Jennifer Love Hewitt was one of the biggest young stars in Hollywood during the 1990s, and everyone thought she would have a long and successful acting career with great roles as she got older.
However, in 2015, the star of the popular TV show Ghost Whisperer, who was always in the tabloids, suddenly vanished from Hollywood. This left fans wondering why she decided to step away from the spotlight.
Jennifer Love Hewitt was undoubtedly one of the most prominent teen stars of the nineties. It’s hard to find someone who didn’t admire her charm!
In my opinion, her smile was incredibly enchanting, and there was something so warm and authentic about her demeanor.
After starting her career with various TV commercials, Hewitt, now 44, got her significant break at just 10 years old on the Disney Channel’s Kids Incorporated, which aired from 1989 to 1991.
This show, centered around a group of young performers in a rock band, helped launch the careers of several celebrities, including Fergie from the Grammy-winning Black Eyed Peas, Mario Lopez from Saved by the Bell and Access Hollywood, and Eric Balfour, known for his roles in 24 and Haven.
Hewitt also became a regular on the beloved TV drama Party of Five, where she shared the screen with stars like Scott Wolf, Matthew Fox, Neve Campbell, and Lacy Chabert.
After Party of Five wrapped up its six-season run in 1999, Hewitt continued to shine in iconic films of the 1990s, including the teen horror series I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997 and 1998) and the teen drama Can’t Hardly Wait (1998).
In 2001, Hewitt played the role of Sigourney Weaver’s character’s daughter in the movie Heartbreakers. Roger Ebert commented on her performance in his review, noting that she spent “the entire film with her treasures on display, maybe as product placement for the Wonderbra.”
Hewitt, who has had a complicated relationship with the media since her body began to change, expressed in a 2018 interview with LA Times, “It wasn’t until later, when I took a step back, that I thought, ‘ugh.’ It’s the worst—that’s not how I want to be remembered.” She added, “I don’t want my child to Google me one day and find comments like ‘She looks terrible’ or ‘She has big boobs and she’s hot.’ I don’t want that to define me.”
In 2002, she appeared alongside Jackie Chan in the spy spoof Tuxedo, where she was mostly dressed modestly, often donning the powerful tuxedo.
In 2005, she made her return to television as Melinda Gordon, a woman with the ability to communicate with spirits, in the series Ghost Whisperer.
While the show didn’t receive much critical acclaim, it developed a dedicated fan base. Hewitt expressed her disappointment when Ghost Whisperer was suddenly canceled in 2010, leaving fans without closure.
“It was a complete surprise for me… I assumed our next season would likely be the final one, considering how long the show had been running,” she shared. “Coming up with fresh ideas to keep the audience engaged is challenging, but I never imagined that would be our last season.”
In 2012, Hewitt received her first Golden Globe nomination for her lead role in The Client List, where she portrays a single mother who works as an erotic masseuse to provide for her children.
While working on the set of Client List, Hewitt, who is also a talented singer, met her first and only husband, Brian Hallisay. In the series, he portrays the irresponsible father of her on-screen children.
In reality, Hallisay is a wonderful husband and a devoted father to their three kids. The couple tied the knot in 2013, welcoming their first daughter, Autumn, just days after their wedding. They later welcomed Atticus in 2015 and Aiden in 2021.
After years of hard work in the industry since childhood, Hewitt decided to step back from the limelight in 2015, sharing that she needed time to focus on her role as a wife and mother.
“There was a lot happening in my life that made me realize I needed some space and time to just be. I’ve really enjoyed the break, and now that I’ve returned to acting in the last few months, it has brought a wonderful perspective to my work. It’s made everything I do in my acting and entertainment career feel less overwhelming and more balanced than it used to be.”
During her time away, Hewitt was also working through the grief of losing her mother, who passed away from cancer in 2012 at the age of 67. She describes that loss as still feeling very fresh.
Amidst this tough chapter in her life, Jennifer decided to leave Twitter as well. She encountered a significant amount of negativity on the platform.
Being pregnant, she found it difficult to cope with all the hostility, leading her to step back from Twitter, which created quite a buzz.
“Sadly, with all the negativity and threats to personal well-being that people choose to share on Twitter, I have to say it’s no longer a place for me,” Jennifer expressed in 2013.
Since beginning her career in 1989, Jennifer Love Hewitt has undergone an amazing journey of transformation, both in her appearance and her emotional well-being.
However, she has also faced the negative aspects of Hollywood, including the pressures of fame and the objectification by tabloids. Some online media took things too far, making cruel and derogatory remarks when bikini photos of Jennifer were leaked, focusing on her weight gain. Certain outlets even made comments like, “I know what you ate last summer,” regarding her bikini images.
While Jennifer was able to cope with the harsh criticism, she was concerned about the effect these images and headlines might have on other young girls who are battling their own body image issues.
In an empowering message, she reached out to all the “girls with curves” and urged them to “put on a bikini, wear it with pride, and stay strong.”
The Ghost Whisperer actress inspired them to confidently don a bikini, embrace their true selves, and maintain their strength. Jennifer has experienced various weight transformations, worked with personal trainers, and is committed to a healthy lifestyle.
Nowadays, she “never checks the scale” and doesn’t keep track of calories. The 90s icon appears healthier than ever and stays engaged on social media, frequently sharing updates about her life on Instagram and Facebook.
In 2020, after taking a three-year break, Hewitt made her comeback with a fresh sense of enthusiasm, joining the cast of the TV series 9-1-1, which centers around the experiences of first responders.
Portraying Maddie Buckley, a former nurse who becomes a 911 operator, the show—now in its eighth season—has allowed Hewitt to expand her career, evolving from being typecast to being recognized as a more mature and experienced actress.
I believe I have gained new insights as an actress that I didn’t possess earlier. It’s quite strange how, as actors—especially as child actors, which I was—we’re often expected to draw from a wealth of life experiences that many of us simply haven’t encountered, Hewitt shared with the LA Times. “For many years, I acted from my heart, but I didn’t fully grasp some of the things I now understand.”
It’s amazing to think that nearly 25 years have passed since we first fell for Jennifer Love Hewitt’s charming smile on Party of Five! Now a mother of three, she has done a wonderful job balancing her career and family life. We can’t wait to see her take on more grown-up roles in the years to come!
