Taylor Momsen attends the Frederick Anderson show during New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Prince George Ballroom on February 15, 2023.Photo:Dominik Bindl/Getty
Dominik Bindl/Getty
Taylor Momsenis looking back at her decision to leaveGossip Girl.
On the latest episode of her former costarPenn Badgley’s SiriusXM podcastPodcrushed,Momsen, who starred as Jenny Humphrey inGossip Girl,reflected on her choice todepart The CW seriesduring its third season.
“It was a childhood thing that I got put into at two years old. I wasn’t making my own choices then,” she said of her acting career in the interview, which was recorded before theSAG-AFTRA strike. “Literally, as soon as I got to an age where I could make my own decisions, it was like a click… I woke up one morning and went, ‘Wait a second. I don’t have to do this? I don’t have to do this other job? I can just play in my band and tour and write songs? I can just do that?’”
She continued, “Granted, [it was] a little more complicated to get out of a television show than that, but the answer was yes. Like, you can just do that. I have the ability to create my life how I want to live it. … It was like a light bulb went off.”
Momsen, 30, also recalled how producers reacted after learning of her desire to pursue her music career.
“I uprooted and changed my life overnight,” she explained. “[Production] went, ‘Well, we can’t let you out of your deal, but we can write you out of the show, so you can go on tour. You can’t act in anything else, though.’”
Penn Badgley and Taylor Momsen on ‘Gossip Girl’.Cw Network/Kobal/Shutterstock
Cw Network/Kobal/Shutterstock
She shared that she was “fine” with the agreement from producers of the show, adding, “They really allowed me to follow my dream, and I’m forever grateful and thankful to them for that."'
After exitingGossip Girlin its third season,The Pretty Recklessfrontwoman later returned forthe season 4 episode “Easy J"and for a brief cameo inthe 2012 series finale.
The interview marked the first time Momsen hadreunitedwith Badgley, 36, since the show’s final episode over a decade ago. However, Badgley has defended Momsen against rumors about her offscreen behavior, tellingHollywood Lifein 2010 that"teenagers go through what they’re going to go through.”
“It just so happens that she’s in the eye of the press, and I think that’s unfortunate because everyone should be allowed to make their mistakes,” he said at the time. “I think it’s like, she’s 17. Give her time. She’s a really sweet girl, very smart, very talented. She’s just growing up.”
Badgley told Momsen that he has fond memories of working with her on the teen drama series, which ran for six seasons from 2007 to 2012.
“I just remember our scenes being really nice because there was an actual family vibe,” he shared onPodcrushed. “Especiallyas a father now— I have a 14-year-old and a 2-and-a-half-year-old — so, like, [Taylor’s] presence brought what I get now as a father … which is when you bring in children, it just brings something very positive to a space.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
New episodes ofPodcrushedarrive Wednesdays on SiriusXM and other podcast streaming platforms. All six seasons ofGossip Girlare available to stream on Max.
source: people.com
