Sarah Michelle Gellar's Daughter Charlotte Grace Is All Grown Up
When Sarah Michelle Gellar married fellow actor Freddie Prinze Jr. in 2002, it felt like the perfect ending to a '90s rom-com. Gellar became a pop-cultural phenomenon while starring in the iconic series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Freddie Prinze Jr. was the spiky-haired dreamboat from "She's All That." Their first encounter came in 1997, when the pair starred in "I Know What You Did Last Summer." Three years later, the actors went on a date – and found love. Their romance was the stuff of dreams: two of the world's hottest celebrities in a happy, wholesome relationship. Two decades later, we're still swooning over SMG and FPJ.
As if their union couldn't get any sweeter, Gellar and Prinze welcomed their first child, Charlotte Grace Prinze, on September 19, 2009. Although Charlotte is being raised out of the public eye, her parents do share the occasional update on her life. With her dad's acting chops and her mom's beauty, Charlotte is already showing signs of major star power. Whether she's the next slayer is yet to be determined — for now, she's a pretty normal teen who enjoys sports, music, and hanging out with her little brother, Rocky James Prinze.
You might remember her as the cute tot from the pages of Sarah Michelle Gellar's 2017 book, "Stirring Up Fun with Food" — but these days, Charlotte Grace Prinze is all grown up, and she's ready to take on the world (or perhaps save it ... a lot).
Charlotte Grace Prinze made a surprising request on her 3rd birthday
Being the daughter of Hollywood icons, creativity is in Charlotte Grace Prinze's blood — but her preferred art form might surprise you. In 2015, Sarah Michelle Gellar revealed that her daughter enjoys building things. "For her third birthday she wanted a toolset," Gellar told Momtastic. The actor recalled that some observers mistook the toolset as belonging to Charlotte's brother, Rocky James Prinze. As a result, Charlotte's birthday gift sparked an unintentional critique of the gender binary. Gellar explained, "People were like, 'Oh, that's so sweet you got that for Rocky when you were pregnant,' and I was like, 'Oh no, that's Charlotte's.' And she'll be the first one to tell you that the Black and Decker toolset from Home Depot is hers.'"
When asked about the difference between raising a boy and a girl, Gellar boasted that Charlotte has a variety of different interests. "She was like the princess that wanted to build stuff," the actor gushed. Still, Gellar admitted that she tends to be more strict when it comes to parenting her daughter. "Maybe it's because I know how difficult girls can be," she reflected. "But, I try really hard to be as fair as possible." We would love to know which parent Charlotte inherited her handiness from!
Charlotte has a close relationship with her parents and younger brother
Celebrity life is filled with luxurious perks, but it also comes with some challenges. For busy superstars, balancing childcare with the demands of a high-profile career can be quite the struggle. Some stars resort to caregivers to help raise their kids, but Sarah Michelle Gellar chose a different path. In 2014, the "Buffy" actor took a hiatus from acting in order to stay home with her two children. The decision seemingly paid off, because Charlotte Grace Prinze has a close relationship with her parents and her younger brother, Rocky James Prinze.
How does the family maintain their special bond? According to Gellar, they never skip out on family time. Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr., who have both authored cookbooks, frequently make meals at home with their kids. As Gellar told Yahoo Life, Charlotte and Rocky are important players in the culinary process — they even assist with shopping for ingredients. Family time is everything, but Charlotte also enjoys one-on-one moments with her mom. From shopping excursions to Broadway shows, the mother-daughter duo seems to have plenty of common interests.
She also loves being a big sister to Rocky. "My kids are obsessed with each other," Gellar told Momtatsic in 2015. Charlotte has even rallied to increase the size of the Prinze family. As Gellar revealed to Us Weekly in 2019, Charlotte and Rocky request a new sibling "every day."
She's athletic
Charlotte Grace Prinze's can-do attitude doesn't stop at building and cooking — in fact, the mini-celeb has an assortment of other talents. By age 5, little Charlotte was already following in her mom's butt-kicking footsteps by enrolling in jiu-jitsu classes. While she didn't have a Watcher to train her, Charlotte did showcase some Buffy-level combat skills. On his since-deleted Twitter account, Freddie Prinze Jr. praised his daughter's fierce jiu-jitsu moves (via Us Weekly). Charlotte also had the chance to test out her ice-skating skills in 2017, under the guidance of an extremely well-qualified teacher: Olympic medalist Michelle Kwan. No big deal.
Like many Southern Californians, Charlotte has also dabbled in the cowabunga lifestyle. In 2020, the mini-celeb caught some waves while hitting the beach with her mom and little brother. The trio was joined by Sarah Michelle Gellar's bestie, Selma Blair, and Blair's son. Gellar chronicled the outing in a series of Instagram stories that featured the kids with their surfboards (via ET Canada).
