What Happened to This ’90s Teen Idol Who Lost Her Mother & Later Took a Break from Acting to Focus on Family?

Her breakout role came during her time on the hit series “Party of Five.” The show served as a launching pad, making her a household name. As the late 1990s rolled on, she transitioned seamlessly into film, starring in hits like “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “Can’t Hardly Wait.”

These movies solidified her status as America’s sweetheart, with teens idolizing her and men swooning over her girl-next-door appeal. Her growing popularity even inspired a spinoff, “Time of Your Life,” in 1999, which followed her character to New York City.

While the show didn’t last beyond one season, it was clear her star power wasn’t fading. But by the early 2000s, the young star faced a challenging moment in her career as her movie roles became less prominent. However, her comeback came in 2005, when she returned to television in “The Ghost Whisperer.”

This time, she took on dual roles, not only starring but also serving as an executive producer. Her next major project, the Lifetime film “The Client List,” was another career milestone.

The film’s success was so significant that Lifetime adapted it into a TV series. On the set of the project was also where she met her future husband, actor Brian Hallisay, who starred alongside her.

By 2013, the actress’s life took a dramatic turn. After losing her mother, the Hollywood star found solace in her growing family. That year, she and Hallisay welcomed their first child, a daughter named Autumn, and secretly tied the knot days before the birth.

“It was just the two of us, and then we went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond, ’cause that’s what married people do,” she joked about their simple wedding day.

The couple has since celebrated 11 years of marriage, and in honor of their anniversary, the actress took to Instagram to share in part, “I’m so grateful we had a little date today to celebrate. I always confuse our actual date by one day and you love me for it. Happy Anniversary my love. Love you always and forever. ❤️”

By 2014, the pair announced that they were expecting their second child. At this point, the actress had already joined the cast of “Criminal Minds” for its tenth season.

Her pregnancy was written into the show. However, she eventually left the series at the end of the season, citing her desire to focus on her family.

“If I’m being honest, it was hard because other people didn’t like it — it was easy for me. […] I think they all were like, ‘Oh, is this postpartum? Has she lost her mind?'” the actress, who welcomed her son in 2015, revealed about her hiatus from acting.

“I just needed to be well. I needed to take care of myself mentally and emotionally, and being a mom for me did that,” she added.

After a three-year break, she made her comeback to Hollywood in 2018, joining the cast of the Fox procedural “9-1-1.” However, as she returned to the spotlight, the actress acknowledged how much she had changed since her girl-next-door days.

Over the years, she had evolved into a wiser, more mature mother and wife — and she embraced it. Reflecting on her journey, the actress joked that she had earned the lines and wrinkles on her face.

She also opened up about the challenges of aging in Hollywood, saying, “[…] So it’s beautiful, but aging in Hollywood is really hard. It’s really hard because you can’t do anything right.”

Her honest and grounded perspective resonated with many, as she continued to navigate the complexities of fame while staying true to herself. Now a mother of three, she and her husband have also supported their eldest daughter’s budding interest in acting.

“Our big thing with her is, even though my experience as a kid actor was very positive, I think we’ve both sort of said, ‘Stay in school. Do that. Grow up. Wait until you’re a little bit older. Don’t take all of this on quite yet,” the actress said.

Reflecting on her own experiences as a child star, she added, “Even though my experience as a kid actor was very positive, it’s a different business now with social media and all of that stuff.”

Her daughter’s growing interest in following in her mother’s footsteps has also led to humorous moments, including watching the actress’s old roles.

“My daughter watches ‘Girl Meets World’ right now, and I’m always afraid that she’s going to want to watch ‘Boy Meets World,’ then see me as Jennifer Love Fefferman making out on the bookshelf, and she’s going to be like ‘Mommy, this is cringe,'” the “Party of Five” star humorously admitted.

A Daughter’s Grief and a Mother’s Legacy

This actress is none other than Jennifer Love Hewitt, who lost her mother in 2012 to cancer. In June 2022, the actress reflected on a significant and somber milestone — the tenth anniversary of her mother’s passing.

Taking to Instagram, she shared an emotional message, writing, “Someone told me after losing my mom that the first year would feel impossible, the years after would build strength in me and then the 10-year mark would be an open wound all over again.

Because it would feel insane to have been without her that long. They were right. Today feels very raw,” the post continued in part.

Two years later, in June 2024, after a year of a lot of ups and downs in 2023, Hewitt commemorated the 12th anniversary of her mother’s death with another heartfelt tribute.

“Today 12 years ago I lost my best friend. It changed me forever but it also made me realize how lucky I was to even have her in the first place,” she wrote in part.

Over the years, the actress’s grief fueled her creativity and led her to honor her mother in a deeply personal way — the “I Know What You Did Last Summer” star poured her emotions into writing a memoir.

“From my heart came the need to let go of more grief. To celebrate my mom, the love I found, and the family we made. To share magic in order to keep magic going on and on for all of us to experience,” she shared in an Instagram post, reflecting on the book’s creation.

“In my brain, I formed the idea and then never stopped believing it could happen. And today in my hands I am holding it. I cried so many sad and happy tears writing this and then again holding it for the first time,” she continued in part.

Hewitt proudly revealed the cover of her memoir, “Inheriting Magic: My Journey Through Grief, Joy, Celebration, and Making Every Day Magical,” which features her with her three children. The cover marked a significant moment for the actress, as it was the first time she publicly revealed her children’s faces.

In the whimsical cover, Hewitt held a wand and her spell book while her children joined in the mystical moment. She later opened up about the decision to feature her kids on the cover.

“It was the most stressful decision to show our kids or not show them. But my husband and I felt like we couldn’t really tell our story without knowing who they are and how they have made our lives so full and magical,” she said.

The memoir delves into Hewitt’s personal journey after losing her mother, capturing her grief and eventual healing. Her mom had been an important figure in her life. “I felt healed enough from losing my mom to finally be able to write about it,” Hewitt shared.

“So ‘Inheriting Magic’ is also in honor of my mother, and it’s a book really about how when I lost her I feared that like all the magic I knew was gone ’cause she was a very magical person and in sort of grieving her I realized that I had inherited her magic,” the actress added.

Jennifer Love Hewitt’s journey has been marked by resilience, love, and reinvention. From her days as a ’90s teen idol to her life now at 45, an actress, and devoted mother of three, she has embraced every challenge with grace.

While she continues to act, with new projects on the horizon, her greatest joys remain the family she has built and the enduring magic she inherited from her mother.