In Practical Magic 2, men who fall in love with Owens women die. The film presents this as the central family curse, which began with a spell cast by the ancestor Maria Owens.
Sally and Gillian believe they broke the curse after the events of the first film, but Sally’s second husband, Gary, dies soon after their marriage. That tragedy leads Sally to reject magic and hide the family’s magical heritage from her daughters, Kylie and Antonia.
The curse is not simply a general warning about romance. Its specific connection to Owens women drives the sequel’s plot, especially after Kylie’s boyfriend Gideon is struck by a car and falls into a coma. The family must uncover the curse’s origins and find a way to end it permanently.