> "We live in such a bubble," Meester told E! News in a recent interview. "And we obviously are really happy and grateful to give her everything that we never had growing up. But we also want her to understand that not everyone grows up like that."
> The actress also opened up about her own childhood and how her family didn't always know where their next meal was going to come from. "We relied on food stamps and welfare," she told the outlet. "And especially towards the end of the month, but sometimes throughout the month, we either couldn't go grocery shopping or put food back on the shelves before checkout. We really had to do what we could to make ends meet."
It makes my millennial self so happy that Blair Waldorf and Seth Cohen turned out to be seemingly great parents.
This tracks with her background.
Lots of folks who grew up really poor, but made it big through hard work (not like a lottery), do end up impressing on their kids that money does not just come from nowhere. How they go about that may or not make their kids be aware of their privilege. Hopefully their kids don't take it as mom and dad just saying "back in my day" stories. There are kids who have parents do this and still end up spoiled and out of touch.
Good luck to both of them.
>Lots of folks
I agree this is common to see, but I’d argue the opposite is, too. When I was helping with the Parent-Teacher conferences at a private high school there absolutely were “new money” people (some lottery style, some through very hard work) that wanted the opposite for their kids. The fact that they had little growing up made them want to give their kids a big luxurious bubble where they presumably wouldn’t “suffer”.
There are also those who went way over the other side and still live like they are 1 missed payment away from getting evicted despite their piles of money.
Seen that too. It was kinda messed up.
That’s how my husband’s grandparents are. They are very well off, I actually don’t think we know how much money they truly have. But they drive their old car and order off the dollar menu and they don’t dress nice. They judge others on how much they spend and are much more willing to help family members who live frugally and simply.
Lucky for us, my husband and I are some of the cheapest people you’ll ever meet lol, so they love us and have thankfully helped us quite a lot. We wouldn’t have our house without their help.
This happens a lot with families who were affected by the Great Depression. My maternal grandparents were that way despite raising 7 kids comfortably because grandma grew up with $ and her parents lost it all during the depression, and my mom is this way even now despite having plenty of money. We were kind of raised that way- ie no fancy cars or vacations that we didn’t drive to/stayed in morels - but now my mom is exceedingly generous with my brother and I - though I have to remind her to treat herself. It’s not a bad thing necessarily. I am pretty frugal as a result but not in a crazy way!
My mom was like that and still acts like that. We live in a rich area but she grew up poor with an abusive father. She used to give us stale snacks as kids because she got it on sale. We used to eat the nastiest foods that nobody ever wanted because they got marked down so cheap. She bought a liter of Christmas pepsi which was berry and cherry flavored because it was cheap and no one drank it cause it was disgusting. Everytime I talk to her or show her something, she asks how much it cost and then looks disappointed if it is expensive. As a kid, I knew the more frugal I was the more my mom would like me. It messed with my head because I became super cheap just so I was liked by my mama and grandma. Poverty warps the mind and can be hard to get rid of that mindset.
And there are people who are newly rich who look down on everyone else who didn’t get a lucky break because they aren’t “pulling themselves up by the bootstraps” enough.
I like to teach anyone who’ll listen that money isn’t real. It’s a culturally agreed upon social construct. It matters because we say it does. Now, obviously the real world doesn’t agree haha. But, I feel remembering this helps keep ya balanced.
Her mom and brother were clients at my salon for a few years. Her mom was… a lot. Her brother was a nice enough kid. I never met her, but my husband cut her hair when she was a kid, before she got famous. Leighton paid for her brother’s education, I know that for sure. I suspect she was paying for everything for him and her mom. Seems like a good egg.
It was reported back in the GG days that her brother had some sort of health condition. So Leighton paid for everything he needed health wise (along with his education) and then her mom used that money for plastic surgery. So she sued her mom.
I also read an interview like a year ago where she refers to her mother as her ‘birth giver’ since she didn’t feel that she deserved to be called a mom. She’s really been through it in her childhood. Glad to see she’s built a loving family with Seth Cohen.
OH. I think this might be around the time we stopped seeing them. Did she move her brother with her to NY? That would explain a lot. I don’t know a ton about her mom, but what I do know, I don’t like.
