When Gossip Girl launched in 2007, it propelled the likes of Blake Lively, Leighton Meester and Penn Badgley into superstardom and made them instant household names.
The series followed Blake’s character Serena van der Woodsen as she navigated life in New York – as the stars got themselves into all sorts of trouble and scandals.
And it appears scandal followed many of them into real life too as several of the big stars from the show have had plenty of ups and downs in their personal lives.
This week Taylor Momsen, who portrayed the character of Jenny Humphrey, admitted that her role had been ‘killing’ her before she exited from the hit teen series as she spoke on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast.
Momsen further explained how ‘hard’ it was for her to get out of her contract with the series.
Meanwhile recently Leighton – who played Serena’s on-off bestie Blair Waldorf – admitted she is no longer friends with many of the cast and has no interest in ever revisiting the show for a reunion episode.
So what went wrong for so many stars from the hit series?
The Curse of Gossip Girl: The biggest scandals involving the stars of the hit series which launched in 2007
It has been a tough few years for actress Blake who has been locked in a bitter legal battle with her co-star Justin Baldoni.
The long-running legal drama was sparked by Lively’s decision to file a $250m harassment complaint against the It Ends With Us director last December – claiming he had behaved inappropriately towards her on set.
With that came a New York Times expose that saw Baldoni, 41, accused of sexually harassing Lively and claimed the dad-of-two had orchestrated a media smear campaign against his leading lady.
The following month, Baldoni hit back with a $400m lawsuit of his own that accused Lively of defamation, with Ryan Reynolds also added to the file.
According to Baldoni, Lively had attempted to hijack his film and memorably compared herself to Game of Thrones character Khaleesi – boasting that Reynolds and former pal Taylor Swift are her ‘dragons’.
Just this week Blake’s recent short-lived legal victory was overshadowed on Wednesday after a New York judge handed her a fresh courtroom defeat.
It has been a tough few years for actress Blake who has been locked in a bitter legal battle with her co-star Justin Baldoni
The long-running legal drama was sparked by Lively’s decision to file a $250m harassment complaint against the It Ends With Us director last December
Just days after a federal judge ended Justin’s multimillion-dollar defamation suit against Lively, Reynolds, and The New York Times, another ruling didn’t go her way.
Baldoni still faces Lively’s sexual harassment case heading to trial in March.
But her momentum hit a snag Wednesday when Judge Lewis Liman dismissed her claims against social media strategist Jed Wallace, whom she accused of helping Baldoni’s camp coordinate an online smear effort during the film’s release.
The judge ruled that her legal team failed to show Wallace – who is based in Austin, Texas – had sufficient ties to New York to be sued there.
Lively accused Baldoni’s team of enlisting Wallace to lead an online ‘digital army’ that smeared her reputation across social platforms.
Judge Liman had previously tossed the claims but gave her legal team a chance to strengthen the case by proving Wallace’s ties to New York.
In the end, Liman ruled that Lively’s argument fell short, though he noted she could still pursue Wallace in Texas.
The following month, Baldoni hit back with a $400m lawsuit of his own that accused Lively and the Gray Lady of defamation, with Ryan Reynolds also added to the file
‘The Court ruled that Ms. Lively’s claims can and should be brought in a different court,’ a spokesperson for Lively told Daily Mail.
‘Ms. Lively is evaluating her many options for doing so, and looks forward to trial on all of her claims against Baldoni, Heath, Nathan and the rest of the Wayfarer defendants in March in New York.’
Wallace, meanwhile, has hit back by filing a defamation lawsuit of his own against Lively in a Texas court.
‘We are grateful for the Court’s order today, making clear that the claims against Mr. Wallace never belonged in this court,’ Bryan Freedman, attorney for Baldoni, told Daily Mail.
‘Allegations that he participated in any smear campaign are unsupported, and all claims against him have been dismissed by this court.
‘The other defendants look forward to their day in court when they will show there is no merit to Ms. Lively’s claims against them.’
The news came after the latest allegations in the ongoing litigation between the former co-stars focus on claims the actor allegedly illicitly used technology to orchestrate a smear campaign against his costar.
In December last year, Lively named Baldoni in the lawsuit accusing him of sexual harassment, retaliatory conduct, and intentional infliction of emotional stress.
In her lawsuit, the actress accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her in multiple ways – including body shaming her – and orchestrating a smear campaign against her to damage her reputation.
In her lawsuit, Lively named a number of Baldoni’s collaborators, including his company Wayfarer Studios, the studio’s CEO and financial backer, and PR personnel Nathan and Abel.
Baldoni had initially asked for $250 million in damages from The New York Times mentioning a report it published on the topic, then added it into the $400 million lawsuit he filed this past January.
In the suit, Baldoni named Lively, her spouse Reynolds and her publicist Leslie Sloane, citing the aforementioned report in legal documents. It was thrown out of court this past June.
All parties have denied all of the allegations against them.
Michelle Trachtenberg’s tragic death
Michelle’s cause of death at 39 years old was revealed in April nearly two months after her tragic passing.
