The Emmy Awards red carpet has long ceased to be just a parade of outfits: increasingly, tattoos are becoming the main accent of the look, especially when the dress is chosen with a revealing neckline. At the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, held on Monday, September 14, 2026, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, Sarah Michelle Gellar, who is 49 years old this year, gave the public a rare chance to see her lower back tattoos. The actress, known for her roles in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” appeared in a bright pink Versace dress with a dramatically open back and a thigh-high slit, completing the look with silver Jimmy Choo platform sandals.
What Exactly Gellar’s Tattoos Revealed
The deep neckline of the dress revealed two dragonfly tattoos on her lower back – an element that the actress usually hides under closed outfits. These are not her only works: Gellar also has noticeable tattoos on her ankles, which she periodically shows off in open sandals. The full list of her known tattoos is as follows:
- two dragonflies on her lower back;
- a heart pierced by a dagger on her right ankle;
- a cherry blossom on a green vine and a Chinese kanji character on her left ankle.
For tattoo culture, this collection is interesting precisely for its restraint and symbolism: there are no large black compositions or flash tattoos, but each work carries a specific visual code that the viewer reads as part of a personal narrative.
Symbolism in the Context of Tattoo Culture
Experts in the tattoo industry note that the choice of a dragonfly is one of the most stable in female tattoo aesthetics. In Eastern and Western traditions, this symbol is associated with transformation, lightness, and the ability to see what is hidden from others. A pair of dragonflies on the lower back reinforces the idea of balance and partnership, and their placement in an area visible only in motion or with a specific outfit turns the tattoo into an element of play with the viewer. This is precisely how the “red carpet” works as a showcase: the tattoo becomes not just body decoration, but part of a costume that is gradually revealed.
The kanji character on the ankle continues the same line – a concise but capacious sign that is valued in tattoo culture for its minimalism and depth. The heart with a dagger and cherry blossoms add a romantic, almost gothic touch, characteristic of the 2000s aesthetic when tattoos became a mass phenomenon among Hollywood actresses. Collectively, Gellar’s works demonstrate a classic approach: a little, but significant, without being overloaded.
A Rare Meeting and the Fate of the Buffy Spin-off
In addition to tattoos, the press’s attention was drawn to Gellar’s unexpected meeting with former co-star David Boreanaz, who is 57 years old. They posed together in a photo, and the actress captioned the picture with the phrase “We are so back.” This moment resonates particularly against the backdrop of recent news: in March 2026, Hulu canceled a spin-off series of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” even though the pilot had already been filmed with Ryann Kiera Armstrong as the new generation of slayers, the script was written by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, and Oscar winner Chloé Zhao directed it. The project was announced in February 2025, but a year later, the streaming service backed out.
Gellar explained the reason in an interview, noting that an executive producer who “was proud of never having watched the show in its entirety” worked on the project. According to her, this created an “uphill battle from day one.” Disney, which owns Hulu, emphasized in its response that the decision was not related to the creative team, including Gellar, Zhao, and Gail Berman. For fans and the tattoo community, where the image of Buffy has long been a part of pop culture, this story remains open: as long as the spin-off is not made, every public meeting of the actress with Boreanaz is perceived as a hint of a possible return.