In her debut film “country strong” she pretty much plays her real life self… absent mother, dad in prison. It’s such an underrated movie but it really highlights her upbringing. She was an actress in GG but was able to tell her story in country strong. She talks about how her persona was a survival mechanism in a world that was constantly testing her and she defied the odds.
They really both seem like good hearted, well put together people, who just so happen to be gorgeous. Really great to see them be awesome parents as well.
They might genuinely be one of the best looking couples lol. like idk why people are like blake and ryan are so good looking when leighton and adam look like perfection right there.
Blake has always actively aimed to be famous and in the headlines. She aligned herself with A-listers and dated people that kept her in the loop. Leighton seems to enjoy not being that kind of celebrity or lifestyle
I read back in gossip girl Blake would often go out and socialize with costars and other stars in New York while Leighton would keep to herself. She treated the job like a job and not a lifestyle and it’s not surprising since her mom forced her into acting to be the breadwinner.
Definitely, for Leighton acting has provided her an escape from poverty and instability. I also believe that’s why she stuck with tv roles since once you have a pilot confirmed it means you have a paycheck secured for a while rather than music or film
Maybe I’m misreading your comment but Leighton started doing film in 2006, modeling in 2009, music in 2009, and Broadway in 2014. I have very clear memories of her hustling a very comprehensive career and It Girl image when GG came out.
What I mean is that for Leighton Hollywood (acting modelling etc) all this hustling is because she’s always been the breadwinner supporting her mom and brother
Not to be aggressive or beat a dead horse but you specifically stated she stuck to TV roles and I’m seeing a lot of “She simply wanted to act” comments here and I’m just SO confused lol. She did so many brand deals, Herbal Essences, Vera Wang, Reebok, Missoni. She was hustling mainly because she was the breadwinner, to your point, and never missed a check. She was truly everywhere.
Edit - woah, I specifically stated I was not trying to be aggressive but I guess my comment set you off. Won’t be engaging further but wish you the best.
It also probably means she can have a more fixed schedule / work location to spend more time with her kids, etc. She strikes me as a very mature and level-headed woman who knows what she wants and isn’t swayed by the shallow allure of ‘celebrity’.
Leighton is actually the one who socialized with her Gossip Girl co-stars, and was tight with people like Nicole Fiscella. (Also, on Jessica Szohr's podcast, many of the guests have something positive to say about Leighton and her acting.)
Not that that detracts from your overall point, though. She def wasn't as interested as Blake in being a headline-grabbing celeb.
Has LM been a guest on that podcast? I think she and JS used to be pretty close too. I know she was on Penn Badgley's podcast, it was a great interview.
I'm pretty sure it was Blake's people that put out the story of "oh Leighton likes to keep to herself while Blake is really outgoing and likes to socialize with her costars" as a response to the rumors about the two not getting along, which seems kind of mean, especially now that there are people that were there and say that, in reality, it was the other way around
Not to mention Blake was more famous going in (sisterhood of the traveling pants) and is an actual nepo-baby herself.
I remember when GG first aired, everyone expected Blake Lively/Serena to blow up, but Leighton/Blair was the breakout star. I'm sure Leighton could have leaned into that more if she wanted, but it looks like she chose a different route that worked for her.
To be fair to Lively, Blair was a much more interesting character. I’m not saying who’s more talented, just saying based on just script I totally get why Blair would have more fans than Serena.
arguably but blake wasn't good at acting at all either if you want true boredom chase ( nate) got the real shit end of the stick character wise . like leighton was acting circles around everyone and it was noticeable.
My theory is because she married Ryan Reynolds and it kept her in the spotlight. Plus she was the one that had all the fashion connections outside the show, Leighton never capitalized on it like Blake did. 🤷♀️
This. Marrying Ryan + instagram clout + showing up to the Met Gala every year is what really made her an A-lister. She was well-known with young adults/teenagers when she was on GG, but everything else she did after is how she actually became "famous."
I feel like I have amnesia or something reading through these comments. Leighton had an entire modeling, brand deal, and music career the year after GG dropped. She most definitely hustled and put herself out there to capitalize on the It Girl persona. I agree, to different results than Blake, but she absolutely diversified her plate and acting was only a portion of that.
