Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Geller have been together for 27 years and married for 22 years. Ahh, this makes me feel so old because I was in high school when they first got together. They have two children, a daughter, Charlotte, 15, and a son, Rocky, 12. Freddie and SMG go to great lengths to protect their family’s privacy, which includes keeping their children’s pictures out of the press and off of social media. They’re also just a pretty low-key couple in general. They do red carpets together to support each other’s projects, but we rarely see them being papped while out-and-about.
Freddie is the guest on the November 4 episode of the Oldish podcast, which is hosted by Randy Spelling, Brian Austin Green, and Sharna Burgess. During the interview, Randy mentioned to Freddie that he was impressed at how well the Prinzes (SMG legally changed her last name) are able to stay under-the-radar and out of the public’s eye. Freddie explained that for them, it’s actually quite easy to maintain their privacy. They simply stay away from the more popular celeb hangouts where paparazzi are swarming around and avoid them when they do show up in their neighborhood.
“Something that I’ve admired about your relationship is you both have seemed to stay out of the public,” Randy Spelling, one of the co-hosts said, which caused Freddie to respond, “That’s by choice, though. You can control it to a certain degree.”
He added, “I don’t know how deliberate [other celebrities] are in trying to avoid that BS. I know how easy it’s been for us because I don’t go anywhere. I don’t go to parties. People don’t see Sarah and I out and about at the popular places. We have our restaurants that we like, and they’re not super trendy in places where paparazzi hang out. So we’re good at avoiding it.”
He continued that he was “not trying to sh-t on anyone” but it’s “not that hard [to avoid attention,] if you really [want to.]”
“There’s times where [paparazzi] wait at the bottom of our street, but there’s people that are way more famous than me on my street. So I’ll just make sure they leave first. They’ll go follow Schwarzenegger and leave me alone. You know what I mean?” he shared.
“And I can count on one hand how many clubs I’ve been [to] my whole life,” Freddie added of his low key life.
This all makes total sense to me! I love that they’ve figured out the proper algorithm for maintaining their privacy. I cannot imagine how stressful it is to have to worry about public opinion while you’re just trying to eat sushi in peace, take your kid to the playground, or go buy some aspirin from Walgreens. I know that there are some people who are at such a level of fame that it’s hard to avoid being followed around, but there are also celebs at A through Z levels of fame that are able to successfully avoid the scrutiny. Freddie and Sarah Michelle seem like such “normal,” non-attention-seeking people, and I’m so rooting for them to continue to be able to live their best lives. Remember when they first got married and everyone figured it wouldn’t last? I love that they’re still together, proving the haters wrong. I’d love to see the two of them acting in another (new) project together.
You can listen to Freddie’s interview on Oldish here.
Photos credit: Jeffrey Mayer / Avalon, Faye’s Vision/Cover Images
I was listening to a podcast a while ago, and a backgrid photographer was saying how Justin Bieber does not like the paps, but drives around in a pink car so everyone knows where he is.
It must be hard to reconcile the competing desires of being a young rich rockstar who likes flashy things and wanting privacy. If I was rich I would want a brightly coloured fast car. He probably thinks he’s gonna get spotted and papped anyway might as do it in a car he likes instead of a boring sedan. Probably also means that when he wants genuine privacy he can bring out the grey Honda civic and nobody would think it’s him.
Nice couple.
I remember his Dad being “The Next Big Comedy Star”
I hope they both continue to have success.
Thanks for a post that is not political or BRF!
Yes- refreshing not to read about royals or politics. I prefer the good old fashioned celebitchy talk.
I always have to come out of the woodwork for the Prinze family. I have been obsessed with these two since they got together!
I’m over the BRF crap. I like Meghan and Harry stuff but maybe once or twice a week if they’re actually doing something.
I miss regular ol Celeb stories!! Rosie has my fav articles these days.
I really like those two and yes they don’t have the paparazzi on speed dial like some. They really are very low key and good for them.
