Sarah Michelle Gellar marked daughter Charlotte’s 17th birthday with a rare mother-daughter photo and a message about how their relationship has changed as her firstborn has grown up.
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer star shared the tribute on Sept. 20, one day after Charlotte’s birthday. The photo shows Charlotte smiling in a pink dress while Gellar leans in to kiss her cheek, according to People.
Gellar wrote that she could hardly believe Charlotte was already 17 and called her daughter her “best friend.” She also reflected on becoming a parent for the first time, telling Charlotte that while she was “the child that made me a mom,” she had grown into someone who brings out the best in her.
Gellar and husband Freddie Prinze Jr. have generally kept Charlotte and their younger son, Rocky James, away from regular public exposure, making the new birthday photos an uncommon glimpse at their children as teenagers.
Gellar Told Charlotte She Brings Out the Best in Her
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Alongside the close-up birthday photo, Gellar thanked Charlotte for being herself and described her as her “biggest champion.”
“You are my best friend, the child that made me a mom, and now somehow the person that brings out the best in me,” she wrote.
Gellar also shared another mother-daughter photo on Instagram Stories set to Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday.” Entertainment Weekly reported that Charlotte reshared her mother’s tribute on her own Stories.
Charlotte Celebrated 17 With Photos of Her Own
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Charlotte also marked the milestone on her own Instagram account, posting a carousel that included a mirror selfie in the same pink dress featured in her mother’s tribute.
Charlotte was born in September 2009, seven years after Gellar and Prinze married in Mexico. She is the couple’s oldest child, with Rocky arriving three years later.
Although Charlotte has occasionally appeared alongside her mother in public, she has not grown up as a regular fixture on celebrity red carpets. One of those appearances came in 2022, when she joined Gellar at a Los Angeles screening of Netflix’s Do Revenge.
Gellar and Prinze Have Mostly Kept Their Children Out of the Spotlight
Gellar and Prinze met while filming 1997’s I Know What You Did Last Summer, began dating in 2000 and married in 2002. Their approach to raising Charlotte and Rocky has included limiting public exposure despite both parents spending decades in the entertainment industry.
Gellar discussed another part of their parenting style in a March People interview, saying she and Prinze emphasize discipline, responsibility and following through on commitments.
She recalled that when Charlotte decided she no longer wanted to dance, she was still expected to finish the commitment she had already made rather than quitting immediately. Gellar said she and Prinze wanted their children to appreciate their opportunities while understanding that choices still carry responsibilities.
The family’s birthday celebrations continued with Rocky, who turned 14 the day after Charlotte. Gellar shared another rare set of photos for her son’s birthday, including an image of him in racing gear, and wrote about how much she enjoys watching him pursue his interest in motorsports.