Shraman Mitra
The CW’s ‘Gossip Girl’ premiered on September 19, 2007, to glorious reviews. Based on the eponymous novel by author Cecily von Ziegesar, ‘Gossip Girl’ centers upon a group of privileged Manhattan private school students. The narrator, an anonymous blogger who can apparently keep an eye on everything, delves deep into the lives of these rich teens and unravels their complex romances, dramas, and dark secrets.
Boasting an ensemble cast comprising some of the best actors in the industry, the award-winning show amassed a significant viewer base and much critical acclaim over its six-season run that concluded in December 2012. With a sequel scheduled to release nearly 10 years later in July 2021, let’s look at the original cast and where they are now, shall we?
Blake Lively – Serena Van Der Woodsen
Blake Lively mastered the role of Serena Van Der Woodsen on ‘Gossip Girl.’ Praised for her marvelous performance as Blair’s best friend, this talented actress later went on to essay important roles like Bridget Vreeland in ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,’ Adaline Bowman in ‘The Age of Adaline,’ Krista/Kristina Coughlin in ‘The Town,’ and Nancy in ‘The Shallows.’ On September 9, 2012, Lively married fellow actor Ryan Reynolds whom she met while filming ‘Green Lantern’ in 2010.
Apart from the entertainment industry, Blake Lively also forayed into the world of fashion in the summer of 2014 when she launched her digital magazine ‘Preserve.’ Even though Lively wanted to make a deep impact on people’s lives through the digital site, she shut ‘Preserve’ down in 2015, stating, “It’s not making a difference in people’s lives, whether superficially or in a meaningful way.”
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have since become proud parents to three beautiful children, James, Inez, and Betty, born in 2014, 2016, and 2019 respectively. At present, the talented actress is enjoying her time with her family and is slated to appear in Netflix’s horror movie ‘We Used to Live Here’ and the TV show ‘Lady Killers.’
Leighton Meester – Blair Waldorf
Best known for her breakout role as the protagonist Blair Waldorf in ‘Gossip Girls,’ Leighton Meester did not let her career rest after the show. After appearing as Jamie in the 2012 movie ‘That’s My Boy,’ Leighton made her Broadway debut as Curley’s Wife in the play ‘Of Mice and Men’ in 2014. On February 15 of the same year, Leighton married ‘The OC’ fame Adam Brody before dabbling into music and releasing her first album, ‘Heartstrings.’
Since then, Leighton Meester has been lauded for her brilliant performances in several movies and TV shows, including the roles of Carla Powell in ‘The Judge,’ Deborah Revere in ‘Making History,’ and Angie D’Amato in ‘Single Parents.’ She has also been engaged in meaningful and effective social work. Adam and Leighton are now proud parents to their daughter Arlo, born in 2015, and their second child – a son, who came into this world in 2020. Fans would be delighted to learn that Leighton Meester will next be seen on Netflix’s upcoming thriller ‘The Weekend Away.’
Penn Badgley – Dan Humphrey
While still being on the main cast of ‘Gossip Girl’ as the aspiring writer Dan Humphrey, Penn Badgley earned his fame through outstanding performances in roles like Woodchuck Todd in ‘Easy A’ and Seth Bregman in ‘Margin Call.’ After ‘Gossip Girl’ ended, Penn Badgley stuck to acting through his notable roles of Erik in ‘Parts Per Billion’ and Sigurd Rossdale in ‘The Paper Store.’ In 2016, Penn and his band MOTHXR released their first album, ‘Centerfold,’ to generally positive reviews. The actor has been in a happy relationship with singer Domino Kirke since 2014.
In February 2017, the couple decided to exchange marriage vows in a beautiful ceremony. A year later, Penn made his comeback in the world of television with the Netflix series ‘You,’ for which he earned massive critical acclaim. Penn Badgley is a wonderful husband when it comes to family life. Even though he and his wife had to live through two unfortunate miscarriages, the couple finally became parents to their adorable son James, born in August 2020. At present, Penn Badgley is spending time with his family and focusing all his attention on furthering his already glowing career.
Chace Crawford – Nate Archibald
With his charming portrayal of the character Nate Archibald on ‘Gossip Girl,’ Chace Crawford won quite a few hearts. After appearing as Marco in the 2012 film ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting,’ Chace went on to essay the role of Billy LeFever in the 2015 show ‘Blood & Oil.’ Over the years, Chace has earned much fame as an actor, which got him celebrated roles like Byron in the TV series ‘Casual’ and Kevin Moskowitz/The Deep in the Amazon Prime Video hit series ‘The Boys.’
In July 2015, sources stated that the actor was in a relationship with Rebecca Rittenhouse, his co-star in ‘Blood & Oil.’ The couple were initially happy and spent a few lovely years together. However, in 2019 reports about their breakup emerged, and Chace even said, “I’ve been dating around a little bit, but, you know, nothing serious.” However, with a partner seemingly absent from his social media posts and no reports linking him to a special someone, it seems like Chase Crawford is now single and is hard at work for ‘The Boys’ season 3 and the film ‘Riptide.’
