Blake Lively, Leighton Meester & the 'Gossip Girl' Stars: Then and Now

More than ten years after "Gossip Girl" ended its six-season run, the show's stars continue to capture attention with thriving film and television careers, family milestones, and public profiles that keep them in the spotlight.

New York City's Upper East Side remains inseparable from "Gossip Girl" years after the show ended, and the stars who defined the hit series continue to captivate fans.

Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Blake Lively, Chace Crawford, Taylor Momsen, and Ed Westwick on September 18, 2007 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

Created by Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz, and based on the young adult novels by Cecily von Ziegesar, "Gossip Girl" aired for six seasons from 2007 to 2012.

The show chronicled the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite teens — led by Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick), and Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford) — while a mysterious blogger known only as "Gossip Girl" exposed their every secret online.

More than a decade since its finale, the cast has continued to thrive in Hollywood and beyond — with successful careers, marriages, and families marking their next chapters.

Penn Badgley, Blake Lively, Leighton Meester at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 20, 2007. | Source: Getty Images

Blake Lively as Serena van der Woodsen

Blake Lively, who embodied the glamorous Serena van der Woodsen, transitioned smoothly from television to film after "Gossip Girl" ended in 2012. Her movie credits include "Savages" (2012), "The Age of Adaline" (2015), "The Shallows" (2016), "A Simple Favor" (2018), and "The Rhythm Section" (2020).

Off-screen, Lively has built a family life with actor Ryan Reynolds, her "Green Lantern" co-star. The couple married in 2012 and are now parents to four children.

Blake Lively is seen arriving at "Fashion Institute oF Technology" on September 05, 2025 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

Penn Badgley as Dan Humphrey

After his character Dan Humphrey was revealed to be the titular "Gossip Girl" in the series finale, Penn Badgley pursued a range of creative projects. He portrayed singer Jeff Buckley in the 2012 biographical film "Greetings from Tim Buckley," before achieving critical acclaim as the darkly complex Joe Goldberg in Netflix's psychological thriller series "You," which he also produces.

In addition to acting, Badgley has explored music. In 2015, he released an album titled "Centerfold" with his band Mothxr.

Badgley and Lively dated for three years during the show's run before splitting in 2010. In 2017, he married British singer-songwriter Domino Kirke in a small courthouse ceremony. The couple welcomed their first child together, son James, in August 2020.

Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf

Known for her sharp wit and impeccable fashion sense as Blair Waldorf, Leighton Meester has continued to balance acting and music since "Gossip Girl." She appeared alongside Robert Downey Jr. in "The Judge" and made her Broadway debut in 2014 as Curley's wife in "Of Mice and Men."

Meester also released her 2014 album "Heartstrings," following her earlier 2009 single "Somebody to Love" with Robin Thicke. On television, she starred in "Making History," "Single Parents," and Hulu's "How I Met Your Father." Most recently, she appeared in the 2022 Netflix thriller "The Weekend Away."

In 2014, Meester married actor Adam Brody, her co-star in the indie film "Life Partners." They share two children — daughter Arlo Day and a son whose name they have not made public. The couple will reunite on-screen in season two of Netflix's "Nobody Wants This."

Ed Westwick as Chuck Bass

After playing the brooding billionaire heir Chuck Bass, British actor Ed Westwick initially kept a low profile before returning to television with roles in "Wicked City," "Snatch," and the BBC comedy "White Gold." He also appeared in "Me You Madness" (2021) and "Wolves of War" (2022).

In his personal life, Westwick found happiness with model Amy Jackson. The two married in August 2024 and are expecting their first child together. Jackson is already mother to her son Andreas, whom she shares with ex-fiancé George Panayiotou.

Chace Crawford as Nate Archibald

Following his time as golden boy Nate Archibald, Chace Crawford diversified his career with new television and film roles. He starred in ABC's short-lived series "Blood and Oil" (2015) and both executive produced and acted in the baseball film "Undrafted" (2016).

Since 2019, Crawford has portrayed the superhero The Deep in Amazon Prime Video's hit series "The Boys," earning praise for his satirical and layered performance.

Though "Gossip Girl" aired its final episode more than a decade ago, its legacy — from the iconic fashion to its unforgettable characters — remains deeply embedded in pop culture. The cast's evolution since the show's end reflects how far they've come from their Upper East Side personas, yet their ties to the series continue to shine through in the nostalgia of fans worldwide.