New Girl’s cast reunited at Chrysalis’ Butterfly Ball
Zooey Deschanel and her former castmates accepted a new award inspired by Schmidt, while Max Greenfield faced some teasing over his revival comments.
Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris, Hannah Simone and Damon Wayans Jr. reunited in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 10, 2026, to accept the Rising Phoenix Award at the Chrysalis Butterfly Ball. [1] Greenfield also hosted the evening at The Beehive, bringing the familiar ensemble together around a nonprofit that helps people find employment. [1]
An award with a very Schmidt name
Chrysalis created its first Rising Phoenix Award for the cast, marking 15 years since New Girl premiered. [2] In its August announcement, the organization connected the seven-season comedy’s stories about fresh starts and supportive friendships with its own work helping people move forward. [2]
The award’s name came from a line delivered by Greenfield’s character, Schmidt: “Without ash to rise from, the phoenix would just be a bird getting up.” [2] Chrysalis used that unlikely piece of sitcom wisdom to recognize the value of starting again and having people beside you through the process. [2]
The reunion jokes followed them onstage
The gathering came after Greenfield stirred up hopes for a television revival by saying during a Today appearance that creator Liz Meriwether had written scripts. [1] The Hollywood Reporter’s account of the gala makes clear that there were no actual plans for an on-screen reunion at that point. [1]
Accepting the award, Deschanel teased Greenfield for making the cast’s lives “so very annoying” with his announcement. [1] He apologized and acknowledged that the confusion had also drawn attention to Chrysalis. [1] On the carpet, he told The Hollywood Reporter that he had organized the real-life reunion through the cast’s group chat and should have been clearer about the charity event. [1]
The cause behind the gathering
The Butterfly Ball is Chrysalis’ signature fundraiser, supporting its work helping people overcome barriers to employment across Southern California. [2] The nonprofit says it has served more than 95,000 people since 1984. [2] It also says nearly 2,200 clients found employment while participating in its program in 2025, alongside nearly 1,600 people who worked transitional jobs through its employment social enterprise. [2]
BroadwayWorld’s post-event report put the evening’s fundraising total at $2.7 million. [3] The event also recognized Banc of California’s Jared Wolff with the Corporate Trailblazer Award and former Chrysalis client Guadalupe Rios, now a Caltrans employee, with the John Dillon Award. [3]
Story context and image credits
Event: October 10, 2026. Originally shared on Instagram October 11, 2026 at 08:34:45 UTC. Expanded website article added October 13, 2026.
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