Sarah Michelle Gellar’s ‘ridiculous’ birthday gift for teenage daughter sparks debate, ‘Don’t normalize…’

Sarah Michelle Gellar sparked criticism online after revealing she gave her daughter, Charlotte, a costly Jeep for her 16th birthday. Many fans were disappointed by her gift choice.

Sarah Michelle Gellar achieved massive success with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. For the portrayal, she was nominated for the Golden Globe Awards in 2001. She is also known for I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scooby Doo.

In her post, the 48-year-old Hollywood star shared a heartfelt message and photos celebrating her daughter. Gellar and her husband of 23 years, Freddie Prinze Jr, also have a 12-year-old son, Rocky. He celebrates his birthday just one day after Charlotte.

“16 years ago today, you made me a mom. I believe the quote is … a daughter is just a little girl who grows up to be your best friend. Charlotte, you are that and so much more,” the All My Children star wrote on Instagram.

“You are strong, you are inspiring, you are kind, you are funny (almost as funny as me 😉) and most importantly you are one of a kind, the best kind. Im so lucky to call you my best friend. And I’m equally excited to finally be your passenger PRINZEss,” she added.

Many social media users expressed dissatisfaction with the gift.

“My son had to work hard and save up to buy his first car, like myself and my wife,” came a comment.

“Who the Hell buys a car for a 16-year-old?? I got a cake. That’s all you need,” wrote another.

“That’s a whole lot of car for a 16-year-old,” another user wrote.

Another user commented, “What’s wrong with these celebrities! These kids, are they even doing they own laundry? Getting good grades? I don’t care how much money my kids think I have. They will always have to work just like I had to.”

“Can we stop normalizing gifting cars?” asked another user.

“This is ridiculous for a 16-year-old,” commented another.

Another user wrote, “Don’t normalize gifting ridiculously expensive cars to new and young drivers. I think you’ve taken away from your wonderful daughter’s birthday sadly.”

Sarah Michelle Gellar’s gift for her daughter

Sarah Michelle Gellar gifted her daughter a 2025 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, a rugged SUV built for serious off-road adventures. Prices start around $65,000–$68,000. But, fully-loaded versions can reach $75,000–$80,000.

The high-performance Rubicon 392 goes for more than $100,000. Custom accents like pink detailing add $500–$2,000 more. Jeep offers incentives of up to $5,000 cash back on select models.

At the same time, the Wrangler holds strong resale value. It keeps about 40% after five years.