Charlotte Grace Prinze is a fan of pop music
As a young celebrity, Charlotte Grace Prinze lives a uniquely charmed life. In 2018, Sarah Michelle Gellar treated her daughter to a meet-and-greet with her idol, Taylor Swift. "I don't often put pictures of my kids on here, but last night was truly special," the actor gushed in an Instagram post that showed Gellar and Charlotte posing with the legendary songstress.
Thanks to an adorable online exchange, we also learned that Charlotte is a Billie Eilish fan. In 2022, the "Happier Than Ever" singer revealed to her Instagram followers that Sarah Michelle Gellar was her childhood celebrity crush. Gellar was starstruck and responded, "I'm dead. That's all. I'm not a child anymore, but I totally have a crush on @billieeilish." Gellar later told "The Talk" that the interaction helped her score major cool points with her kids. "Oh, it was amazing," she exclaimed, "I saw it and I thought, 'Finally, they're gonna think I'm cool!" With Eilish's endorsement, Gellar said that she was able to bask in the cool factor "for almost a week."
Charlotte has to follow these household rules
For many families, an orderly, rule-oriented household is the norm. When it comes to celebrity families, a few extra household rules can help safeguard privacy. That's why Charlotte Grace Prinze isn't allowed to use social media — at least for now. In a conversation with TODAY Parents, Sarah Michelle Gellar remarked, "I know firsthand how hard it is to be a girl in middle school. And I didn't have social media to contend with." Gellar explained that she doesn't plan to restrict Charlotte from social media forever, but she will wait until Charlotte is mature enough to use it responsibly. "If you keep social media from them entirely, they're going to find a way to sneak it," the actor acknowledged. "Most importantly, it's teaching them how to navigate it."
Social media isn't the only regulation that Gellar and her husband, Freddie Prinze Jr., won't budge on. According to the "Cruel Intentions" actor, family time is also non-negotiable. In 2021, Gellar revealed that she let Charlotte attend sleepaway camp — but there was one condition. "We told her from the get go, we're like, 'Look, we're never going to be that family: there's no eight week summer camp," Gellar told Romper. "If you want to go for two weeks, that's fine, but I get a limited window with you and you're going to be here.'" Although Gellar and Prinze have described themselves as strict parents, their kids seem to benefit from their sensible household rules.
Sarah Michelle Gellar is impressed with how independent Charlotte is
Charlotte Grace Prinze may have quite a few rules to follow at home, but that doesn't mean she's excessively sheltered. In fact, Charlotte is quite independent, which is a trait that her parents seem to appreciate. In 2015, Sarah Michelle Gellar told Momtastic that Charlotte was already riding the bus and attending sleepovers on her own. Even though she was only a kindergartener at the time, Charlotte tackled those milestones with ease. "It's the reverse. I'm having a harder time than she is," the "Scooby-Doo" star admitted.
When asked how she fosters her daughter's independence, the actor replied, "By letting her make her own mistakes and letting her learn from them." Gellar continued, "I tell her ... [l]earn from those people who are better at something than you. I think that's a very important lesson, one I've had to learn, too."
In addition to learning from her mistakes, Gellar hopes that Charlotte will be influenced by her strong feminist values. "I think that that's how you have to raise children today, as you want them to be independent and want them to see in our society that there is no difference between men and women and go from there," Gellar told E! News in 2015.
She is being raised with strong values
In 2022, Sarah Michelle Gellar told People that she's raising Charlotte Grace Prinze and Rocky James Prinze with a strong sense of morality. "I think everything needs to be about inclusivity," the actor stated, "And I just always say to my children, 'I don't care if you're the star quarterback and I don't care if you get the best grades, I care that you're a kind and empathetic human and that's what's most important to me." Gellar's philosophy on inclusion means ensuring that her kids are supporters of the LGBTQIA+ community.
When it comes to LGBTQIA+ allyship, Gellar leads by example. In 2022, the "Buffy" star appeared in a Pride-themed commercial for Cann. Speaking with People, Gellar explained that Charlotte and Rocky already understand the importance of accepting people for who they are. " ... [L]uckily my children also are growing up in Los Angeles, in a big city where they've always understood since they were little that some people have two dads, some people have two moms ... It's just the way it is," Gellar said.
Gellar's parenting choices are a fitting tribute to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," a show that elevated the LGBTQIA+ community in numerous ways. From presenting an abundance of queer themes to showing a deep, nuanced lesbian relationship, "BTVS” is a staple in queer culture.
