See where the “Gossip Girl” cast ended up after leaving the Upper East Side.

What happened to the *Gossip Girl *cast? See Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, and more stars, then and now

See where the "Gossip Girl" cast ended up after leaving the Upper East Side.

By Rachel DeSantis

April 6, 2026 6:00 p.m. ET

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Blake Lively, Ed Westwick, Chace Crawford, Penn Badgley, Leighton Meester, and Taylor Momsen on 'Gossip Girl'. Credit:

*Gossip Girl* dealt in all things illicit across for over 120 episodes, scandalizing its young audience and making stars of its ensemble.

Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, and Chace Crawford catapulted to fame playing the scheming social butterflies flitting around *Gossip Girl*'s Upper East Side. Since the show ended in 2012, the trio has remained in the limelight, which we imagine is a touch easier when it's just the paparazzi tracking your every move instead of a mysterious text-savvy stalker (voiced by *Veronica Mars* star Kristen Bell).

Now that author Cecily von Ziegesar, who penned the book series, is currently writing a sequel about a fortysomething Blair Waldorf, now's a good a time to see where the original *Gossip Girl* cast has been spotted since their days ruling the school.**

Blake Lively (Serena van der Woodsen)

Blake Lively on 'Gossip Girl'; Lively at the 2025 Time100 Gala at Lincoln Center on April 24, 2025, in New York City.

GIOVANNI RUFINO / THE CW; TheStewartofNY/WireImage

After playing the free-spirited Serena for six seasons, Blake Lively continued her career with appearances in films like *Savages* (2012), *The Age of Adaline* (2015), and *The Shallows* (2016), as well as the box office hit *A Simple Favor* (2018) and its 2025 sequel.

Lively made her directorial debut with Taylor Swift's music video for "I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor's Version)" in 2021, and is slated to direct her first feature with the Edgar Wright-written adaptation of the graphic novel *Seconds*.

Blake Lively marks 'Gossip Girl' anniversary with throwback pics: 'This show was my college'

Blake Lively pranked Penn Badgley into believing that Steven Tyler was his dad

In 2024, Lively starred in *It Ends With Us*, adapted from Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel. She's currently in a highly publicized, ongoing legal battle with the film's director and her costar, Justin Baldoni, stemming from her filing a complaint alleging sexual harassment against him in December 2024.

If Serena van der Woodsen had to end up with someone other than Dan Humphrey, Ryan Reynolds isn't too shabby a choice. Lively married the *Deadpool* star in September 2012, and the two have gone on to start a big family.

Leighton Meester (Blair Waldorf)

Leighton Meester on 'Gossip Girl'; Meester at the 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards on January 4, 2026, in Santa Monica, Calif.

Giovanni Rufino/THE CW; Savion Washington/WireImage

Leighton Meester, the actress behind Blair Waldorf, went on to star in shows like *Single Parents* and *How I Met Your Father*. Over the past few years, she's appeared on episodes of Apple TV's *The Buccaneers* and HBO Max's *I Love LA*.

She also dabbled in music, with her 2014 debut, *Heartstrings,* peaking at No. 139 on the *Billboard* 200. Don't expect a follow-up, though. "I just didn't feel like I sang that well in those songs," she said in a May 2025 chat with Bustle, adding that she has no plans to make more music.******

Meester cemented herself as the queen of the mid-aughts teen drama with her 2014 wedding to *The O.C.'*s Adam Brody, a match made in teen soap heaven. The couple, who shares a son and a daughter, continue to collaborate on projects like *The River Wild* (2023) and *Nobody Wants This*.

Ed Westwick (Chuck Bass)

Ed Westwick on 'Gossip Girl'; Westwick attends PrettyLittleThing 'A Legacy in Progress' at Caviar Kaspia on March 5, 2025, in Paris.

David M. Russell; Marc Piasecki/Getty

As the words "I'm Chuck Bass" echoed throughout the hearts of *Gossip Girl* fans, Ed Westwick moved on to the Crackle crime series *Snatch *alongside Rupert Grint. The show was based on Guy Ritchie's 2000 heist film of the same name, with Westwick starring as hustler Sonny Castillo.

