‘Happy Gilmore 2' character's death sparks fan outrage — and a surprising cast reaction
Spoilers below for 'Happy Gilmore 2.'
The Adam Sandler sequel, now streaming on Netflix, has left viewers outraged because one beloved character from the original 1996 sports comedy classic is killed off in the film's first few minutes.
10 Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore in 'Happy Gilmore 2.'
Scott Yamano/Netflix
10 Julie Bowen and Adam Sandler at the red carpet for the Netflix 'Happy Gilmore 2' premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Monday, July 21, 2025, in New York City.
John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock
That character is Julie Bowen's Virginia Venit, Sandler's on-screen love interest from the first 'Happy Gilmore.'
Although Happy and Virginia get married and welcome five kids together during the nearly 30-year break between the two movies, Bowen's character tragically passes away when Happy accidentally hits a shanked shot at her head during a golf tournament.
Virginia's death is only shown during a montage played at the very beginning of the new golf flick, and the movie ultimately picks up with Happy effectively retired and reeling from the loss of his wife.
10 Julie Bowen as Virginia Venit and Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore in 'Happy Gilmore.'
Joseph Lederer/Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock
10 Julie Bowen as Virginia Venit and Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore in 'Happy Gilmore 2.'
Scott Yamano/Netflix
Shortly after the sequel premiered on Netflix on Friday, July 25, viewers rushed to social media to express their outrage and slam the decision to kill off Bowen's Virginia.
'No way did they kill HER in the first ten minutes of Happy Gilmore,' one angry fan tweeted upon watching the new movie.
'Happy Gilmore 2 is a huge piece of s–t,' fumed another disappointed viewer. 'Instantly killing off the best actor is insane.'
'Bro, 3 minutes into Happy Gilmore 2 and Virginia died,' commented a third. 'Wtf kind of bs writing is that?'
10 Adam Sandler and Julie Bowen at the Los Angeles premiere of 'Happy Gilmore' on February 7, 1996.
Alan Berliner/BEI/Shutterstock
'Seriously? They started off Happy Gilmore 2 by killing Virginia?' yet another angry fan wrote on X.
Another Sandler fan complained about Virginia's death, as well as all the surprise celebrity cameos included in the new sequel.
Besides Sandler's wife, Jackie, and daughters, Sadie and Sunny, 'Happy Gilmore 2' features appearances from Eminem, Post Malone, Travis Kelce, Kid Cudi, and more.
10 Julie Bowen and Adam Sandler at the red carpet for the Netflix 'Happy Gilmore 2' premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center on Monday, July 21, 2025.for Netflix
Several real-life pro golfers, including John Daly, Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy, also show up.
'Sorry to spoil Happy Gilmore 2, but they killed poor Virginia and brought along a whack load of dumbasses to make it an inane mess,' one fan wrote. 'This thing never happened, okay?'
Meanwhile, Sandler and Bowen reacted to Bowen's shocking 'Happy Gilmore 2' death during an interview with Entertainment Weekly published shortly after the movie's release.
10 Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen and Adam Sandler in 'Happy Gilmore.'
©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
The 'Modern Family' star suggested that her character needed to die to drive Happy and the events of the film.
'Happy's the best, but he did need to have something – you need to have some adversity,' Bowen, 55, explained.
'Yes, Happy is in pain,' she continued. 'And he had to get there somehow. And I contribute to the pain through the heart. I think it is very relatable and wonderful. I loved it.'
10 Julie Bowen as Virginia Venit in 'Happy Gilmore 2.'
Scott Yamano/Netflix
Bowen previously opened up about how she thought Sandler would recast her with a 'younger' actress.
'I didn't think they'd bring me back at all,' the actress revealed earlier this month during an episode of Michael Rosenbaum's 'Inside of You' podcast.
'I mean, who am I supposed to be?' Bowen added at the time. 'He's got to have a younger woman in this one.'
10 Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore in 'Happy Gilmore 2.'
Scott Yamano/Netflix
As for Sandler, who co-wrote the film with Tim Herlihy, he was just happy to return to the world of 'Happy Gilmore' after 29 years.
'You couldn't have a nicer vibe,' Sandler, 58, began. 'It was just the whole thing. There wasn't like a particular day, you didn't want any day to end.'
'You were with somebody you loved and somebody you just met that you idolized,' he continued regarding the film's many cameos. 'It was a kind of legendary shoot.'
10 Julie Bowen and Adam Sandler sit for an interview together before the release of 'Happy Gilmore 2.'
foxnews
'It's a shoot that we'll never have again in our life, probably,' the comedian concluded.
In addition to Sandler and Bowen, 'Happy Gilmore 2' sees Christopher McDonald (Shooter McGavin) and Ben Stiller (Hal) reprise their roles from the original.
Carl Weathers, who was set to return as Derick 'Chubbs' Peterson, sadly passed away in February 2024. His death forced Sandler to rewrite the sequel's script.
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