When Dan Humphrey first spotted the mysterious Serena van der Woodsen returning to the city at Grand Central Station, the Upper East Side’s cyber-sleuth went into overdrive – with a text signed ‘XOXO’ soon becoming the most highly-anticipated message amongst Manhattan’s elite.
Since the show first aired in September 2007, Gossip Girl has continued to dazzle fans of all ages with its dramatic storylines, elaborate schemes, and lavish Sweet 16 parties.
While the beloved series may have concluded its sixth and final season more than 12 years ago, the Gossip Girl saga continues to cement its role as a cult classic through the enthusiasm of the show’s original and new generations of fans.
To celebrate Gossip Girl’s sixteenth birthday, we take a closer look into the life of our favourite New York socialites to see what they’ve been up to since the show’s finale.
Blake Lively | Serena van der Woodsen
Whether you love her or you loathe her, Serena van der Woodsen consistently solidified her position as the Upper East Side’s ultimate it-girl throughout all six seasons of Gossip Girl.
After being spotted at New York’s Grand Central Station in the first episode of the franchise, Serena’s beauty and influence, coupled with her complex family and romantic relationships, saw her involved in a number of Gossip Girl’s most unexpected and dramatic events.
Since finishing on the show in 2012, Blake Lively has gone on to have an extensive career in Hollywood, with the 36-year-old starring in films such as Green Lantern, The Age of Adaline, and The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.
While she may have taken a brief break from the acting world, Blake reentered the spotlight in 2024 for her leading role in the film adaptation of Coleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us.
While Serena may have left our screens over a decade ago, Blake has still been known to bring glamour to the steps of the Met, with Lively’s appearances at the Met Gala giving many Gossip Girl fans a dose of Serena-themed nostalgia.
Leighton Meester | Blair Waldorf
While she may have been introduced to us as the token mean girl of the Upper East Side, there’s no denying that Blair Waldorf is one of the most iconic and beloved characters in the Gossip Girl franchise.
From her ongoing relationship drama with her nemesis-turned-soulmate Chuck Bass to her whirlwind wedding to Prince Louis Grimaldi of Monaco, Blair was always at the centre of some of Gossip Girl’s most dramatic plotlines.
Since Gossip Girl ended in 2012, Leighton Meester has kept largely out of the spotlight, with the 37-year-old having also tried her hand at the world of music and Broadway performance.
Most recently, Leighton ventured Down Under for her latest acting role, starring alongside Luke Cook in Good Cop Bad Cop.
Ed Westwick | Chuck Bass
Known best as the wealthy bad boy of the New York social scene, Chuck Bass was arguably one of Gossip Girl’s most contentious characters.
During the filming of the original franchise, Ed Westwick continued to live the lavish Upper East Side life alongside his co-star Chace Crawford, with the duo living together in Manhattan from 2007 to 2009.
Following the finale of the franchise, Ed went on to star as Tybalt in the 2013 remake of Romeo & Juliet. The actor also made headlines in 2017 following a number of sexual assault allegations made against him by three of his former co-stars, with the Gossip Girl star expressing his disappointment towards the BBC for their ongoing investigation of the “unverified and provably untrue” allegations.
In 2024, Ed revealed that he had tied the knot to Bollywood star Amy Jackson in a three-day wedding extravaganza across the UK and Italy’s Amalfi Coast, writing to Instagram, “The journey has just begun 💍.”
Chace Crawford | Nate Archibald
As the heartthrob of the Upper East Side, Nate Archibald is one of the most beloved characters in the Gossip Girl franchise. From his early love triangle with best friends Blair and Serena to his ongoing battle to save The Spectator, Nate regularly appears as the trusted sidekick to many of the central characters.
Following the success of his role in Gossip Girl, Chace Crawford has since starred in a number of film and television roles, including What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Glee, and Charlie Says.
Chace most recently stared Moskowitz in the satirical superhero series The Boys.
Penn Badgley | Dan Humphrey
While he joined the world of the Upper East Side as an outsider, Dan Humphrey was one of the New York elite’s most powerful characters, with the unassuming Lonely Boy eventually being revealed as the mastermind behind Gossip Girl.
After starring as one of the central characters in the Gossip Girl universe, Penn Badgley took a step back from acting for a number of years before returning as the sinister Joe Goldberg in Netflix’s thriller series You.
Penn has also since launched his podcast Podcrushed alongside co-hosts Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari. Fans of Gossip Girl were also recently treated to a long-awaited reunion between the Humphrey siblings as Taylor Momsen appeared as a guest on the podcast.
Taylor Momsen | Jenny Humphrey
While she may have been introduced to fans as Dan’s younger sister, Jenny Humphrey’s ambitious attitude and sneaky schemes quickly involved her in the tumultuous world of the Upper East Side elite.
Since appearing in the first four seasons of Gossip Girl, Taylor Momsen has redirected her attention towards her music career. As the frontwoman of The Pretty Reckless, Taylor took a step back from acting following the fourth season of the franchise, with the star announcing her first tour supporting Evanescence in 2011.
Michelle Trachtenberg | Georgina Sparks
Known for her elaborate schemes and no-nonsense attitude, Georgia Sparks’ conniving ways quickly became the source of widespread drama amongst New York’s socialites.
Georgina Sparks also appeared in the 2022 Gossip Girl reboot alongside her now-teenage son Milo. Having inherited his mother’s scheming personality, the duo go on to attempt to blackmail the newest Gossip Girl.
Prior to starring as Georgina, Michelle Trachtenberg was well-known for her starring role as Casey Carlyle in the 2005 film Ice Princess. Since her time on the original seasons of Gossip Girl, Michelle has gone on to star in a number of Hollywood productions, including the 2009 film 17 Again, Criminal Minds, and NCIS: Los Angeles.
Michelle’s return to Gossip Girl in 2022 marked her first character role in over six years.
Jessica Szohr | Vanessa Abrams
Vanessa Abrams appeared as a regular character in the first four seasons of Gossip Girl. Known for her bohemian style and distaste for the affluence of the Upper East Side, Vanessa was frequently involved in the love triangle between Serena van der Woodsen and Dan Humphrey.
Since starring in Gossip Girl, Jessica Szohr has remained largely out of the public eye, with the actor starring in a handful of independent films.
In early 2022, Szohr delighted fans of the teen franchise when she announced her podcast XOXO with Jessica Szhor. The podcast shared a number of unheard behind-the-scenes stories, with her fellow Gossip Girl castmates Ed Westwick, Chace Crawford, and Taylor Momsen, also guest-starring on the podcast.
Connor Paolo | Eric van der Woodsen
Eric van der Woodsen endeared himself to fans of the Gossip Girl franchise as Serena van der Woodsen’s younger brother.
Since starring in the first four seasons of the series, Connor Paolo appears to have taken a step back from the acting world, having only made infrequent guest appearances in television series such as Rush Hour, The Brave, and Electric Dreams.
Connor most recently starred in the 2023 independent film Ambush.
