The hit teen drama ended in 2012, so what have the cast been doing since then?
Gossip Girl was full of glamorous yet flawed characters (
Image: Publicity Picture)
The tragic death of Michelle Trachtenberg was announced yesterday (February 26) at the age of just 39. One of Michelle’s most iconic roles was the scheming Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl, a drama series that ran from 2007 to 2012.
Set in Manhattan’s stylish Upper East Side, the show followed a group of teenagers who at the start of the show attend a prestigious private school. A mysterious blogger called Gossip Girl reports on their every move, from their romantic dramas to the fight to become queen bee.
The show ran for six seasons, following the characters through high school, college, and beyond. It was a huge ratings hit and still has a loyal fanbase years later. The show was rebooted in 2021 with occasional appearances from the original cast, but the newer version was critically panned and cancelled after two seasons.
So, what happened to the original cast once the show finished and where are they now?
Leighton Meester
Leighton Meester is married to Adam Brody, known for his role in The O.C. ( FilmMagic)
Leighton played queen bee of the school Blair Waldorf, who was often ruthless yet had a vulnerable side. Not only is Leighton an actor, she’s also modelled and launched a music career. After the show ended, she released an album called Heartstrings in 2014, and wrote all the tracks.
Since her Gossip Girl days, she’s starred in Adam Sandler movie That’s My Boy and independent film Like Sunday, Like Rain. She’s also been in many TV shows including Semper Fi and starred in sitcom Single Parents.
Off-screen, Leighton is married to Adam Brody, who also found fame in a 00s teen drama as Seth Cohen in The O.C. They have a son and a daughter together. Leighton has also proven she’s much kinder than her Blair character, keeping herself busy with philanthropic work, including supporting charities such as Feeding America.
Blake Lively
Blake Lively, who played troubled socialite Serena van der Woodsen, is perhaps one of the most recognisable faces from the Gossip Girl cast. Married to Ryan Reynolds, with whom she has four children, she’s part of a Hollywood A-list couple.
Blake Lively is married to actor Ryan Reynolds ( WireImage)
When Gossip Girl ended, Blake focused on her film career, starring in movies such as The Age of Adaline, The Shallows, and Café Society. However, it was her role in the 2024 movie It Ends with Us that has seen her making headlines lately. Her feud with co-star and director Justin Baldoni hit the headlines, with both sides launching lawsuits, Blake alleging she suffered sexual harassment on set, and Justin claiming the actor defamed him.
Michelle Trachtenberg
The sad news of Michelle Trachtenberg’s death led many Gossip Girl fans to reminisce about her time as villain Georgina Sparks. One fan posted: “georgina sparks will always be the most iconic character ever”, while another said: “rip michelle trachtenberg nobody else could’ve played georgina sparks this perfectly”.
Michelle Trachtenberg as Georgina in Gossip Girl ( Giovanni Rufino/THE CW)
Before joining Gossip Girl, Michelle already had an impressive acting career under her belt, including appearing as a child actor as the title character in the movie adaption of Harriet the Spy and a role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. After Gossip Girl, she starred in an episode of anthology series Love Bites, guest starred in Criminal Minds, and lent her voice to an animated version of Harriet the Spy.
Michelle was also one of the cast members to appear in the Gossip Girl reboot, reprising her Georgina role for two episodes. Sadly, she had an ongoing health battle and went through a liver transplant in recent months, before she died at the age of 39.
Ed Westwick
British actor Ed Westwick played the iconic Chuck Bass, a character who had an extremely dark side, yet was beloved by fans. After the show, he appeared in a film adaption of Romeo & Juliet as Tybalt, and starred in Bone in the Throat, an adaption of a novel by late chef Anthony Bourdain about a young culinary star who gets mixed up with East End gangsters.
Ed Westwick is married to Bollywood star Amy Jackson ( Instagram)
He also starred in two seasons of BBC drama White Gold, as a dodgy 1980s double glazing salesman. And last year starred in movie DarkGame about a killer who livestreams his murders on the internet. He’s married to fellow actor Amy Jackson, known for starring in Indian movies, and the couple are currently expecting a child together.
Penn Badgley
Penn played Dan Humphrey, the outsider of the group who had a big secret revealed in the show’s finale. A few years after Gossip Girl ended, he was cast as Joe Goldberg, a serial killer and obsessive stalker in the Netflix series You. He’s also had roles in the movie Easy A, music biopic Greetings from Tim Buckley where he played musician Jeff Buckley, and had a recurring role in tense miniseries The Slap.
He has also launched the podcast Podcrushed, where he interviews celebrities about their awkward middle school years. He’s married to musician Domino Kirke and they have a child together.
Taylor Momsen
Taylor Momsen gave up acting to focus on a music career ( Redferns)
Taylor played Jenny Humphrey, Dan’s younger sister. Although she was one of the youngest cast members, Taylor was no stranger to the limelight, having played the role of Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas as a child, as well as having a successful modelling career.
Taylor left the show in season four, although she did appear briefly in the finale, to focus on her music career. She hasn’t had any acting credits since Gossip Girl, but has found success as the lead singer in her band The Pretty Reckless. They’ve released four studio albums and 14 singles, with several of them reaching number one in the US Mainstream Rock charts.
The band also supported Evanescence on a worldwide tour and have appeared at several major music events such as playing at the Download Festival in 2014.
Kristen Bell
Gossip Girl just wouldn’t have been the same without Kristen Bell’s distinctive voiceover, beginning each episode with the words: “You know you love me. XOXO Gossip Girl”. Kristen was only seen on screen in the show’s finale, where she played herself in a brief scene. She also returned as narrator in the reboot.
When Kristen joined Gossip Girl, she was already well-known for playing the titular character on teen mystery drama Veronica Mars. And since the Gossip Girl finale, she’s had a wide range of TV and film roles. She had starring roles in House of Lies and The Good Place, and the younger generation may know her as the voice of Anna in Frozen. She recently starred in Netflix series Nobody wants this, about a relationship podcaster who falls in love with a rabbi. Season two is set to air in 2025.
All episodes of Gossip Girl can be streamed for free on BBC iPlayer