The Gossip Girl star is said to have died due to complications from diabetes mellitus, according to a statement from the New York City’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner.
Officials cited lab results in declaring their findings to Dailymail.com. It was not immediately clear if the entertainer, who had struggled with health issues in the timeframe prior to her passing, had type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
In the timeframe prior to her death, Trachtenberg underwent a liver transplant, a procedure often sought out by people who have severe liver issues, with some as a result of longtime alcohol use (the most common reason people get liver transplants in the U.S., studies show).
Trachtenberg’s cause of death was classified as ‘natural,’ medical examiners said in their latest report.
Trachtenberg’s relatives had past cited religion as a reason why they did not want the results of her autopsy made public.
Michelle’s cause of death at 39 years old was finally revealed in April nearly two months after her tragic passing
Trachtenberg portrayed Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl from 2007-2012 (seen with Leighton Meester)
Authorities with the New York Police Department told Dailymail.com in February that they were summoned to a Manhattan apartment in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, where Trachtenberg was ‘unconscious and unresponsive.’
Following Trachtenberg’s tragic passing, authorities told Dailymail.com about the course of events that unfolded.
‘On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at approximately 08:01 hours, police responded to a 911 call of an aided individual at 1 Columbus Place, within the confines of the Midtown North Precinct,’ police said in a statement,’ police said.
They added, ‘Upon arrival, officers observed a 39-year-old female unconscious and unresponsive. EMS responded to the location and pronounced the victim deceased.
‘Criminality is not suspected. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. The investigation remains ongoing.’
Trachtenberg generally was not one to speak publicly on her private medical battles.
Trachtenberg portrayed Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl from 2007-2012.
Prior to that, she played the role of Dawn Summers on Buffy The Vampire Slayer from 2000-2003 opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Trachtenberg was fondly remembered by her peers as news spread of her premature passing in February.
Ed Westwick rape charges rejected
In 2018 it was revealed that Ed would not be prosecuted on rape charges by the Los Angeles County District Attorney.
The star had been accused of sexual assault by four women and the district attorney’s office decided to go forward with an investigation into three of the allegations in the March of that year.
Then in a memo released in the July, prosecutors said they were not able to collect enough evidence to pursue charges against Ed.
His lawyer Blair Berk told TMZ: ‘The evidence was clear from the start that each of the allegations made by these three women were absolutely untrue.
‘It is a shame there are those who prejudged this case and that it took over eight months for Ed to be officially cleared of all of these charges.
In 2018 it was revealed that Ed would not be prosecuted on rape charges by the Los Angeles County District Attorney (seen on the Gossip Girl set)
The cast are pictured in 2007
Prosecutors said they were not able to collect enough evidence to pursue charges against Ed
‘I hope that those who made such quick judgment here not knowing anything about the abundant evidence of innocence in this case will hesitate next time before they so publicly accuse someone who has committed no wrongdoing.’
According to the memo, two of the women reportedly provided witnesses to help corroborate their accounts, including some who were outside the room where the alleged assaults took place.
Those two cases were declined by the prosecution due to insufficient evidence.
‘Those witnesses were not able to provide information that would enable the prosecution to prove either incident beyond a reasonable doubt,’ prosecutors wrote.
The DA’s office was unable to get in touch with the third victim, according to the memo, thus no charges could be filed.
The memo also revealed that some additional women made allegations of inappropriate touching, but that the incidents fell outside the statute of limitations.
The first allegations against Westwick surfaced in November, with actress Kristina Cohen and former actress Aurelie Wynn both claiming they were they were raped by the actor in 2014.
LAPD launched an investigation into Cohen’s claim after she filed an official report on November 7. Soon after Wynn took to Facebook to write that Westwick raped her at the Glendower Estate in Los Angeles after a party.
Westwick vehemently denied the both claims on Twitter, writing: ‘I have never forced myself in any manner, on any woman. I certainly have never committed rape.’
Less than a week after the first two allegations Hollywood creative producer Rachel Eck claimed the star had allegedly pushed her down onto a bed and ‘aggressively groped’ her breasts at a hotel in Hollywood.
Another allegation came from Haley Camille Freedman who claimed in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com that she had allegedly been raped by Westwick.
It is unclear which of the three women’s cases were investigated by the LACDA or which woman did not respond to communications from the office.
Leighton Meester family troubles
Leighton was born while her mother, Constance, was incarcerated and was raised by her grandmother until she was released in 1995.
Constance was convicted in 1985 on drug trafficking charges and served 10 years in a Texas state prison for her involvement in a drug smuggling ring that brought large quantities of marijuana to the US from Jamaica.
‘It makes me very nonjudgmental and open-minded. And I think it just makes me appreciate the things that I have now,’ Meester told Us Weekly in 2008 of her mother’s circumstances.
Leighton was born while her mother, Constance, was incarcerated and was raised up by her grandmother until she was released in 1995
Leighton Meester (L), Blake Lively and Taylor Momsen
‘She’s always there for me no matter what. I swear, that woman knows everything.’
Blake and Leighton headlined the CW series Gossip Girl over its six-season, 121-episode run from 2007 to 2012.