Taylor Momsen – Jenny Humphrey
After essaying the role of Jenny Humphrey on ‘Gossip Girl’ for four seasons, Taylor Momsen publicly announced that she was leaving acting to pursue a career in music after the end of season 4. Following that, she only made a brief appearance in the show’s final season. Furthermore, Taylor modeled for various publications and even made it to the cover of Maxim in November 2013. With music always being her first love, Taylor then focused on her band ‘The Pretty Reckless,’ for which she serves as the rhythm guitarist and frontman.
Along with the band, Taylor earned several laurels and released four widely praised studio albums. The band has been on multiple tours and won several awards throughout the years. Apart from albums and singles, their music even found popularity through the TV show ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ the movie ‘Kick-Ass,’ and even ‘Gossip Girl.’ At present, Taylor Momsen is wholly dedicated to furthering her music career, and we wish her the best for the future.
Ed Westwick – Chuck Bass
Ed Westwick earned much praise due to his portrayal of Chuck Bass in ‘Gossip Girl.’ Since the end of the show, Ed went on to star in a few notable roles like Kent Galloway in ‘Wicked City,’ Sonny Castillo in ‘Snatch,’ Will Reeves in ‘Bone in the Throat,’ and Vincent Swan in ‘White Gold.’
The year 2017 saw rape and sexual assault allegations made against the actor, which Ed Westwick vehemently denied. The unsubstantiated allegations too died down in the following year when the Los Angeles County District Attorney decided not to prosecute the actor as there wasn’t enough evidence. At present, Ed is essaying the role of Rick the Killer in ‘The Bystanders’ and is also busy with his upcoming movie ‘Wolves of War.’
Kelly Rutherford – Lily van der Woodsen
Veteran Actress Kelly Rutherford appears as Lily van der Woodsen on ‘Gossip Girls.’ This wonderful actress kept up her successful career even after the show’s end. She earned much praise for her portrayal of Joyce Reed in ‘Reckless,’ Cynthia Phillips in ‘Being Mary Jane,’ Laura Wyatt in ‘Quantico,’ Paula Lannigan in ‘Gone,’ and Claire Hotchkiss in ‘Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists.’ Kelly is also known for her notable performance as Melissa Daniels in the TV series ‘Dynasty.’
Kelly Rutherford has gone through turbulent times in her personal life after her divorce from her ex-husband Daniel Giersch. Although the couple divorced in 2010, they were engaged in a lengthy custody battle over their two children. Initially, the ex-couple held joint custody, but Kelly wanted to appeal for sole custody. In 2013, Kelly filed for bankruptcy and mentioned that the legal battle had left her finances in a mess.
After quite a lengthy court battle, the final decision ended in Kelly’s ex-husband Daniel Giersch getting custody of both their children and Kelly getting visitation rights in France and Monaco. In 2018, reports of Kelly Rutherford dating Screenwriter Chiswell Langhorne emerged and were confirmed soon by the couple. However, with no reports on the couple at present, their current relationship status is unknown.
Matthew Settle – Rufus Humphrey
Matthew Settle portrays Dan’s father, Rufus Humphrey, on ‘Gossip Girl.’ After his stint with the show, Matthew went on to share his talent with the world through notable roles like Mr. Morris in ‘Ouija,’ Sam Harris in ‘The Faith of Anna Waters,’ and Bono in ‘Valentine: The Dark Avenger.’ The actor, who already shares a daughter, Aven, with his ex-wife Naama Nativ, announced that he and Maria Alfonsin had become proud parents to a child in 2015. However, with the couple deciding to lead a life of privacy and the lack of reports on Matthew Settle’s dating life, it is hard to determine if they are still together.
Jessica Szohr – Vanessa Abrams
Known for her excellent portrayal of Vanessa Abrams in ‘Gossip Girl,’ Jessica Szohr has since cemented her name in the entertainment industry. After her appearance on ‘Gossip Girl,’ the actress had gone on to star in numerous TV shows, movies, and music videos. A significant few of her appearances comprise Gretchen Polk in ‘Complications,’ Laura Melvin in ‘Kingdom,’ Nessa in ‘Shameless,’ Lt. Talla Keyali in ‘The Orville,’ and Angie in ‘Clover.’
At present, Jessica is in a happy relationship with her partner, pro-ice hockey player Brad Richardson. The couple welcomed their daughter, Bowie Ella Richardson, in January 2021. Jessica is a wonderful mother and even shares an intimate familial bond with Brad’s first daughter, whom he shares with Lauren Hunt. However, her motherhood hasn’t kept Jessica from her love for acting, and she will soon appear in the upcoming movie ‘All-Star Weekend.’
Kaylee DeFer – Ivy Dickens
While essaying the role of Ivy Dickens on ‘Gossip Girl,’ Kaylee DeFer also served as Casey in ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ and Rebecca White in the 2012 movie ‘Layover.’ In the same year, Kaylee broke off her engagement to long-time partner Michael Raymond Pereira. Shortly after, the actress got into a relationship with Michael Fitzpatrick and the couple was blissfully happy after announcing Kaylee’s pregnancy in 2013. Following the birth of the couple’s first child, Theodore Ignatius, in September 2013, Kaylee even revealed that she would be taking a temporary break from acting.
With the couple so invested in each other, fans were ecstatic when they finally exchanged marriage vows on July 25, 2015. Since then, the couple has become parents to two more children, Sebastian, born in 2017, and Rémy Lincoln, born in 2019. At present, Kaylee and her family are spending the time of their lives, and we wish them all the happiness in the coming years.
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