Jennifer Love Hewitt discusses ‘inappropriate’ questions she got asked about her body as a teen

Jennifer Love Hewitt wishes she’d defended herself against ‘inappropriate’ questions in her early career.

Opening up about the constant focus on her body when she was teenage star, the actress says she now realizes how ‘gross’ and ‘incredibly inappropriate’ it was.

Jennifer talked to Vulture about the dark side of her rise to fame when she became a household name with roles in Party of Five and horror franchise I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Jennifer Love Hewitt says she was bombarded with questions about her body in her early career, telling Vultire: ‘Interviewers were asking what now would be incredibly inappropriate, gross things’

‘I just watched the Britney Spears documentary [Framing Britney Spears] and there’s that whole section in there, talking about her breasts,’ the 42-year-old said.

‘At the time that I was going through it, and interviewers were asking what now would be incredibly inappropriate, gross things, it didn’t feel that way.’

Jennifer said that watching the Britney Spears documentary made her realize how inappropriate the media interest in her body was

Jennifer said that watching the Britney Spears documentary made her realize how inappropriate the media interest in her body was

Reflecting on her role in I Know What You Did Last Summer in 1997, Jennifer said: ‘I mean, I was in barely any clothing the whole movie. For some reason, in my brain, I was able to just go, “Okay, well, I guess they wouldn’t be asking if it was inappropriate.”‘

While she had been relatively covered up while playing Sarah in Fox drama Party of Five, Jennifer said the slasher movie was ‘the first time that [she] had worn a low top’.

‘But now, as a 42-year-old woman with a daughter, I definitely look back on it and go, “Ew,”‘ she told Vulture. 

Jennifer said that it was around 1998 when it became the norm for her to be asked about her breasts countless times in press junkets for the horror movie and its sequel.

'I mean, I was in barely any clothing the whole movie. For some reason, in my brain, I was able to just go, "Okay, well, I guess they wouldn't be asking if it was inappropriate."' Jennifer said of her role in I Know What You Did Last Summer

‘I mean, I was in barely any clothing the whole movie. For some reason, in my brain, I was able to just go, “Okay, well, I guess they wouldn’t be asking if it was inappropriate.”‘ Jennifer said of her role in I Know What You Did Last Summer

‘At a press junket for I Know or I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, I remember purposely wearing a T-shirt that said ‘Silicone Free’ on it because I was so annoyed, and I knew something about boobs was gonna be the first question out of [the reporters’] mouths. I was really tired of that conversation.’ 

Jennifer also talked about her disappointment that people still focused on her body when she got her starring role opposite Sigourney Weaver in Heartbreakers. Her interview comes amid the 20-year anniversary of the David Mirkin-directed movie.

‘With Heartbreakers, that was a big part of it. I was disappointed that it was all about body stuff, because I had really worked hard in that movie to do a good job as an actress.’ Jennifer said.

Screen star: Jennifer said that it was around 1998 when it became the norm for her to be asked about her breasts countless times in press junkets for the horror movie and its sequel

Screen star: Jennifer said that it was around 1998 when it became the norm for her to be asked about her breasts countless times in press junkets for the horror movie and its sequel

'I had really worked hard in that movie': Jennifer also talked about her disappointment that people still focused on her body when she got her starring role opposite Sigourney Weaver in Heartbreakers in 2001

‘I had really worked hard in that movie’: Jennifer also talked about her disappointment that people still focused on her body when she got her starring role opposite Sigourney Weaver in Heartbreakers in 2001

‘I remember one specific moment wishing that the acting had overshadowed all that — that for five minutes, they had said I was really great in the movie.

‘Now that I’m older, I think, “Gosh, I wish that I had known how inappropriate that was so I could have defended myself somehow or just not answered those questions.” I laughed it off a lot of the time, and I wish maybe I hadn’t,’ she added. 

The mother-of-two said that the conversation revolved around her looks instead of her work ‘for a very long time’ and ‘then, “Oh yeah, you were really great in the movie, too,” later.’

'Now that I'm older, I think, "Gosh, I wish that I had known how inappropriate that was so I could have defended myself somehow or just not answered those questions." I laughed it off a lot of the time, and I wish maybe I hadn't,' she added. Jennifer is seen here in 2003

‘Now that I’m older, I think, “Gosh, I wish that I had known how inappropriate that was so I could have defended myself somehow or just not answered those questions.” I laughed it off a lot of the time, and I wish maybe I hadn’t,’ she added. Jennifer is seen here in 2003

‘I didn’t get it,’ she said. ‘That’s just what I looked like, and I was doing my job. I just started to [prepare myself], like, “I know I’m doing an interview today, so I’m pretty sure at least 20 of the 40 minutes is going to be about boobs and body stuff, so we’ll just get that out of the way and then maybe they’ll ask me something else.”‘ 

The Texas born star is hopeful for the future and the changing conversation around women in the industry.

‘I’m really grateful that we’re in a time where, hopefully, that narrative is going to change for young girls who are coming up now, and they won’t have to have those conversations.’

Hope: The Texas born star is hopeful for the future and the changing conversation around women in the industry

Hope: The Texas born star is hopeful for the future and the changing conversation around women in the industry