Jennifer Garner turned 50 years old on Sunday. This moment was made even more memorable by a pre-birthday surprise from her childhood crush.
She announced to her Instagram followers that she received a gift from Donny Osmond. She shared the short footage on Friday, and fans were ecstatic. The 13 Going on 30 star can be seen startled as she sees a customized welcome featuring Osmond playing a birthday song for her in a restaurant. She was going to thank whoever had brought her the personalized Blue Mountain welcome when she heard singing from just behind her.
Garner noticed it was Osmond singing for her and that he had also brought a cake with the words, “13 Going On 50! Love Donny!” The musical moment in the video lasted even after Osmond, 64, took a seat next to the birthday girl. He joined her for a spontaneous performance of some of his past songs, including a version of Make the World Go Away from 1975.
“My first (pre)birthday surprise was a doozy— the one and only, legend in his own time, object of my childhood passion and devotion— @donnyosmond showed up to knock my purple socks off,” Garner said in the video’s caption. “He took an hour and a half out of his day to sit with me, sing my favorites, and give me a master class on how to be a class act,” she continued. She also referenced Osmond’s previous stage partner Marie, and she expressed her desire to meet Osmond’s wife, Debbie.
Surprising fans is one of his favorite things to do, so when he got the chance to surprise the wonderful @jennifer.garner for her 50th birthday, he was ecstatic, Osmond said on Instagram. He said thank you for inviting him to join in her celebration! Come visit him at @harrahsvegas the next time she is in Vegas so you can be his special guest on stage.
Fans, including several celebrities, were overjoyed to see this lovely surprise. “NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!” said actor Holly Robinson Peete in the comments. Another person commented, “I can’t believe it!!!!!!!! He is just everything!!!!!” “This is incredible,” actress Gwyneth Paltrow wrote. Several others congratulated Garner on reaching the milestone birthday.
As one user put it, “Jenn, best wishes! How fortunate we are to have you in our midst!” Another person stated, “Oh my goodness, I adore this!!! Birthday greetings!!! On DWTS, @donnyosmond awarded me my first ten!! I adore him and you! What a delightful surprise!”
