Actress Tori Spelling reflected on a brief romantic encounter with Freddie Prinze Jr., revealing that their single date was spoiled by her friends. The incident happened during the late 1990s when Spelling and Prinze Jr. worked together on the 1997 film The House of Yes, and the actress shared details about that day on her misSPELLING podcast.
Spelling recalled,
“It was supposed to be this very innocent relationship on camera, and it kind of was off camera and he and I actually developed a thing for each other,”
highlighting the connection that began between the two actors before their date.
However, she confessed,
“We went on one date, and to this day — I mean, it wasn’t meant to be. My friends ruined it.”
Friends’ Behavior Derailed the Evening
At the time, Tori Spelling was living in an apartment with her best friend, who had invited many friends over after returning from college. Spelling described the scene where the group started smoking marijuana, which caused concern ahead of her date.
She explained,
“I was like, ‘You guys, I have a date. Take this serious[ly]. He’s gonna smell this, he’s gonna think it’s me. It’s not me.’ And they were just like, ‘We’ll be good, we’ll be good.’”
Despite her worries, the friends continued their behavior, leaving Spelling anxious as she awaited Freddie Prinze Jr.’s arrival.
She further detailed,
“And I was like, ‘Well, it’s too late now, you’re all stoned and you’re sitting on my couch and he’s gonna walk through.’ ‘Cause I lived in a building where the elevator came up. So he came up to pick me up to go to a movie at Universal City.”
Awkward Encounters Marked the Date
When Prinze Jr. arrived, Spelling’s friends acted odd and embarrassing. One friend asked, “Freddie, is that Frederick?” which surprised Spelling and added to the awkwardness. She recalled in disbelief,
“Are you kidding me? He goes, ‘Do I call you Fred?’ I was like, ‘What is happening?’”
Despite the rocky start, the pair left for their date and went to see the 1996 film Cable Guy, starring Jim Carrey. However, the experience did not lead to a lasting romance.
Spelling said,
“So that was it, but we stayed friends-ish,”
conveying that while the romantic relationship ended quickly, a friendship lingered. She mentioned that during filming, they shared a few makeout sessions in their trailer during lunch breaks, but their connection never moved beyond kissing.
“He was very pure,” she said of Prinze Jr., who is now 49 years old.
Continued Friendship and Career Intersections
Spelling recounted a moment when Prinze Jr. visited the set of Beverly Hills, 90210 after their date. She remembered,
“I still remember Freddie coming to set ‘90210’ and I didn’t know and it was after and I was like, ‘Oh, hi hi,’ and he’s like ‘Oh hi.’ And he’s like, ‘Oh, [the makeup artist] knew I was coming. I have an audition for this movie.’”
That audition was for I Know What You Did Last Summer, the film where Prinze Jr. met his future wife, Sarah Michelle Gellar. The couple married in 2002 and have two children: daughter Charlotte, born in 2009, and son Rocky, born in 2012.
Tori Spelling’s Life After the Date
Following this chapter, Spelling moved forward with her own life and relationships. She married Dean McDermott in May 2006, and together they had five children: Liam, 18, Stella, 17, Hattie, 14, Finn, 13, and Beau, who is 8 years old.
After 17 years of marriage, Spelling announced their divorce in June 2023, finalizing it in November 2025.
The Lasting Impact of a Date That Could Have Been
Tori Spelling’s recount of the disrupted date illustrates how friends’ behavior can unexpectedly influence personal moments, especially when relationships are just beginning. While the Freddie Prinze Jr. date ruined by friends did not lead to lasting romance, it remains a memorable story from her early career.
The encounter also marks a significant footnote in both actors’ lives, as Prinze Jr.’s career path soon led him to his wife and a successful run as a beloved Hollywood figure, while Spelling continued to cultivate her own path in television and beyond.
