Freddie Prinze Jr. Reveals When He Knew Sarah Michelle Gellar Was the One

With 20 years of marriage under their belt, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar have one of the longest celebrity relationships. Despite their long-term partnership, however, it wasn’t love at first sight for the She’s All That actor. In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight on November 16, 2022, Prinze Jr. admits that “everything clicked” with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer three years after they met.

The two first crossed paths in 1997 while shooting on the set of I Know What You Did Last Summer. Prinze Jr. took it upon himself to act as Gellar’s chauffeur, driving her around North Carolina—where they were filming at the time—so they quickly formed a friendship. “We shot in this tiny little crazy town called Southport,” he explains. “I would drive her to Wilmington every day that we had off, every day during rehearsals, and we would have, you know, 55 minutes—if I drove the speed limit—to get to know one another.”

At first, their relationship was strictly platonic. “She was from New York City, and I am a SoCal kid, so we were night and day, and it was just our philosophies on life just never clicked,” the actor notes. After a few years of friendship, Prinze Jr. finally realized Gellar was the one. “Then, one day, everything clicked, and it was about probably three years later, and we started dating, and she’s been my girlfriend ever since,” he shares.

A year after they started dating, the Down to You actor proposed. At first, neither of them thought they were going to tie the knot because the two didn’t believe in marriage, according to People. Then, everything changed. “One day, I just knew we were gonna get married, and I knew I was gonna propose,” he shares. “I didn’t know when or how, and so I did, and fortunately, she was on the same page.” On September 1, 2002, they said “I do” in Mexico. Twenty years later, they share two children together, Charlotte and Rocky, and they’re happily married. 

In the interview with the publication, Prinze Jr. reveals why their relationship has been such a success. Tip number one? “My mom was a chef, and I learned how to cook, and I married someone who couldn’t cook, so I’m necessary,” he jokes. “She needs me to live and sustain herself.” His second piece of advice is relatable for any couple. “Number two is laughter,” he says. “I still make her laugh.”

Gellar credits their successful relationship to being present with one another. “Take the 10 minutes,” she advised in a past interview with People. “Put the phone down. Have a cup of coffee together. Walk the dog at the end of the night. Read a story with your kids. Make the most of the time that you have. We are all pulled in so many directions, so make sure that, whichever one you are focusing on, you're present."