Yes, Charlotte is a BTVS fan
Into every generation, a slayer is born — but how about the next generation of "Buffy" fans? In 2020, Sarah Michelle Gellar confirmed that after binge-watching the show, Charlotte Grace Prinze was indeed a "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" aficionado. Like any Buffyverse devotee, Charlotte has a strong stance on the rivalry between Buffy's two main love interests, Angel and Spike. "I will tell you my daughter is definitely a pro-Angel," Gellar told Hollywood Life. Cue the Buffy and Angel theme!
Gellar has also revealed that Charlotte is a movie buff — but she's not all that interested in her mom's films. Gellar offered to let her daughter watch the first five minutes of "I Know What You Did Last Summer," but the junior celebrity protested, despite the fact that it stars both her parents. "She was like, 'No, "Harry Potter's" on,'" Gellar recalled. "She watched literally seven seconds" (via TODAY Parents).
She might not be ready to embrace "I Know What You Did Last Summer," but Charlotte does enjoy the new supernatural series, "Wolf Pack," that Gellar produces and acts in. "She loves it," Gellar told Extra. "I think the fact that I'm on it is irrelevant to her."
Charlotte is interested in acting
Charlotte Grace Prinze is definitely ready for her close-up. In 2016, the mini-superstar joined a musical theater for children, where she was cast as baby Simba in a production of "The Lion King." On social media, Sarah Michelle Gellar exclaimed, " ... [S]he has shown a great love (and talent) for being on the stage (wonder where she gets that from?)" While she may have a future in acting, don't expect to see Charlotte on-screen anytime soon. Per her mom's rules, Charlotte isn't allowed to pursue acting until after high school. In 2022, fellow "Wolf Pack" producers suggested Charlotte for a walk-on cameo on the show — but Gellar nixed the idea. "I'll never stop her from being on a set," the actor told the Hollywood Reporter. "But she's just not going on camera while she's living under our roof."
It may seem extreme, but the ban on Charlotte's acting career is likely a product of Gellar's own complicated relationship with child stardom. In past interviews, the actor has talked about the shadowy side of Hollywood, including grueling hours, unsafe working conditions, and toxic environments. She has also opened up about the difficulties of being a young woman in the industry. "A lot of times on sets, you're told not to make waves," Gellar told The Independent in 2023. "'Just do the job.' 'You're replaceable.' And in Hollywood, and when you're specifically a young female and you speak up about things, you're labeled as 'difficult.'"
Charlotte's mother gave her some valuable fashion advice
Despite her demon-fighting prowess, even Buffy Summers can end up a fashion victim. If you need proof of Buffy's style faux pas, look no further than the disastrous micro-bangs that our hero briefly sported in season 3 of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." The show's fandom has made a lot of jokes at the expense of Buffy's bangs — but few measure up to the zinger that Sarah Michelle Gellar posted on her own Instagram in 2022. The post featured two old photos of Gellar sporting the infamous, barely-there fringe. In the caption, Gellar wrote, "Every time my daughter asks for bangs, I show her this picture of me. When she keeps asking, I show her the second. #TheMoreYouKnow."
Sarah Michelle Gellar isn't a stranger to playing hair-themed jokes on her kids. In 2020, the veteran actor experimented with pink hair dye — to the chagrin of Charlotte Grace Prinze and her brother, Rocky James Prinze. Gellar took to Instagram to show off her new rose-colored hair. In a short video, she joked, "Well, because we're still in quarantine, I had to think of a new and creative way to embarrass my children. Quaran-color." For what it's worth, we think Gellar's pink hair was a slay. But if Charlotte had any previous plans to dye her own locks, it looks like the post might've been an effective deterrent.
Charlotte Grace Prinze celebrated her 13th birthday in style
In September 2022, Charlotte Grace Prinze turned 13 years old. To celebrate the milestone, she requested a "cocktails and caviar spa party." Sarah Michelle Gellar took to social media with highlights from the luxurious affair, which included party favors, decadent treats, and spa treatments. In the caption, Gellar explained that Charlotte and her friends enjoyed age-appropriate mocktails while the moms indulged in the real deal. On the special day, Gellar and her daughter posed in matching tiaras that featured the number 13. In one photo, Charlotte and her friends gathered around a birthday cake. For their privacy, Gellar placed an emoji over each of their faces. Fans poured into the comments with birthday wishes for the young starlet. One fan complimented Charlotte's grown-up choice of a party theme, writing "13 going on 30 for sure!"
In 2022, Charlotte made a rare on-camera appearance when she attended a screening of the film "Do Revenge" with her mom. The teen's dark hair was neatly pulled back and her neon pink eyeshadow was perfectly matched to her pink suit. It's clear that the style queen is taking after Sarah Michelle Gellar in so many ways. With so much going for her, it seems like Charlotte has lots to look forward to in her teenage years. We can't wait to see what the future holds for her!