He also starred on the BBC comedy *White Gold,* about a cocky window salesperson. Future installments of the show were put on hold in the wake of sexual assault allegations against Westwick, all of which he denied.

After being under LAPD investigation, the actor was not charged due to a lack of evidence. He continued to act, returning for *White Gold*'s second and last season and appearing in films *Enemy Lines* (2020) and *Me You Madness* (2021), the latter of which was written, directed, produced by its star, Louise Linton, the wife of Steven Mnuchin, President Donald Trump's former United States Secretary of the Treasury.

Westwick married *Supergirl *star Amy Jackson in 2024, and appeared on the Italian series *Sandokan* the following year.

Penn Badgley (Dan Humphrey)

Penn Badgley on 'Gossip Girl'; Badgley attends a screening for Season 5 of 'You' at The Plaza Hotel on April 23, 2025, in New York City.

Giovanni Rufino/The CW; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Penn Badgley played Dan Humphrey, Gossip Girl herself (himself?) — the biggest twist of 2012.

Since his run as Lonely Boy, the actor appeared in movies like *The Paper Store *(2016), *Here Today* (2021), and *The Birthday Cake* (2021). In 2019, he struck gold playing serial killer Joe Goldberg on the hit series *You*, which wrapped in 2025 after five seasons.

Badgley spent several years with the indie band MOTHXR, and in 2022 launched a popular podcast, *Podcrushed. *Its final episode, published in February 2026, featured Meester.

He married Domino Kirke (sister of *Girls* actress Jemima Kirke) in 2017 in a courthouse ceremony. Their son, James, was born in August 2020. He's also a stepfather to Kirke's son from a previous relationship.

Chace Crawford (Nate Archibald)

Chace Crawford on 'Gossip Girl'; Crawford attends 'The Boys' FYC Brunch on May 18, 2025, in Los Angeles.

Giovanni Rufino/ The CW; Michael Kovac/Getty

Luckily for fans of Nate Archibald's piercing blue eyes (and let's be real, who isn't a fan?), Chace Crawford didn't stay away from the screen long.

He starred in the short-lived ABC series *Blood & Oil* in 2015; appeared in films *I Do… Until I Don't *(2017), *Nighthawks* (2019), and *Inheritance* (2020); and snagged a main role on Amazon Prime's *The Boys* as Kevin Moskowitz, a.k.a. the Deep.

Speaking with PEOPLE in 2025, Crawford said he's "terrified" of rewatching the series, saying "it's a bit embarrassing."

He added, "It was just before social media, a little bit ahead of its time in that regard. But in watching, it's very campy. I forget how kind of campy it was. It's kind of fun in that way.” **

Taylor Momsen (Jenny Humphrey)

Taylor Momsen on 'Gossip Girl'; Momsen at the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Peacock Theater on November 8, 2025, in Los Angeles.

Giovanni Rufino / The CW; Maya Dehlin Spach/WireImage

After famously playing Cindy Lou Who in *How the Grinch Stole Christmas!* (2000), Taylor Momsen took on the role of Dan's little sister, Jenny.

On a 2023 episode of Badgley's *Podcrushed* podcast, Momsen opened up about her decision to leave *Gossip Girl* during its third season so she could pursue her music career. "I uprooted and changed my life overnight," she said. "[Production] went, 'Well, we can't let you out of your deal, but we can write you out of the show so you can go on tour. You can't act in anything else, though.'"

Since 2009, Momsen has been leading the rock band the Pretty Reckless, which recently opened for AC/DC on the band's global PWR/UP Tour. The group released their fourth studio album, *Death by Rock and Roll*, in February 2021.

Kelly Rutherford (Lily van der Woodsen)

Kelly Rutherford on 'Gossip Girl'; Rutherford at the Palais de Tokyo on March 8, 2025, in Paris.

Giovanni Rufino / The CW; River Callaway/WWD via Getty

Kelly Rutherford bid adieu to Serena and Eric's mother, Lily van der Woodsen, in 2012, following up the gig with small-screen turns in episodes of *Being Mary Jane*, *Dynasty*, and *Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists*. She's also appeared in several Lifetime films.

