Sarah Michelle Gellar Recalls Being Sued by McDonald's at Age 5 for Starring in a Contentious Burger King Ad The now 45-year-old actress spoke about a campaign she did for the fast food giant at the beginning of her career.
By Emily Rella Edited by Jessica Thomas
Even the biggest stars have had to work to get to where they are — and sometimes it means being involved in a lawsuit or two.
In a recent interview with Buzzfeed UK, Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar recalls getting caught in the middle of a fast food war. When she was just 5 years old, McDonald's sued her for using its company name in a Burger King commercial.
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"This is really funny. This was this big campaign that I did for Burger King, and I was 5," Gellar says as a clip of the commercial is shown while she's reacting to her "most iconic" roles. "And I was the first person to say another competitor's name in a job, and so McDonald's turned around and sued the advertising agency, Burger King and me at [age] 5."
Gellar then spilled some tea about the food that's used during fast food commercials, sharing with viewers that the seeds on the bun of the burger were glued onto it and that the whole thing was painted over.
"I was so excited because my mom said that I could have the burger," Gellar admits. "You guys, TV is not real."
The commercial in question shows a then-brunette Gellar sitting in front of a Burger King restaurant.
"Do I look 20% smaller to you? I must to McDonald's. When I order a regular burger at McDonald's, they make it with 20% less meat than Burger King," she says on camera, pigtails and all. "Unbelievable! Luckily I know the perfect way to show McDonald's how I feel — I go to Burger King!"
Gellar was part of a series of ads that were pulled due to the lawsuit, which was later settled.
She spoke about the lawsuit and the effect it had on her as a child in a 2004 interview with the Sunday Express.
"I wasn't allowed to eat there," she recalls. "It was tough because, when you're a little kid, McDonald's is where all your friends have their birthday parties, so I missed out on a lot of apple pies."
Thankfully, she's free to indulge in all the burgers she wants these days.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Gellar is worth an estimated $30 million.
