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

From getting married, welcoming three children, and taking a hiatus from acting to coping with the devastating loss of her mother and finding a heartfelt way to celebrate her memory, take a closer look at the twists and turns of this ’90s teen idol’s life over the years.

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.”

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.”

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.

“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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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

“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.

“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.

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.

“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.

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.