After Billie Eilish Named Sarah Michelle Gellar A Childhood Crush, The Buffy Star Shared Her Flattered Reaction

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Billie Eilish cropped side by side
(Image credit: Bravo/NBC)

It turns out that Buffy Summers wasn’t just the childhood crush of '90s babies everywhere, as she was also the first love of none other than pop sensation Billie Eilish. Star Sarah Michelle Gellar had the best reaction on social media upon learning the news. 

After Billie Eilish named Sarah Michelle Gellar as one of her childhood celebrity crushes, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer star took to Instagram to share her super flattered reaction. Take a look at her excited post below: 

Sarah Michlle Gellar reposted a screenshot of Billie Eilish’s Instagram story, where the “No Time to Die” singer shared an old pic of Buffy in her '90s-era heyday. A fan had asked “Who was your child celebrity crush?”, which prompted Eilish to post the Instagram story. 

Sarah Michelle Gellar responded to the frankly iconic Insta story with some delightful fangirling. She also made it very clear that she’s not a kid anymore, but she totally has a crush on Billie Eilish (to which Gen Z says: join the club). The Oscar-winning songstress responded with a flabbergasted “um oh my god.” 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer has enjoyed a huge cult following ever since it premiered in 1997, which would help account for Billie Eilish’s love of the show. She was born in 2001 (feel old yet?), which meant she would have been just two years old when the series’ seventh and final season aired on The WB network. Buffy has lived on and gained new fans in the years since its original run.

The show, which just celebrated its 25th anniversary, has remained a pop culture favorite for years. Created by Joss Whedon, Buffy the Vampire Slayer provided a new kind of female hero for young girls to look up to. Buffy Summers was one of the first female characters of her kind to star in her own show, and she wasted no time in defying stereotypes - especially the tried-and-tired ‘damsel in distress.’ 

She was inarguably the most formidable character on the show, and the success of Buffy the Vampire Slayer contributed to the rise of the teen-centric dramas that have come to shape network television. Buffy’s legacy is unquestionable, if Billie Eilish’s childhood crush is any indication! The vampire slayer has inspired everything from new TV shows to book franchises to nostalgic fashion trends, and her influence doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. 

If Sarah Michelle Gellar was your childhood crush, you’re in luck: you can rewatch all seven seasons of the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer with your Hulu subscription or your Amazon Prime Video subscription. You can also check out Billie Eilish’s Oscar-winning song “No Time to Die” in the Bond film of the same name by renting it on Apple TV. 

Rachel Romean

Actor, singer, and occasional dancer. Likes: fashion, books, old buildings. Dislikes: cilantro, the NJ Turnpike, sneaker wedges.