Rumor Haunts Former Teen Heartthrob Devon Sawa for Decades

In a recent interview, former teen heartthrob Devon Sawa, now 47 years old, reflected on his rise to fame in the 1990s and the strange rumor that followed him for years. Sawa became a schoolgirl crush after playing the human version of the title ghost in the 1995 film Casper, opposite Christina Ricci. He then immediately reunited with Ricci for the 1995 movie Now and Then, playing the leader of a group of antagonistic brothers who falls for Ricci's character.

However, a skinny-dipping scene in Now and Then led to an unsettling rumor spreading among young fans. The filmmakers thought the scene, where the girls ogle the boys and steal their clothes, would be an "Oh, gross!" moment. Instead, a rumor began circulating that if you paused the movie, you could see Sawa's genitalia. Sawa said he was "haunted" by the idea the rumor was true, even though he had worn a modesty garment during filming. He called the shoot "very safe."

Sawa confessed that it took him a long time to come to terms with his teen heartthrob past, as the rumor "spread from mall to mall." But now, 30 years later, he has made peace with his iconic roles in Casper and Now and Then, which he looks back on fondly.