Sarah Michelle Gellar Explains Jennifer Love Hewitt IKWYDLS Remark

Sarah Michelle Gellar is clearing the air — sort of — regarding her awkward reaction to Jennifer Love Hewitt joining the I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot.

Gellar, 47, raised eyebrows on Wednesday, December 11, when she made a strange face after being asked whether Hewitt, 45, will be back for the much-awaited reboot. “I have nothing to do with that,” Gellar told Extra on the Dexter: Original Sin red carpet, throwing her hands up in the air and then walking away.

While some fans thought Gellar was just out of the loop — she is not in the reboot after her character was killed off in the 1997 original — others claimed it was a jab at Hewitt. (There were past rumors that Hewitt and Gellar feuded on the ‘90s set.)

Gellar, meanwhile, claimed via her Instagram Story on Friday, December 13, that she made the face after realizing there was a non-disclosure agreement for the film — in other words, she shouldn’t be talking about casting.

“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,” she wrote alongside a photo of a director’s chair on set, and referring to a previous faux pas.

Gellar accidentally shared the same picture when she visited her husband, Freddie Prinze Jr., on set in November.

She later told Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos that she “found out they hadn’t posted any pictures from set yet” and hadn’t announced that filming was underway when she posted the original snap. “I got in a little bit of trouble,” Gellar confessed during a stop at Live With Kelly and Mark on Tuesday, December 10, teasing, “Oops! My bad!”

When it comes to her Friday post, Gellar didn’t refer to Hewitt by name, but she did show some love for the actress via social media after Hewitt officially confirmed she will be back for IKWYDL’s reboot.

“It’s never too late to go back. Julie James is returning,” Hewitt wrote via Instagram on Friday. “I know what you will be doing next summer!@IKnowWhatYouDidLastSummerMovie.”

Related: Freddie Prinze Jr. Slams ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ Director

Lights, camera, acrimony? Freddie Prinze Jr. claimed that I Know What You Did Last Summer director Jim Gillespie didn’t want him in the 1997 movie — and had no problem telling him so. “There was no passive aggressiveness, which I hate. He was very direct [with] the fact that, ‘I don’t want you in this […]

Gellar then reposted Hewitt’s announcement via her own Instagram Stories.

Gellar and Hewitt played Helen Shivers and Julie James, respectively, in the 1997 thriller alongside Prinze, who portrayed Ray Bronson. (Gellar and Prinze, 48, met on the movie set and eventually tied the knot in 2002.)

While Hewitt and Prinze reprised their roles in 1998’s I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, Gellar’s character was killed off in the original.

Rumors later surfaced that Hewitt was responsible for Gellar’s character dying, which she denied during a recent episode of the “I’ve Never Said This Before With Tommy DiDario” podcast.

“I was 18. They were not taking script notes from me. All of us were in that experience together, you know, figuring it all out and everything. And I root for her and Freddie,” Hewitt said during the Tuesday episode, denying she had the power to basically fire Gellar. “I think it’s the cutest thing in the world that they’ve been married for 100 years and have kids. It’s, like, adorable. So it’s just been really funny to see all of this stuff.”

The I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot is set for a July 18, 2025, release. In addition to Hewitt and Prinze, newbies Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers, Jonah Hauer-King, Lola Tung, Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Austin Nichols round out the cast.