On Monday, July 14, Gellar, 48, supported husband Freddie Prinze Jr. on the red carpet in Los Angeles as the horror franchise's latest installment debuted.
Prinze, 49, and Hewitt, 46, reprise their roles from the 1997 original, which also starred Gellar and Ryan Phillippe, but their characters didn't survive that deadly film. (Prinze and Hewitt also returned for the 1998 sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.)
When fans noticed there were no photos from the event showing former costars Gellar and Hewitt posing together, Gellar shared an Instagram comment to explain.
"For everyone asking - I never got to see @jenniferlovehewitt, who is fantastic in the movie," wrote the Cruel Intentions actress. "I was inside with my kids when the big carpet happened. And unfortunately JLH didn't come to the after party."
"If you have ever been to one of these it's crazy. I sadly didn't get pics with most of the cast," added Gellar. "But that doesn't change how amazing I think they all are. Unfortunately some things happen only in real life and not online."
The star's comment was added under Gellar's own post recapping the premiere, with no photo or mention of Hewitt.
"What a night!!! Still can't believe ...... years later (no need to date myself) I got to walk the red carpet at another premiere of @ikwydlsmovie Still starring the most handsome man I know @realfreddieprinze but this time directed by my best friend @jennkaytin and written by Jenn and @samlansky," wrote Gellar. "I love this movie sooooo much and this cast!!"
Gellar and Prinze also costarred in the live-action Scooby-Doo movies, and they married in 2002. They share two kids, daughter Charlotte, 15, and son Rocky, 12.
Gellar also spoke out about fan speculation of a rift between her and Hewitt in December 2024. 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 an 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 at the time. "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."
Both Prinze and Hewitt praised each other in recent interviews with PEOPLE about their reunion for the new film.
Seeing Prinze again on set "felt like a high school reunion," said Hewitt, adding, "It felt like that moment where you're like, 'Oh my gosh, I have butterflies in my stomach and my heart is beating really fast because I have not seen this person in 150 years and now we're back, here we are.' "
Prinze said, "Whatever a high school union feels like that's what it felt like. You have no idea what's changed what's the same. You're excited to show what you think you're better at you know what I mean? You hope they notice it. It was all those things."
"There just had to be trust that each of us cared enough to put the work in," he said. "I didn't have any reason not to trust her. I know how much this character means to her. She puts everything into this girl and always has since the first movie."