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Sarah Michelle Gellar Says McDonald's Sued Her When She Was 5 Years Old Over Burger King Commercial

Sarah Michelle Gellar; Sarah Michelle Gellar as a child in her Burger King Commercial
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images; Burger King

The 'Buffy' star recalled being involved in a lawsuit after she said McDonald's name in a Burger King ad campaign criticizing their burgers.

You probably recognize Sarah Michelle Gellar from any one of her roles in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Scooby Doo, I Know What You Did Last Summer, among many other amazing characters she has played over the years.

However, there is one part you probably don't remember her in: the time she (as a five-year-old child) was in a Burger King commercial.


This part, however, would prove to be full of issues and drama when she was sued by McDonald's over one of her lines in the ad.

In an interview, Gellar, now 45 years old, talked about the controversial commercial.

"This is really funny. This was this big campaign that I did for Burger King and I was 5. And I was the first person to say another competitor's name in a job, and so McDonald's turned around and sued the advertising agency, Burger King and me at 5."

You can see the commercial here:

Sarah Michelle Gellar Burger King Commercial - 1981youtu.be

She continued by talking about how all she really wanted was a hamburger.

"But what I really remember was I didn't eat a lot of fast food at the time, and when we were there, I just wanted a burger. I was so excited because my mom said that I could have the burger. And what I learned on that day is that when they make the burgers for commercials, they glue each seed on it to make it look all perfect and beautiful, and then they shellac it, and they paint it. You guys, TV is not real."

Reaction GIFGiphy

Gellar went on to talk about how during the lawsuit she was not allowed to eat at McDonald's, and as a child, that was extremely difficult for her.

"It was tough because, when you're a little kid, McDonald's is where all your friends have their birthday parties, so I missed out on a lot of apple pies."


Sad Kids GIF by CBeebies HQGiphy


Several comments poked fun at the "seriousness" of the issue.

Other's pointed out that it was sad and uncalled for for McDonald's to include Gellar - a child at the time - in the lawsuit.




Yahoo Entertainment



Yahoo Entertainment


One commenter even set out to explain why McDonald's would include a child in their lawsuit.

Yahoo Entertainment


Even with the explanation of why they would include Gellar in their lawsuit, the whole situation seems rather insane, and potentially traumatizing, although Gellar seems to have come out of it ahead in the end.

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