Sarah Michelle Gellar Sets the Record Straight on That Viral Jennifer Love Hewitt Moment

The star said her “deer-in-the-headlights” expression was out of concern of breaking an NDA about ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’

Sarah Michelle Gellar; Jennifer Love Hewitt.Credit : Getty;Shutterstock

Sarah Michelle Gellar is clearing the air over a viral red carpet moment about former costar Jennifer Love Hewitt.

While at the New York City premiere of her new series Dexter: Original Sin on Wednesday, Dec. 11, Gellar, 47, was asked by Extra if she knew whether Hewitt, 45, was returning for the new I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot movie.

At first lost for words, Gellar said simply, “I have nothing to do with that,” before stepping away from the interview with a smile.

Some fans took Gellar’s response to be a shady moment, dredging up past rumors of an on-set feud between the costars of the original 1997 slasher movie.

On her Instagram Stories Friday, Dec. 13, though, Gellar explained that she didn’t want to speak out of turn with non-disclosure agreements about the upcoming project.

“Aspiring actors please note: this deer in the headlights reaction is perfect for when you are excited to see so many old friends in one project but have already stupidly forgotten what NDA means once this month,” she wrote.

Jennifer Love Hewitt Confirms Return for I Know What You Did Last Summer Reboot: ‘Never Too Late to Go Back’

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr. for “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997).Courtesy Everett Collection

That’s a reference to the behind-the-scenes photo Gellar recently shared on Instagram, showing a chair on the set of I Know What You Did Last Summer as she visited husband Freddie Prinze Jr., who is reprising his role.

“I found out that they hadn’t posted any pictures from the set yet, hadn’t announced they started filming. Yeah … that was an ‘Oops! My bad!’ ” she shared on Live with Kelly and Mark, adding, “I got in a little bit of trouble.”

Hewitt eventually confirmed her return for the reboot on Dec. 13, sharing a message on Instagram, which Gellar also posted on her own Instagram Stories.

Wrote Hewitt alongside a new photo, “It’s never too late to go back. Julie James is returning. I know what you will be doing next summer!”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hewitt addressed past claims of a feud with Gellar — and whether she demanded Gellar’s character be killed off — while on a recent episode of the I’ve Never Said This Before with Tommy DiDario podcast.

“I was 18. They were not taking script notes from me. All of us were in that experience together, you know, figuring it all out and everything. And I root for her and Freddie,” she said. “I think it’s the cutest thing in the world that they’ve been married for 100 years and have kids. It’s, like, adorable. So it’s just been really funny to see all of this stuff.”

I Know What You Did Last Summer is in theaters summer 2025.