As the iconic voice from the beloved CW drama once mused, "If two people are meant to be together, eventually they will find their way back." That sentiment has echoed in the real lives of the show's stars long after the final episode aired in 2012.
Leighton Meester, who brought the formidable Blair Waldorf to life, found her own fairy-tale ending with fellow teen drama alum Adam Brody. The pair met in 2011, married in 2014, and now share two children. Reflecting on their journey, Meester recently shared on former co-star Penn Badgley's Podcrushed podcast:
"It turns out that was my husband the whole time. But I think I just had to see about a couple of other people first. Now, I go like, 'Why did I do that? That was the wrong move, obviously.' But was it?"
Their story has come full circle, with Meester now starring alongside Brody and the original Gossip Girl narrator Kristen Bell in the hit rom-com series Nobody Wants This. Bell praised the casting, calling it "natural and wonderful."
Meanwhile, Blake Lively, who portrayed the glamorous Serena van der Woodsen, has built a thriving family and career. She married Ryan Reynolds in September 2012, and the couple now has four children: daughters James, Inez, and Betty, and son Olin, born in 2023. Lively continues to balance motherhood with her acting career, having starred in films like The Age of Adaline, The Shallows, and A Simple Favor.
As for whether their on-screen characters found their perfect matches, Badgley and Meester agree that Dan Humphrey and Serena van der Woodsen, and Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass (played by Ed Westwick), ended up with their destined partners.
"I think they ended up with who they were meant to be with," Badgley observed, with Meester concurring, "I think you're right."
While the actors have moved beyond their Upper East Side personas, their bond and the show's legacy continue to captivate fans, proving that some stories—both on-screen and off—are truly meant to be.