Where the Gossip Girl cast is now — who left the spotlight, who rules Hollywood
The Gossip Girl cast has taken very different paths since the series ended in 2012. While Blake Lively and Penn Badgley grew into major Hollywood names, others, like Taylor Momsen, left acting altogether, and Michelle Trachtenberg tragically passed on prematurely.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Where is the Gossip Girl cast now?
- Blake Lively (Serena van der Woodsen)
- Leighton Meester (Blair Waldorf)
- Penn Badgley (Dan Humphrey)
- Ed Westwick (Chuck Bass)
- Michelle Trachtenberg ( Georgina Sparks)
- Chace Crawford (Nate Archibald)
- Taylor Momsen (Jenny Humphrey)
- Jessica Szohr (Vanessa Abrams)
- Connor Paolo ( Eric van der Woodsen)
- Kelly Rutherford (Lily van der Woodsen)
- Matthew Settle (Rufus Humphrey)
- Kristen Bell (the Voice of "Gossip Girl")
- What characters left Gossip Girl?
- Did Leighton Meester and Blake Lively get along in real life?
- Where is the Gossip Girl cast now?
Key takeaways
- Blake Lively is an A-list actress and film producer known for hit films like A Simple Favor and It Ends with Us.
- Penn Badgley and Leighton Meester have achieved success in both acting and music.
- Other supporting cast members, including Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick, Kelly Rutherford, and Jessica Szohr, have maintained steady acting careers on TV and film.
- Taylor Momsen completely left acting to focus on her rock band, The Pretty Reckless.
- Michelle Trachtenberg passed away in her New York City apartment on 26 February 2025, at the age of 39.
Where is the Gossip Girl cast now?
Gossip Girl is a teen drama series that ran from 2007 to 2012. Based on a book series by Cecily von Ziegesar, the show followed the glamorous, scandalous, and privileged lives of wealthy teenagers living on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Here is a look at where the Gossip Girl cast is now.
Blake Lively (Serena van der Woodsen)
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- Full name: Blake Ellender Brown Lively
- Date of birth: 25 August 1987
- Age: 38 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Los Angeles, California, USA
Blake Lively is an American actress and filmmaker who became famous as Serena van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl. After that show ended, she focused mainly on movies, starring in popular films like The Town, The Shallows, and A Simple Favor.
Besides acting, Blake Lively is a film director and producer. Her first directional project was the Taylor Swift music video, I Bet You Think About Me (2021).
In 2024, she produced and starred in It Ends With Us, a major box office success. In her personal life, she married actor Ryan Reynolds in 2012, and they now have four children.
Leighton Meester (Blair Waldorf)
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- Full name: Leighton Marissa Meester
- Date of birth: 9 April 1986
- Age: 39 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Leighton Meester is an actress and musician. She played the smart, high-society rival, Blair Waldorf, on Gossip Girl. Meester's performance was highly praised and is still considered the show's most memorable character.
After the show ended, Leighton Meester married actor Adam Brody and continued acting, appearing on the small screen. She has starred in shows and films such as Single Parents, How I Met Your Father, and The Weekend Away. Meester also recently had a recurring guest role in her husband Adam Brody's Netflix series, Nobody Wants This, alongside Kirsten Bell.
Besides acting, Meester also continued with her music career. She released her debut album, Heartstrings, in 2014. The actress shares two children with Adam Brody.
Penn Badgley (Dan Humphrey)
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- Full name: Penn Dayton Badgley
- Date of birth: 1 November 1986
- Age: 39 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Penn Badgley is an actor and film producer. He portrayed Dan Humphrey, the Brooklyn outsider who infiltrated the exclusive social scene of Manhattan. Before Gossip Girl, Badgley portrayed Phillip Chancellor IV on The Young and the Restless.
Since Gossip Girl wrapped, Badgley became globally famous, starring as the lead, Joe Goldberg, in the hit Netflix series You. He is also a musician in the pop band MOTHOXR. The actor is married to Domino Kirke, and they have one child.
Ed Westwick (Chuck Bass)
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- Full name: Edward Jack Peter Westwick
- Date of birth: 27 June 1987
- Age: 38 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England
Ed Westwick is an English actor and musician best known for his role as Chuck Bass on the popular TV show. His character was famous for his distinctive style and intense relationship with Blair Waldorf. Ed also directed the final episodes of Gossip Girl.
Since Gossip Girl ended, he has taken on various roles in both film and television, including the sitcom White Gold and the thriller Deep Fear. He even directed one of the final episodes of Gossip Girl.
In addition to acting, Westwick is the lead singer of a band called The Filthy Youth. In August 2024, he married actress Amy Jackson in Italy.
Michelle Trachtenberg ( Georgina Sparks)
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- Full name: Michelle Christine Trachtenberg
- Date of birth: 11 October 1985
- Age: 40 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: New York City, New York, USA
Michelle Trachtenberg is best known for her roles as Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl and Dawn Summers on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She also returned to play Georgina in the Gossip Girl reboot and has also appeared in several TV series, including Guidance and Sleepy Hollow.
Michelle Trachtenberg passed away on 26 February 2025. According to People, she was found dead in her New York apartment and had undergone a liver transplant before her death. Michell was dating Jay Cohen, an American talent agent.
