“One Tree Hill” fans grew up watching Bethany Joy Lenz’s character Haley James Scott navigate high school, find love, get married, and have kids, and in many ways, life imitated art. While the Hallmark star didn’t get her happily ever after with her ex-husband, Michael Galeotti, they do share their daughter Maria, whom they welcomed in 2011. Now, at 13 years old, Maria is growing up to be the spitting image of her famous mom. On February 14, 2024 Lenz’s shared a side-by-side snap of the two sharing a hug on Instagram and wrote, “Forever Valentine.” Fans noted the striking resemblance, and one replied, “She is your twin! Happy Valentine’s Day to you both.”
Proving that Lenz’s genes run strong, she shared a childhood pic of herself with her grandmother, and she looked exactly like Maria. “This is my Grandma Doris. She was a musical theatre QUEEN and inspired me when I was young. I write about her in #dinnerforvampires as an anchor point in my childhood. She was always a warm, safe place for me,” the former “Guiding Light” actor wrote. It seems the acting bug has been passed down for generations, as Lenz revealed that her daughter wants to follow in her footsteps as well.
Bethany Joy Lenz’s daughter wants to be an actor just like her mom
Now that Bethany Joy Lenz’s daughter Maria is nearing high school years, the “Savoring Paris” star told ET that she would let her watch “One Tree Hill” when she turned at least 15 years old. When asked if Maria wanted to act, Lenz admitted, “She does. She’s one of us.” However, she’s reluctant to have her daughter enter the Hollywood scene at such a young age and stated, “That’s really hard for me because I was a kid actor and I know how difficult it is in this industry.” Lenz added, “Maybe when she’s 18.”
While Lenz may not want her daughter spending her days on film or television sets as of yet, she has no problem taking her along to industry events. “Date night with my girl to @janiesfund #grammy dinner hosted by founder @iamstevent. Another great org for girls in need! Go check them out!!!” she posted in April 2022. With the same brunette hair and toothy grin, the mother-daughter pair were totally twinning.
