Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar has commemorated 24 years of marriage to her former co-star Freddie Prinze Jr by sharing a collection of nostalgic throwback photographs on Instagram.
The 49-year-old star took to social media on Tuesday morning to take fans on a walk down memory lane, posting pictures captured at the very start of her relationship with the 50-year-old actor.
Accompanying the photo gallery, Gellar addressed her husband directly in the post caption. She wrote: "@realfreddieprinze can you imagine telling these kids where they would be 24 years later (well tech 26… but 24 married) #happyanniversary".
The couple, who have been married for nearly two and a half decades, are widely celebrated as one of Hollywood's longest-lasting love stories. The milestone follows another major celebration for the family earlier this year, when Prinze Jr marked his 50th birthday in March.
Accidental First Date and Early Friendship
Gellar and Prinze Jr first met in 1997 on the set of the horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer, where they starred alongside Ryan Phillippe and Jennifer Love Hewitt. They became close friends during filming and maintained their friendship for two years before their relationship turned romantic.
Speaking to Access Hollywood last year at the premiere of the I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot, Prinze Jr recalled how their romance gradually developed. He said: "We were friends for a good couple of years before any sort of date happened. We met on that movie and became really close, really good friends."
Prinze Jr explained that living close to each other helped them stay connected after completing the film. "We lived ten minutes away from each other, so we made it a point to maintain the friendship and it turned into something else," he added.
The actor also previously revealed on The Howard Stern Show that their first official date happened by accident after a planned group dinner fell through unexpectedly. "We were supposed to go out with a group of people, and everybody else bailed… so it was just the two of us," Prinze Jr explained.
Private Proposal and On-Screen Collaborations
After dating for two years, Prinze Jr proposed in 2001. The couple have kept the details of his proposal private over the years. Gellar previously explained her preference for secrecy, stating: "I didn't want a big public proposal. I wanted something private."
They officially married in 2002. Following their wedding, the couple collaborated professionally on several film projects. They starred together in the 2002 live-action feature film Scooby-Doo, with Gellar portraying Daphne Blake and Prinze Jr playing Fred Jones.
They returned to their roles two years later for the 2004 sequel Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed. In 2006, the husband-and-wife duo also teamed up to lend their voices to the animated feature film Happily N'Ever After.
Durable Background on the Hollywood Stars
Gellar rose to global fame during the late 1990s as the lead character in the hit television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, establishing herself as a prominent figure in pop culture. Her film career also includes roles in late-90s hits such as Cruel Intentions.
Prinze Jr established himself as a prominent leading man during the same era, starring in high-profile teen romantic comedies including She's All That in 1999 and Down to You in 2000. In addition to feature films, he has expanded his career into voice acting and podcasting.
Family Life and Looking Ahead
Several years after tying the knot, Gellar and Prinze Jr expanded their family. They welcomed their first child, daughter Charlotte Grace, in 2009, followed by their second child, son Rocky James, in 2012. Today, Charlotte is 16 years old and Rocky is 13.
Having built a relationship spanning 26 years in total and 24 years of marriage, Gellar and Prinze Jr remain one of the entertainment industry's most enduring couples as they continue to celebrate milestones together.
