News Room : Sarah Michelle Gellar reveals how she met husband Freddie Prinze Jr. and the secret to their 23-year marriage

When Sarah Michelle Gellar first met her future husband Freddie Prinze Jr. in 1997 on the North Carolina set of horror slasher I Know What You Did Last Summer, he was already dating a girl that she knew.

The 48-year-old Daytime Emmy winner was driving an hour to get to a gym in Wilmington every day when suddenly, her 50-year-old silver fox graciously offered to drive her into town so he could run errands.

‘I was like, “Oh my god, that would be amazing!” Because I literally had just gotten my driver’s license. I grew up in New York City. Like I took a subway. I didn’t drive,’ Gellar recalled in her new People cover story.

‘So he drove me and that was like the first time that we really hung out and it was so random because we didn’t know each other that well but that’s when we got to know each other.’

The Star Search judge and Prinze Jr. eventually went public with their relationship three years later in January 2000.

Gellar and the Wrestling with Freddie podcaster impressively celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary last September, and they’re proud parents of 16-year-old daughter Charlotte and 13-year-old son Rocky.

When Sarah Michelle Gellar (L) first met her future husband Freddie Prinze Jr. (R) in 1997 on the North Carolina set of horror slasher I Know What You Did Last Summer, he was already dating a girl that she knew

The 48-year-old Daytime Emmy winner was driving an hour to get to a gym in Wilmington every day when suddenly, her 50-year-old silver fox graciously offered to drive her into town so he could run errands (pictured March 8)

When asked about the secret to long-lasting marriage, the Golden Globe nominee said: ‘One bedroom, two bathrooms. You don’t have to be so fancy that there’s two bathrooms in your bedroom! There just has to be another bathroom available…[It] stops a lot of petty fighting.’

Gellar continued: ‘I always say I’m two people. I’m Sarah Michelle Gellar and I’m Sarah Prinze. They’re different people. [Prinze] has a quieter life and a private life. And we’re allowed to live in that. And our fans have been so respectful of that.’

The Long Island-born scream queen and Prinze Jr. are simply willing to put the work in to sustain their wedded bliss.

‘I do feel like we live in this very disposable society. When I was a kid, when your TV broke, my mom and I would carry it like eight blocks in New York City to the TV repair shop. [Now] your TV breaks, you throw it out and you go to Costco and you get a new one,’ Gellar said.

‘I think because of that, we don’t work as hard at things because it’s easier just to get a new one. You have to put the work in. You have to carve out the time.’

Last July, the That Was Pretty Scary podcaster agreed with his wife, telling Variety: ‘I’m not perfect. She’s not perfect. We pi** each other off, but we respect one another. We were friends first. Maybe that’s the secret?’

The Dexter: Original Sin star’s comments came five days after she was ‘blindsided’ with the news that Hulu decided not to move forward with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot she was producing and starring in helmed by Hamnet director Chloé Zhao.

Gellar is blaming the cancellation on an executive rumored to be Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich, who allegedly announced he never liked Buffy in the first place.

‘I was like, “Oh my god, that would be amazing!” Because I literally had just gotten my driver’s license. I grew up in New York City. Like I took a subway. I didn’t drive,’ Gellar recalled in her new People cover story (pictured in 2000)

She continued: ‘So he drove me and that was like the first time that we really hung out and it was so random because we didn’t know each other that well but that’s when we got to know each other’ (pictured in 2000)

The Star Search judge and Prinze Jr. eventually went public with their relationship three years later in January 2000 (pictured in 2000)

Gellar and the Wrestling with Freddie podcaster impressively celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary last September, and they’re proud parents of 16-year-old daughter Charlotte and 13-year-old son Rocky (pictured in 2022)

When asked about the secret to long-lasting marriage, the Golden Globe nominee said: ‘One bedroom, two bathrooms. You don’t have to be so fancy that there’s two bathrooms in your bedroom! There just has to be another bathroom available…[It] stops a lot of petty fighting’

2025 vs. 2000: Gellar continued, ‘I always say I’m two people. I’m Sarah Michelle Gellar and I’m Sarah Prinze. They’re different people. [Prinze] has a quieter life and a private life. And we’re allowed to live in that. And our fans have been so respectful of that’

The Long Island-born scream queen’s comments came five days after she was ‘blindsided’ with the news that Hulu decided not to move forward with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot helmed by Hamnet director Chloé Zhao (R, pictured September 2)

Gellar will next appear on Bravo boozy talk show Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen this Thursday alongside fellow guest Dorit Kemsley (pictured Wednesday)

The Dexter: Original Sin star has been hard at work promoting her role as Ursula Danforth in Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin’s action-horror comedy Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, which hits US theaters March 27 and UK theaters April 10.

The RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars guest judge will next appear on Bravo boozy talk show Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen this Thursday alongside fellow guest Dorit Kemsley.

Gellar has been hard at work promoting her role as Ursula Danforth in Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin’s action-horror comedy Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, which hits US theaters March 27 and UK theaters April 10.

The Searchlight Pictures sequel also stars Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Elijah Wood and David Cronenberg.

The 5ft 4in blonde’s other upcoming projects include Tubi’s adult animated series Breaking Bear and an A&E pilot based on Emma Rosenblum’s 2023 novel Bad Summer People.

‘It’s all where I want to be work-wise,’ Gellar said.

‘And I have a great family. This is the best time of my life. And I’m noticing it and I’m taking note and I’m making sure that I’m enjoying all of those moments. You have to put the phone down.’

Meanwhile, Prinze Jr.’s upcoming films include the rom-com The Christmas Affair with Rachael Leigh Cook as well as cancer drama Road to Recovery.