‘The Housemaid’ Star Amanda Seyfried’s (40) Folk Song Gets Interrupted by a Ghostface Jump Scare, and Her Daughter Was Behind the Mask
Halloween season officially arrived early at Amanda Seyfried’s house. The Oscar-nominated actress is known for her warm, slightly unpredictable social media presence, and she often shares candid musical moments with her followers. Her latest post, though, took a turn that nobody saw coming, least of all her.
Seyfried has spent the last few years balancing prestige projects with a genuine love of horror and thrillers. She starred in ‘The Housemaid’ alongside Sydney Sweeney, earned Golden Globe nominations for both ‘Long Bright River’ and ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’, and is perhaps still best known to many fans for ‘Mean Girls’ and ‘Mamma Mia!’. Her fans have clearly noticed her gift for performance, and her family seems to have inherited it.
That became very clear this week, when a clip of Seyfried getting thoroughly spooked by her daughter went viral. A fan account posted a 16-second video on October 8 with the caption that Seyfried gets scared by her daughter sneaking up on her wearing a Ghostface mask. The post had racked up more than 656,000 views, around 25,000 likes and 1,100 reposts at the time of writing.
Amanda Seyfried gets scared by her daughter sneaking up on her wearing a Ghostface mask: https://t.co/BBqYoXj7X0
— Ghostface Got Bangs (@ghostfacebangs) October 8, 2026
The original video was shared on Instagram on Tuesday, October 6, and shows Seyfried strumming a dulcimer and singing a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You”. In the screenshot of the clip, she’s wearing a black Disney ‘Cinderella’ t-shirt and sitting at a wooden table, with a gold balloon floating behind her in a cozy, warmly lit room. It looks like a perfectly calm, homey moment.
About halfway through, her 9-year-old daughter, Nina, appears quietly in the background, wearing a black hoodie and the white Ghostface mask from the ‘Scream’ films. She slowly moves closer while Seyfried continues singing, seemingly unaware. By the time Nina is standing right behind her mom’s shoulder, the mood has changed completely.
Seyfried’s reaction comes within seconds, and the jump scare is exactly as satisfying as fans hoped. The clip ends with Nina standing in full costume, the mask still facing the camera. It’s equal parts adorable and unsettling.
The post didn’t just delight fans. Several famous faces liked the Reel, including her ‘Mean Girls’ co-star Lindsay Lohan, as well as Naomi Watts, Nikki Reed, Olivia Wilde and Chelsea Handler. Krysten Ritter responded with a string of crying-with-laughter emojis.
The official ‘Scream’ Instagram account also joined in with a joking apology for the scare. Within a few hours, the video had passed 54,000 likes, according to Parade. Some viewers said they wanted to hear the rest of the song, a reminder that the performance itself was lovely before it was interrupted.
The prank also fits a pattern. Seyfried has previously described Nina as a natural-born actor, and the slow, theatrical approach in the video supports that. The patience required to creep up on someone mid-song, and the commitment to staying completely still at the end, are impressive for a 9-year-old.
Seyfried is also a mother to a son, Thomas, who is 6. The Reel offers a rare glimpse into her home life, which she tends to keep fairly private. That likely explains why it spread so quickly.
The prank also arrives at a fitting moment for the franchise. The original ‘Scream’ turns 30 in December, and this year’s ‘Scream 7’, directed by Kevin Williamson, set a franchise record with a $64.1 million domestic opening in February. It went on to pass the original film’s worldwide total, reaching about $176.9 million, despite mixed reviews.
That success shows how durable Ghostface remains. The mask is instantly recognizable, which is exactly why it works so well as a household prank. Few costumes can turn a quiet living room into a horror scene so quickly.
For Seyfried, the video offers a different kind of horror than her usual roles. Instead of playing a character caught in a thriller, she became the victim of a very real, very funny jump scare. Fans seem to love her for being such a good sport about it.
With Halloween still weeks away, the household may have more tricks in store. If this is only the opening move, Seyfried might want to keep one eye on the doorway whenever she picks up an instrument.
What would your reaction be if your child pulled this prank on you?
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