The teen drama, which was created by Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz, focused on a group of wealthy teens on New York City’s Upper East Side, with a gossip blogger (Kristen Bell) narrating the proceedings.
Chase Crawford drug charges
In June 2010, actor Chace – who played Nate Archibald – was arrested in Plano, Texas, and charged with possession of marijuana.
The charge was a misdemeanor for having less than two ounces of the substance.
He eventually cut a plea deal that allowed the charge to be dismissed and erased from his record after completing probation and community service.
In June 2010, actor Chace Crawford was arrested in Plano, Texas, and charged with possession of marijuana
He played the character of Nate Archibald in the show
Kelly Rutherford custody battle
Just last month Kelly admitted she felt like her ‘heart had been ripped out’ during her ugly $2million international custody battle with her ex Daniel Giersch.
The Hollywood actress, shares two children, son Hermes, 17, and daughter Helena, 15, with German businessman ex Daniel, 50.
Kelly recently opened up about ‘learning from making mistakes’ and revealed she was thankful to be filming hit show Gossip Girl at the time, where she portrayed Lily van der Woodsen.
Speaking to Gwyneth Paltrow, 53, on her Goop podcast, she admitted the TV series was a ‘good distraction’ and ‘everyone was so supportive’ on set.
Gwyneth asked, ‘The custody battle that was in the news, as a mother you feel like you’ve had your heart ripped out, how did you keep your perspective?’
‘Yeah for sure that is exactly how it feels,’ Kelly replied.
She continued: ‘I don’t think I always did but like anything it is a challenge that you aren’t prepared for and you learn along the way and make mistakes and you get up and do your best. Its a process like most things it’s focus.’
Gwyneth added: ‘How did you get through being away from your children on set, how would you get through the day?’
‘I was so thankful to be on set because it was a good distraction otherwise I don’t know what I would have done but it was a blessing in a way because I had to focus and show up.
‘It doesn’t matter what’s going on in your life but everyone was so supportive I was thankful and dealt with it day by day and you learn a lot about yourself.’
Kelly has been living in Monaco to be closer to her kids after a lengthy custody battle with her ex Daniel.
She wed Daniel in 2006 and they split in 2009.
Just last month Kelly admitted she felt like her ‘heart had been ripped out’ during her ugly $2million international custody battle with her ex Daniel Giersch
The Hollywood actress, shares two children, son Hermes, 17, and daughter Helena, 15, with German businessman ex Daniel, 50 (pictured Kelly and Daniel in 2006)
Kelly was granted joint custody of their children by a judge in Monaco. Hermes was two years old at the time and the star was pregnant with Helena.
Things got hard when the judge said the kids would have to live full-time with David in Monaco because his work visa got revoked, keeping him from returning to the United States.
The judge told Kelly that she would have to move to Monaco or make frequent visits in order to see her two children.
The actress spent nearly $2 million in legal fees, it was claimed. Then she had to declare bankruptcy so she could continue to pay to fight for full custody of her kids.
It was a six-year legal battle.
When she didn’t send her kids back to Monaco following a six-week visit she was accused of abduction.
Taylor Momsen woes
This week Taylor admitted that her role in Gossip Girl had been ‘killing’ her before she exited from the hit teen series.
The actress was written out of the show after the fourth season as she pursued music full time with her band The Pretty Reckless. But the road to exit the series was far from easy.
‘Season one’s a whirlwind,’ the Just Tonight hitmaker expressed to host Alex, before adding that it was around the second season when she wanted to leave Gossip Girl.
‘I knew I had to leave. But at the same time, leaving a career that is so prosperous was not easy.’
The star added, ‘It was an easy decision for me. Sorry – I shouldn’t say not easy. Not easy – in the way of like to actually get out of a contract was not easy.’
Momsen further explained how ‘hard’ it was for her to get out of her contract with the series.
This week Taylor admitted that her role in Gossip Girl had been ‘killing’ her before she exited from the hit teen series
Momsen portrayed the character of Jenny Humphrey in the series (seen above) alongside other cast members such as Blake, Penn and Leighton
‘So, it started with a ‘I don’t want to do this anymore,’ but you’re in a lock and key contract with CW, Warner Brothers, you know, all of that stuff,’ the singer said.
‘And it came down to – it was a very long battle of me arguing [with] everyone, ‘Go and get me out of this. I can’t do this anymore. This is killing me.’
‘I have something else I want to do with my life and it has nothing to do with this. And I can’t be stuck here anymore.’
Momsen remembered being ‘called ungrateful’ for her desire to leave the CW series.
‘All the things that come along with ‘How dare you turn your back on something that’s been so successful for you’ was hard.’
When Cooper questioned how those comments made her feel at the time, Momsen replied, ‘Oh, I just went f*** you. You don’t know what you’re talking – like you’re not in my shoes so how dare you judge this.’
Momsen revealed that she didn’t inform cast members ahead of time of her exit and admitted that she ‘Irish dipped.’
Momsen had been 13-years-old when she appeared in the pilot episode of Gossip Girl and she left mid-fourth season in an episode titled Gaslit.
She returned to the season finale which aired in 2012.