Jessica Szohr (Vanessa Abrams)

Jessica Szohr on 'Gossip Girl'; Szohr at the Television Academy's 25th Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Saban Media Center on January 28, 2020, in North Hollywood, Calif.

GIOVANNI RUFINO / THE CW; Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic

Since saying goodbye to Vanessa, Jessica Szohr has popped up in several projects, including Taylor Swift's music video for "22," the 2017 *Twin Peaks* revival series, and *Shameless*.

From 2019 to 2022, the actress starred as Talla Keyaii on *The Orville*, which hosted a mini-reunion between her and her former costar, Meester, for an episode.

Apart from acting, Szhor is a parent to her daughter, Bowie, who she shares with her partner, Brad Richardson.

Matthew Settle (Rufus Humphrey)

Matthew Settle on 'Gossip Girl'; Settle attends the 'SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water' world premiere at the AMC Lincoln Square in New York City.

Giovanni Rufino / The CW; Lars Niki/Corbis via Getty

Matthew Settle came into our hearts as dreamy dad Rufus Humphrey and took a far spookier turn soon after the show's wrap, playing Mr. Morris in 2014's *Ouija* and Sam Harris in 2016's *The Faith of Anna Waters*.

Settle stepped back from acting after 2017's *Valentine, *but recently worked with film students at South Carolina's Clemson University on *Student Film: The Movie*.**

Zuzanna Szadkowski (Dorota Kishlovsky)

Zuzanna Szadkowski on 'Gossip Girl'; Szadkowski attends the opening night of 'Seagull: True Story' at La MaMa Theater on May 19, 2025, in New York City.

GIOVANNI RUFINO/ THE CW; Valerie Terranova/Getty

The true MVP of *Gossip Girl*, Dorota Kishlovsky was played by Zuzanna Szadkowski for the length of the show's run. The actress has been one of the busiest former cast members following the finale, earning credits for episodes of *Girls*, *The Good Wife, *and* Search Party. *

Szadkowski reprised her role as Dorita on HBO Max's *Gossip Girl* reboot. She went on to play Mabel Ainsley on season 1 of *The Gilded Age* and appeared on episodes of *Three Women* and *Étoile*.

Connor Paolo (Eric van der Woodsen)

Connor Paolo on 'Gossip Girl'; Paolo attends the FilmQuest 2025 Closing Night Awards on November 1, 2025, in Provo, Utah.

Giovanni Rufino/THE CW; Araya Doheny/Getty

*Gossip Girl *found its Eric van der Woodsen in Connor Paolo, a young actor who got his break on the show.

Paolo chased *Gossip Girl *with a starring role on *Revenge* and appearances in films like *Friend Request *(2016) and *Distancing Socially* (2021). Recently, he appeared in Francis Galluppi's* The Last Stop in Yuma County* (2023) and guested on episodes of *Fire Country* and *Tracker*.

Michelle Trachtenberg (Georgina Sparks)

Michelle Trachtenberg as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl.

Jemal Countess/Getty;Jemal Countess/Getty

Michelle Trachtenberg had a recurring role on *Gossip Girl *as Georgina Sparks, a rebellious wild child and past frenemy of Lively's Serena.

Trachtenberg rose to prominence as a child on *The Adventures of Pete & Pete* and as the titular sleuth in *Harriet the Spy *(1996). Her profile grew when she was cast as Dawn Summers on *Buffy the Vampire Slayer. *

She also starred in the raunchy comedy *Eurotrip *(2004), Gregg Araki's *Mysterious Skins *(2004), and the teen sports movie *Ice Princess *(2005). The actress would later reprise her role as Georgina in the *Gossip Girl *reboot.

In February 2025, Trachtenberg died at age 39. "She was electricity," Lively wrote in a post paying tribute to Trachtenberg. "You knew when she entered a room because the vibration changed. Everything she did, she did 200%."**

Where can I watch Gossip Girl?

Gossip Girl is currently available to stream on Netflix and HBO Max.

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Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Teen”