Chace Crawford (Nate Archibald)
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- Full name: Christopher Chace Crawford
- Date of birth: 18 July 1985
- Age: 40 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Lubbock, Texas, USA
Chace Crawford is most recognised for his Gossip Girl role as Nate Archibald, which he played for six seasons. Nate was the handsome, rich, and innocent "golden boy" of the Upper East Side who was constantly involved in the social and romantic issues.
After Gossip Girl ended, Crawford successfully broke away from his "golden boy" image by starring as Kevin Moskowitz/The Deep in the ongoing, highly acclaimed series The Boys. He has also starred in films like The Inheritance, The Reunion, and What to Expect When You're Expecting.
Taylor Momsen (Jenny Humphrey)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Taylor Michel Momsen
- Date of birth: 26 July 1993
- Age: 32 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Taylor Momsen is a singer, songwriter, and former actress. She starred Jenny Humphrey, Dan Humphrey's younger sister, on Gossip Girl.
Monsen decided to leave acting after Season 4 to focus entirely on music. She is the lead singer of the successful rock band The Pretty Reckless, which has released four studio albums, including their debut, Light Me Up (2010)
Jessica Szohr (Vanessa Abrams)
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- Full name: Jessica Karen Szohr
- Date of birth: 31 March 1985
- Age: 40 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, USA
Jessica Szohr is an American actress well-known for playing Vanessa Abrams on the TV drama. Despite her character's popularity, she left the main cast after the fourth season, although she did return for a brief appearance in the 2012 series finale.
Since then, Szohr has continued to act in both films and television, appearing in The Orville, The Internship, Two Night Stand, and Shameless. The actress is married to former professional ice hockey player Brad Richardson, and they share a daughter.
Connor Paolo ( Eric van der Woodsen)
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- Full name: Connor Paolo
- Date of birth: 11 July 1990
- Age: 35 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: New York City, New York, USA
Connor Paolo, an American actor most famous for playing Eric van der Woodsen on the Gossip Girl series. He appeared in the first four seasons and the final episode. Before and during Gossip Girl, Paolo worked in theater, including a Broadway role as Nathan Lukowski in The Full Monty.
After leaving the series at the end of season 4, Paolo played the main role of Declan Porter on the drama series, Revenge. He has also starred in films such as World Trade Center and Stake Land.
Kelly Rutherford (Lily van der Woodsen)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Kelly Rutherford Deane
- Date of birth: 6 November 1968
- Age: 57 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA
Kelly Rutherford played Lily van der Woodsen on the popular TV series on all six seasons. Her character was defined by her grace, excellent fashion, and complicated family life.
Rutherford's acting career is long, with previous major roles in shows like Melrose Place. Since Gosip Girl ended, she has continued acting in movies and on TV, with recurring roles in series such as Quantico and the Dynasty reboot. Kelly is divorced twice and is a mother of two.
Matthew Settle (Rufus Humphrey)
Source: UGC
- Full name: Jeffrey Matthew Settle
- Date of birth: 17 September 1969
- Age: 56 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Hickory, North Carolina, USA
Matthew Settle played Rufus Humphrey on Gossip Girl for all six seasons. Rufus was the artistic, down-to-earth, and caring father of Dan and Jenny Humphrey. Settle's performance earned him a Teen Choice Award nomination.
Before Gossip Girl, Matthew Settle had significant roles, including Captain Ronald Speirs in Band of Brothers and the movie I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. The actor has kept a low profile since the show ended, focusing on his family. Matthew Settle and his ex-wife, actress and model Naama Nativ, share one child.
Kristen Bell (the Voice of "Gossip Girl")
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- Full name: Kristen Anne Bell
- Date of birth: 18 July 1980
- Age: 45 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Huntington Woods, Michigan, USA
Kristen Bell is the famous unseen voice of the all-knowing narrator, "Gossip Girl." Although she never appeared on screen, her unique, witty, and sassy voice gave the audience a detached, clever overview of the drama. Bell actually landed the role after her other show, Veronica Mars, was cancelled.
After the show ended, Bell returned as the narrator for the 2021 Gossip Girl reboot. Outside of this role, she is an A-list actress, known for films and shows such as Frozen, The Good Place, and Nobody Wants This.
What characters left Gossip Girl?
Three key characters left Gossip Girl around Season 4: Jenny Humphrey, Eric van der Woodsen, and Vanessa Abrams.
Did Leighton Meester and Blake Lively get along in real life?
While their characters, Serena and Blair, were famously close friends and rivals, Blake Lively and Leighton Meester were reportedly not close friends in real life. They maintain a professional working relationship on set.
Where is the Gossip Girl cast now?
The actors from Gossip Girl have taken many different paths since the show ended. Some have stepped away from the public eye to focus on their personal lives, while others like Blake Lively and Penn Badgley are still very successful and famous in Hollywood.
The Gossip Girl cast has followed different career paths since the series concluded. Some have become successful Hollywood stars, while others have entirely left the acting world to concentrate on other passions. Michelle Trachtenberg passed away in February 2025.
Legit.ng published an article about the cast of Little Rascals. Actors from The Little Rascals (1994) have had very different lives since the movie came out over 30 years ago. Some kept acting for a while, but others decided to leave Hollywood entirely.
The Little Rascals cast's lives have changed a lot in the last three decades. Some actors, like Brittany Ashton Holmes, remain famous for a short while, while others, like Travis Tedford, opt for a more normal life.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
