Sarah Michelle Gellar Opens Up About Meeting Freddie Prinze Jr. and Lasting Marriage
In a revealing new cover story for People magazine, actress Sarah Michelle Gellar has shared intimate details about how she first met her future husband, Freddie Prinze Jr., and the secrets behind their enduring 23-year marriage. The couple's love story began in 1997 on the set of the horror slasher film I Know What You Did Last Summer in North Carolina, under circumstances that were both awkward and serendipitous.
An Unexpected Car Ride That Sparked a Romance
At the time of their initial encounter, Prinze Jr. was already dating someone Gellar knew, making their early interactions somewhat complicated. The 48-year-old Daytime Emmy winner, who had recently obtained her driver's license after growing up in New York City relying on subways, faced a daily hour-long commute to a gym in Wilmington. It was during this period that Prinze Jr., now 50, offered her a lift into town while he ran errands.
'I was like, "Oh my god, that would be amazing!" Because I literally had just gotten my driver's license. I grew up in New York City. Like I took a subway. I didn't drive,' Gellar recalled. 'So he drove me and that was like the first time that we really hung out and it was so random because we didn't know each other that well but that's when we got to know each other.'
This seemingly mundane car ride became the foundation for a relationship that would eventually blossom into marriage. The couple went public with their romance three years later in January 2000, and they celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary in September of last year. They are proud parents to two children: 16-year-old daughter Charlotte and 13-year-old son Rocky.
The Secrets to a Long-Lasting Hollywood Marriage
When asked about the key to maintaining their marital bliss, Gellar offered practical advice that might surprise some. 'One bedroom, two bathrooms. You don't have to be so fancy that there's two bathrooms in your bedroom! There just has to be another bathroom available...[It] stops a lot of petty fighting,' the Golden Globe nominee explained.
She elaborated on the importance of maintaining separate identities within the marriage, noting: 'I always say I'm two people. I'm Sarah Michelle Gellar and I'm Sarah Prinze. They're different people. [Prinze] has a quieter life and a private life. And we're allowed to live in that. And our fans have been so respectful of that.'
Gellar emphasized the need to actively work on relationships in today's disposable society. 'I do feel like we live in this very disposable society. When I was a kid, when your TV broke, my mom and I would carry it like eight blocks in New York City to the TV repair shop. [Now] your TV breaks, you throw it out and you go to Costco and you get a new one,' she said. 'I think because of that, we don't work as hard at things because it's easier just to get a new one. You have to put the work in. You have to carve out the time.'
Prinze Jr., host of the Wrestling with Freddie podcast, echoed similar sentiments in a July interview with Variety, stating: 'I'm not perfect. She's not perfect. We pi** each other off, but we respect one another. We were friends first. Maybe that's the secret?'
Professional Setbacks and Current Projects
Gellar's reflections on her personal life come amid professional challenges. Just five days before her People interview, she was reportedly 'blindsided' by Hulu's decision to cancel a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot she was producing and starring in, which was to be directed by Chloé Zhao. Gellar attributes the cancellation to an executive, rumored to be Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich, who allegedly expressed dislike for the original series.
Despite this setback, Gellar remains busy with multiple projects:
- She is promoting her role as Ursula Danforth in the action-horror comedy Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, scheduled for US release on March 27 and UK release on April 10.
- She will appear on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen alongside fellow guest Dorit Kemsley.
- Upcoming projects include Tubi's adult animated series Breaking Bear and an A&E pilot based on Emma Rosenblum's novel Bad Summer People.
'It's all where I want to be work-wise,' Gellar said of her current professional landscape. 'And I have a great family. This is the best time of my life. And I'm noticing it and I'm taking note and I'm making sure that I'm enjoying all of those moments. You have to put the phone down.'
Meanwhile, Prinze Jr. continues his own career with upcoming films including the romantic comedy The Christmas Affair with Rachael Leigh Cook and the cancer drama Road to Recovery.