Love that they are not attention seekers and are normal people who want to lead a normal life. Can’t stand those in you face celebrities like John legend and his annoying wife
Every interview, which not many, of Freddie gives off that he’s got a good head on his shoulders and has a sense of humor about things.
He also knows the dangers of becoming too famous too fast – through his father’s life and early death.
I thought the answer was going to be along the lines of “We don’t call the paps and tell them where we’re going to be,” like countless other celebrities do.
Actually despite popular opinion there are very few celebrities who let the paps know where they will be. Their homes are all well known enough for them to be followed The few celebrities who do are not the ones you would think and do it less than people seem to think. I remember back in the day when her kids were young (say over ten years ago) there was a thing called celebrity baby blog and she and her kids were one of the most papped and popular families on there. But as they all got older (both Sarah and the kids) they became less popular to be papped. It’s all supply and demand and they aren’t in demand by major buyers like daily mail like they used to be.
I was shopping for home decor last week and I heard a familiar voice speaking to the sales girl, it was Julianne Moore all by herself, no fuss, no attitude just shopping for her home. A few weeks before I saw one of the Jonas brothers (the one married to the Indian actress) he was walking around SoHo with an entourage and a big SUV. Had he been alone he could have had his privacy but his method of getting around attracts attention. I live on the border of Tribeca and SoHo and see celebrities all the time leading a normal life, then there are the ones who need the fuss and attention but I think like Freddie says, you can manage a normal life if you try.
I once saw Julianne Moore and her husband at an IKEA in Brooklyn checking out drinking glasses, normal as can be. I’m sure others noticed them too, but no one bothered them.
They could make a great holiday rom com together.
Manifesting this because omg, yes!
In their case, they seem to have also steered away from big productions or -as he acknowledges himself- are not that famous anymore. I still think for ppl like Taylor Swift or Rihanna would be difficult to roam out there undetected or without security, even at a place where paps are not camped.
I’d throw in Travis Kelce as well. Dude is 6’5″ and thus always stands out in a crowd. (I’ve seen a video someone took of TK shopping at his local Trader Joes.)
Yeah there is a difference in level of fame and public attention. Taylor Swift was in my area for a wedding last summer and it turned into a mob scene. It was insane and made me NEVER want to be famous.
But for sure it’s also where you hang out and how you live your life.
I think the best example of how you can live a private life if you want to: Tom Cruise. Does anyone see photos of him if he isn’t promoting something (or at someplace like Wimbledon)? No. And he’s about as globally famous/recognizable as you can get for an actor.
He’s very rich and lives on scientology complexes
I was just thinking this — Cruise is a ghost when he isn’t promoting something or wants to attend a high-profile event. We know nothing about what he does other than tabloid stories.
Tbf I see photos of cruise in his helicopter all the time. Just yesterday he was on lainey. It’s just despite being Alist he isn’t young or at the forefront of the culture. Nobody is really writing about him when he doesn’t have a movie to promote. The paps are taking the easy photos but nobody cares what he’s up to. And he has is very insular. He stays low key and surrounds himself with Scientology people. He isn’t like a taylor or Rihanna who the paps probably make big money off of esp if they get a private photo. I remember the paps getting a photo of Rihanna with her ex from the bushes while they were making out. She didn’t call them and they probably had to break laws to get the photo and the person who got it made a lot of money. And all the celebs I listed are at the very rich end where they can afford the security and ability to be more undercover and they still get papped a lot. It’s also probably WAY easier to catch women cuz they can’t look too undone if there is even a small chance they might get papped. People will dissect those photos horribly on social media. They are forced to have a bit of makeup or flattering clothes. Men can look at bit more bland or messy in sweats with no mockery if they get caught.
I lived in Hollywood for 14 years and I saw endless celebrities out and about doing basic stuff and there were no paps in sight. Shit, I even stood next to Kanye once in the grocery store when we were both buying yogurt.
