Jennifer Love Hewitt Says TV Hosts Sexualized Her at 16 Years Old: ‘Grown Men Talking About My Breasts Openly on a Talk Show’ and Everyone’s ‘Laughing’

by

Jennifer Love Hewitt, in a recent interview on Mayim Bialik’s “Breakdown” podcast (as reported by US Weekly), shared that it wasn’t until her thirties that she truly understood the extent to which the media exploited her sexuality during her teenage years. Her career took off with roles in shows like “Party of Five” and movies such as “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” which were released when she was between 16 and 18, garnering significant attention.

Reflecting on my 30s, Hewitt recalled, ‘Oh my goodness!’ It’s astonishing to me now that at just 16 years old, grown men were openly discussing my figure on a talk show, and the audience found it amusing. At the time, I didn’t fully comprehend or process it. However, looking back, it seems quite unusual to be sexualized before I had any understanding of what that meant.

As a film enthusiast, I found myself utterly oblivious to the concept of “sexy” during a phase where the media persistently reduced me to an object. This period was marked by gracing the cover of Maxim magazines, encounters that left me bewildered as people would casually remark, “I took your magazine with me on a trip last week.” At the time, I admit, I had no inkling of what these words signified; it felt somewhat disquieting and inappropriate. Reflecting back, I believe I may have experienced some ordeals that I was not fully aware of at the moment. Yet, during those days, everything seemed innocent, thrilling, and enjoyable.

In 1997, ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ was a massive blockbuster, earning $125 million globally. Following the film’s release, Hewitt revealed that people often made humorous comments to her like: “Ah, I know what your summer vacation involved.

He chuckled along with everyone else since it was meant to be humorous, but it didn’t occur to him immediately that a grown man was discussing my chest on live national television,” Hewitt explained.

She went on to say, “By the way, I don’t hold it against them for asking questions, making jokes, or acting that way because it was a culture that was widely accepted. They were allowed to think and behave that way, and I responded to their questions and laughed along. I don’t have any issues with them for doing so. However, when you compare where we are now with back then, it’s truly astonishing.

In December, it was officially confirmed that I’m thrilled to see Hewitt reprising her role as Julie James for the new take on “I Know What You Did Last Summer” by Sony, helmed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. I can hardly wait to see Freddie Prinze Jr., who originally starred alongside Hewit, make a return as well! The fresh cast additions, including Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers, Jonah Haur-King, Lola Tung and Nicholas Alexander Chavez, will certainly bring something new to the franchise. Sony Pictures has set the film for a theatrical release on July 18th.

Read More

2025-01-31 01:46