Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jennifer Love Hewitt Rumored to Be Feuding

A brief red carpet moment ignited speculation about tension between two ’90s horror icons, prompting both actresses to set the record straight about their relationship. The buzz began at the Dexter: Original Sin premiere when Sarah Michelle Gellar appeared to give a frosty response to questions about Jennifer Love Hewitt‘s involvement in the upcoming I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel.

When an Extra reporter remarked, “I know Jennifer Love Hewitt said that she’s possibly returning. You can’t tell [us]?” Gellar merely “silently shrugged before stepping back and saying she has ‘nothing to do with that,’” according to Page Six.

The seemingly dismissive reaction quickly went viral, with social media users interpreting it as the Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum “definitely throwing shade” at the 45-year-old actress. However, Gellar, 47, later took to her Instagram Story (via New York Post) to explain her curt response: “Aspiring actors please note: This ‘deer in the headlights’ reaction is perfect for when you are excited to see so many old friends in one project but have already stupidly forgotten what NDA means once this month.”

This wasn’t Gellar’s first brush with NDA troubles regarding the project – she had previously posted a set photo in November that landed her “in a little bit of trouble” when Freddie Prinze Jr., her husband and fellow Last Summer alum, was filming in Australia during Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, Hewitt addressed the supposed conflict on Tommy DiDario’s I’ve Never Said This Before podcast. “I just heard that there’s this whole thing where they think that Sarah and I were fighting or something. There’s all these things out there,” she said, expressing bewilderment at the online speculation.

The 9-1-1 star went on to debunk fan theories about alleged behind-the-scenes drama from their original collaboration: “Somebody the other day was like, ‘Yeah, I think Julie made sure that she was killed because girl actresses don’t like to work with girl actresses.’ I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’” Hewitt added with apparent amusement, “I was 18. They were not taking script notes from me, guys. Like what are you talking about?”

Far from harboring any ill will, Hewitt expressed warm feelings toward her former co-star: “All of us were in that experience together, kind of figuring it all out and everything,” she recalled. “I root for her and Freddie and think it’s the cutest thing in the world that they’ve been married for 100 years and have kids. It’s adorable. So it’s been really funny to see all this stuff that people think.”

The timing of the manufactured controversy coincides with significant developments in the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise. Hewitt confirmed her return as Julie James in a Friday Instagram post, which Gellar supportively shared to her own Story. While Gellar won’t be joining the project, the sequel will reunite Hewitt with Prinze Jr., alongside new cast members including Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers, Jonah Hauer-King, Lola Tung, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, and Austin Nichols, with a planned release date of July 18, 2025.

The original 1997 slasher film, which also starred Ryan Phillippe, Johnny Galecki, Bridgette Wilson, and the late Anne Heche, holds special significance for its cast. Not only did it help launch the careers of its young stars, but it also sparked a real-life romance. Gellar and Prinze Jr. met on set and married five years later. The couple now has two children: daughter Charlotte Grace, 14, and son Rocky James, 11.

Prior to confirming her involvement, Hewitt had expressed enthusiasm about potentially returning to the franchise. “Fingers crossed right now,” she told Page Six in a recent interview. “I do want it to happen. It was a fun thing for me. And I feel like at, you know, 45, it would be really cool to go back to something. I started when I was 18, which is crazy to think about, but I think it would be fun.”