A reporter dispelled a viral rumor about actors Sarah Michell Gellar and Jennifer Love Hewitt beefing with each other after Gellar awkwardly responded to a question about her former I Know What You Did Last Summer co-star.
Extra correspondent Tommy DiDario featured Hewitt, 45, on his I’ve Never Said This Before podcast, during which the actor's comments indicated there was no bad blood between her and Gellar despite fan-speculated rumors, and he suggested people try not to jump to conclusions based on a hunch.
The drama started when Gellar, 47, was asked about the likelihood of Hewitt returning for a reboot of the 1997 teen slasher film they starred in together called I Know What You Did Last Summer.
It centered on four teenagers who are stalked by a hook-wielding mariner who kills them off one by one a year after they cover up the presumed death of a man after they hit him in a car accident.
In the cult classic, Gellar played Helen Shivers, who does not survive, but Hewitt's character, Julie James, does.
Though Gellar's character is not expected to be revived since Helen died a gruesome death, the actor teased she might be involved in the new reboot with an "unofficial" behind-the-scenes role.
Last Wednesday, Gellar appeared at the New York premiere of the new Paramount+ show Dexter: Original Sin, a prequel to the popular Showtime anti-hero drama Dexter.
There, the special guest star of the new series was asked if Hewitt might be involved in some capacity in the forthcoming IKWYDLS revival.
An awkward pause followed. Gellar eventually shrugged and said, "I have nothing to do with that," before trying to walk away from the discussion.
Here is the reaction the internet can't stop talking about after being convinced there was lingering resentment between the actors.
The immediate reactions were dramatic.
However, DiDario downplayed tensions between the two, especially after Hewitt heard someone mention that she suggested Gellar's IKWYDLS character be killed off because "girl actresses don't like working with [Gellar]."
"I was 18. They were not taking script notes from me, guys," said Hewitt.
When DiDario, wide-eyed over that rumor, surmised they were probably friends around that time, Hewitt said, "Totally. I mean, all of us we're in that experience together…figuring it all out."
The 9-1-1 star also said she thought Gellar and her husband, Freddie Prinze Jr., who met on the set of IKYWYDLSL, being married since September 2002 was the "cutest thing in the world."
DiDario shared a snippet from his interview with Hewitt and wrote:
"Lots of rumors going around about a Jennifer Love Hewitt & Sarah Michelle Gellar feud."
The Extra correspondent explained:
"Jennifer was on my podcast 'I’ve Never Said This Before' this week and spoke beautifully about Sarah."
"I’m not sure it feels like a feud to me," adding:
"Perhaps we shouldn’t continue to pin women against one another for no reason. Just my two cents."
Here's a clip.
The internet admired DiDario for shutting down the drama.
Some fans surmised Gellar's red carpet response came from a much different place.
It still didn't stop the jokesters.
Though Gellar did not respond to the reporter's question, Hewitt confirmed on social media that her IKWYDLS character was making a comeback in the reboot, written by Sam Lansky and Kaytin Robinson and based on a draft by Leah McKendrick.
Deadline reported Hewitt signed the deal and will be reunited with her former IKWYDLS co-star Freddie Prinze Jr. along with new cast members Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers, and Jonah Haur-King.
"It’s never too late to go back," wrote Hewitt on Instagram, adding:
"Julie James is returning. I know what you will be doing next summer!"
The franchise includes a 1998 sequel called I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, the 2006 direct-to-video film I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, which is considered a standalone sequel having nothing to do with the first two installments and featured a new cast and setting.
A television series adaptation of the original IKWYDLS novel, written in 1973 by Lois Duncan, was produced by Neal H. Moritz and James Wan and released in October 2021.
The IKWYDLS reboot is slated for a 2025 release.
