Jennifer Love Hewitt, a name synonymous with late ’90s and early 2000s pop culture, recently opened up about her troubling experiences growing up in Hollywood. In a candid conversation on Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown podcast, the actress reflected on the intense scrutiny she faced as a young star—particularly the way the industry and media fixated on her appearance rather than her talent.
The Pressures of Early Stardom
Hewitt rose to fame as a teenager with roles in Party of Five and the cult horror hit I Know What You Did Last Summer. However, instead of being celebrated for her acting skills, she found herself the subject of inappropriate jokes and objectification. The actress recalled that after the release of I Know What You Did Last Summer in 1997, media outlets and interviewers frequently made her body the focus of conversations.
“When I Know What You Did Last Summer came out, everybody said, ‘Oh, I know what your breasts did last summer,’ and that was like the joke,” Hewitt recounted. At the time, she laughed along, not fully realizing how inappropriate it was.
“It was a culture that was fully accepted,” she explained. “They were allowed to believe that that was appropriate, and I answered the questions, laughed right along with them.”
A Troubling Realization
Now, at 45 and a mother of three, Hewitt looks back on that time with a different perspective. She admitted that as a teenager, she didn’t even fully understand what being a “sex symbol” meant, yet she was constantly labeled as one.
“In hindsight, it was really strange to become a sex symbol before I even knew what that was,” she shared. “I didn’t know what being sexy meant.”
“In hindsight, it was really strange to become a sex symbol before I even knew what that was,” “I didn’t know what being sexy meant.”
Hewitt’s shift in perspective came as she grew older and realized how unsettling it was for grown men to openly discuss her body on national television when she was just 16 years old.
“It’s mind-blowing to look back now,” she said, pointing out how much the industry has changed in recent years.
The Role of Family and Self-Reflection
Hewitt credits her mother for keeping her grounded during her early years in Hollywood. Unlike many young stars of her era, she largely avoided the party scene, thanks to her mother’s guidance and protective instincts.
Despite the objectification she endured, Hewitt remained dedicated to being a positive role model for young girls who looked up to her. She wanted her work to be taken seriously, but she often felt frustrated that her performances were overshadowed by discussions about her looks.
“I was so mad that I had done my first movie and worked so hard trying to be good in a horror movie, and I really wanted people to walk away from the movie going, ‘That’s a really good actress,’” she said.
A Changing Industry
Thankfully, the entertainment industry has evolved significantly since the late ’90s, with many former child stars speaking out about the problematic culture they endured. Conversations about media ethics, sexism, and the treatment of young women in Hollywood have become more prominent, leading to greater awareness and accountability.
Hewitt’s story is just one of many, but it serves as a powerful reminder of how far Hollywood has come—and how much further it still needs to go.
