reddit, where one viewer put into words what so many had been thinking: “Ava and Olivia remind me of the Fanning sisters — they look a lot like young Dakota Fanning.”

It is not hard to see why the comparison stuck. The Busby twins have the same blonde hair, bright eyes, and camera-ready sweetness that Dakota and Elle Fanning had as child stars. As the twins keep growing, more fans keep spotting the resemblance in Danielle’s Instagram photos — some even see a little of Elle in one twin and Dakota in the other.

Team “I See It” vs. Team “They Are Just Twins”

Not everyone is convinced. For every fan who swears they see Dakota Fanning in the twins’ smiles, there is another who admits something far more relatable: they cannot even tell Ava and Olivia apart yet.

“I am still not able to tell Ava and Olivia apart. I can always tell the other 3 apart though,” one fan confessed on Reddit, as reported by TV Shows Finder. Another chimed in with the most honest take of all: “I only know the redhead. No idea of the others.” (That is Hazel, for the record.)

It is a fair point. Before debating which Hollywood sister the twins resemble, maybe the real challenge is telling the twins from each other.

How Danielle Tells Them Apart

Good news: their own mother has a trick. According to reports, Danielle Busby shared her secret last year — Ava’s face is longer, while Olivia’s is rounder. Subtle, but it works.

Of course, knowing the trick and spotting it in a family photo are two very different skills. Even longtime viewers mix them up, which might be the highest compliment identical twins can get.

The Twins at 11: Growing Up Fast

Whatever you see when you look at them, one thing is undeniable: the girls are growing up fast. The twins recently started sixth grade — homeschooled this year through a co-op program, a decision Adam and Danielle announced earlier in 2026 that left fans divided.

From the tiny babies America watched on TLC to two 11-year-olds developing their own personalities, Ava and Olivia have been in the public eye their entire lives. The Fanning comparison might be the least surprising thing about them — child stars reminding everyone of child stars, in a way.

So, where do you stand? Do Ava and Olivia really look like young Dakota and Elle Fanning — or is this just a case of two cute blonde kids reminding everyone of two other cute blonde kids? And the real question: can you actually tell Ava and Olivia apart? Sound off in the comments.