They’re right, there are hot spots that paps frequent and they know about it. But doing stuff like shopping, filling your gas tank, dropping kids off at school, they’re usually left alone.
Sarah went to high school with my little brother. They are just normal people.
I love them but the Prinzes are at the best level of fame. They are rarely the most famous people in any room and they are still Able to walk around unnoticed yet they work enough to still be rich and get some perks. And even he is saying a big portion why they don’t get papped is cuz they just don’t go out. It reminds me of Liam Payne saying the only way to protect the boys in one direction was locking them in a hotel room. Many of the lower level celebs can absolutely walk around more discreetly but at the higher levels it requires and insane amount of money planning and security. And a lot of being kept in closed rooms with people you already know. Like Donna Kelce saying now they have to rent out entire restaurants if they want to go out when Taylor is around. Even normal people freak out when the bigger celebs are around. If I saw beyonce or even Taylor (and I’m not a swiftie at all) I would not want to invade their personal space and I dont even think I would take out my phone but I would probably stare a bit and visibly react. It’s human nature. I would probably only do a double take if I saw the Prinzes and that’s with Buffy having been a major formative show in my life. Also I don’t think the older celebs who were at their peak fame pre social media and smartphones truly understand how much the game has changed and how much that stays with you even after you become less famous. They understand more than me but still it’s a wildly different experience
I think, Kelces are really now experiencing the negative side of fame. I have seen a post from a swiftie who was on the same plane with Donna Kelce and saying to her followers that she was gonna go and talk to Donna and tell her what a good mother she is. I am sure they were spotted before by football fans, but now their public location is shared by swifties all the time and those posts get a lot of attention. It is scarry at that level.
This is why I had a lot of empathy for Chappell Roan’s commentary about invasive fans… she’s probably at the worst level of fame vs wealth at the moment. The Kelces are experiencing an increase now, but with their NFL dollars/endorsements they are able financially to rent out restaurants/hire security/fly their parents private.
Taylor can afford to wall herself off behind high fences and security guards – a new pop star who inspires that sort of passion can’t.
Meryl Streep is a great example too. I only know who one of her daughters is bc she is an actress too. Even Harry Styles have been seen biking, running and grocery shopping alone in Rome lately. Most people don’t care about celebrities. My favorite SMG character will always be Kathryn in Cruel Intentions.
Mine will be Kendall Hart, Erica Kane’s “forgotten” daughter, given up for adoption, on All My Children.
Yes, I am that old 😄
I’ve been saying this for YEARS! If a celeb truly wants to just live their lives and not get papped, they can.
It’s supply and demand, if their pictures were worth big bucks, they would be photographed.
Matt Daman said he and his family can walk around NYC, without being bothered, why? his pictures are not in high demand.
I haven’t liked her since seeing all of the likes she gave Gari Janettii’s posts about Duchess Meghan. But good her and Freddie.
If I saw Keanu Reeves IRL, I think an involuntary scream would escape from me.
My rational mind “Be cool. Don’t bother him. Maybe a nod and a smile would be OK”
Keanu is the only celeb I would want to see IRL. (Alan Rickman, close #2.)
Newman, Redford, DLR, Eddie, Cruise, Pitt, Clooney, Leo….
Hey, could you move please? You are blocking Keanu. 👍
(I’m older can ya tell?)
When Keanu was starting he mentioned that he had no interest in a house, he lived long term in hotels. Bc is was easier when traveling for his movies. In my early 20’s I thought that was a brilliant idea! If I had $$, I’d do it too. Maid, laundry, room service = perfect.
PR is part of the job. But the stalking or tailing by the paps is not good.
On a red carpet for an event, fine.
I really hate when the paps trail someone who is ill.
Those ghouls.
Yah unless they are hunting you then there’s no safe space
Paparazzi opportunity and Paparazzi chasing a story are very different