Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar: 22 Years of Love
Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar are one of Hollywood's most beloved love stories. After starring in I Know What You Did Last Summer together in 1997, it wasn't long before they fell for each other.
Although the couple " really didn't dig each other " when they first met, everything changed when he gave the Buffy the Vampire Slayer star a ride to the gym one day. "We talked on the way up, and she was a cool chick," Prinze explained.
But it would still be a few years before the two went on a date, as they stayed friends for a while. And their first date happened to be an accident, as they were supposed to go out with friends.
"We'd had many dinners before. We were supposed to go with someone else, and the third person didn't make it out and we decided to still go," Gellar explained of their first date. She noted that while they were just people at dinner catching up, the long meal turned into a long car ride and "things just happened."
Prinze shared that he knew Gellar was the one after taking her to a sushi restaurant and she wasn't afraid to eat with him. " A lot of girls back then in Hollywood — as far as the actresses — they didn't eat. They ate salad," he explained. "Sarah came to dinner with me, and we sat down. She ate everything, including a crab that they let walk across the counter, then killed while it was alive in some oil and said, 'It's popcorn, try.'"
After their first date, Prinze had no interest in dating other girls and explained he didn't even want to pursue other girls.
Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar take the next step
After less than two years of dating, the couple announced they were engaged in April 2001, despite neither of them previously being interested in marriage. But one day, Prinze knew that he wanted to spend his life with Gellar and the two took the leap.
"One day, I just knew we were gonna get married and I knew I was gonna propose. I didn't know when or how. And so, I did and fortunately, she was on the same page. My instincts were correct."
A big year for the couple was 2002 as they starred alongside each other in the live-action Scooby-Doo film as on-screen couple Fred Jones and Daphne Blake, walking the red carpet in June 2002. Later that year, in September, Prinze and Gellar tied the knot in Mexico in a sweet ceremony.
They starred in the sequel, Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, in 2004. In 2009, Prinze and Gellar welcomed their first child, daughter Charlotte Grace Prinze, and in 2012 they had their son, Rocky James Prinze. The couple, who were both in their 30s by the time they welcomed their daughter, were happy to wait until they were more settled to have kids.
Prinze explained, "I'm so happy we didn't have kids in our 20s — I just didn't know a thing. You have so much more patience in your 30s, and I feel like I appreciate this so much more."
How Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar make their relationship last
The Hollywood sweethearts, who have now been married for 22 years, have proven that love can last, even if they are complete opposites.
"Sarah and I are so night and day, and it's why we've always been a good couple and had a good relationship," Prinze shared of their love.
But while their different interests may keep things exciting, Prinze says that there is so much more to keeping the love alive than that. Staying in the moment is one thing that the couple prioritizes, along with keeping eye contact and making conversation.
Prinze and Gellar recently celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary on September 1, 2024, and shared a sweet photo together
"We are each other's best friend. He is my first love," Gellar said of her husband. Cue the waterworks, because their love is so sweet!
This story was originally published September 23, 2024, 3:00 PM.