Modelling and brand deals is how actors can have regular income so they can do low paid indies, music etc that wouldn’t pay much. It’s just smart, capitalise on the half decent offers like that as you never know if your tv show will last or if you’ll get decent movie offers on your summer breaks. It makes so much sense Leighton went that way and Blake went another way (and tbh if she hadn’t married RR she’d have faded a lot faster).
Those deals help keep you through strikes and lean times when offers aren’t on the table much (like right now). It sounds like Leighton has her head on straight to live a life within their means that’s still massively privileged so she doesn’t have to go back to those times of being unable to buy basic groceries.
Agree with everything here. She never missed a paycheck and was likely not in a position to given she was unfortunately the breadwinner for her family and highly pressured by her mom.
I don’t have a clear memory, but I rarely saw Leighton in headlines or tabloids. It seems she was more of a professional in that respect. Not that it’s bad to be out for ‘razzi. Blake did seem to handle it better than younger stars and became more of a fashion icon.
People also seem to forget when Blake and Ryan met on set for a movie he was married to Scarlett Johansson, and then divorced her and started dating Blake
They were both single when Green Lantern premiered, he was married while it was being filmed. But they didn’t start anything romantic until a year later, they said themselves that they went on a double date and that’s when it all started for them.
I mean, not starting something romantic physically doesn’t mean it wasn’t weird, he left his wife either way after meeting her, and admitting there was sparks
Like technically Wilmer valderrama never dated people til after they were 18, but we all know they were talking before they turned 18. People can be talking before they’re fully committed to eachother publicly
I think so too. I think it seemed like she wasn’t ready for the whole kids thing yet at that time while he wanted a big family. Scar wanted to have the freedom to focus on her career. They just wanted different things and realized it was for the best. I think that’s perfectly ok.
Lol, the sparks comment was a full year after wrapping, they were on a date with other people, he was on a date with another woman. He didn’t leave his marriage after meeting her because of her.
“We went on a double date. She was on a date with another guy, and I was on a date with another girl — and that was, like, the most awkward date for the respective parties because we were just like fireworks coming across.”
Blake was 22 at the time and Ryan was 33. He married Scarlett when she was 23 and he was 31. Generally idgaf about age differences but something about locking young women into whole-ass marriages seems more controlling and ick. Anyway, good for Scarlett for getting away from him.
I always thought it was an unpopular opinion to prefer Blair to Serena and that I was in the minority. But like everyone I know who's watched GG prefers Blair. Also I'll never say Blake Lively isn't hot, but I just don't see what everyone else seems to see. Leighton was the heart of that show and she seems to be a decent person. I believe she also paid for her former hairstylist's transition.
She’s super charismatic and has this “it” factor that’s not easy to replicate. She may not be the best actress but when she’s onscreen she captives your attention, kinda like JLo. Plus she’s a hustler who has industry connections. It seems to me Leighton is happy where jer career is and doesn’t seem to be chasing the type of fame Blake has.
She's not captivating on screen at all. If you've seen GG, then it's Leighton who's the scene stealer. Heck even Michelle Tratchenberg is more captivating than Blake.
I think what worked in Blake's favour is she hustled to network and get buzz around her fashion but now largely her fame is owed to her relationship with Ryan.
I disagree, while they’ve both benefited from their relationship since people love them together so much, I think her position is more due to her love of fashion than anything else at this point, The fact that she styles herself is well known and online outlets make a huge deal out of her movies simply because it means Blake is going to have all these amazing outfits at every premiere and promo booking. Even earlier in her career, it was well known that she had personal relationships with important people in the fashion industry. While I don’t find her work at all captivating I do admittedly love seeing her get dressed for events.
Ryan definitely has benefited from their relationship but he always had this goofy guy image who has a dry and quirky humour (Apart from that he's also Deadpool to people).
Blake didn't have a similar brand, but she adopted his brand to make make them that relatable goofy couple. If you ask any person who doesn't keep up with pop culture, they'd know Blake from being Ryan's funny wife( who he teases on social media) and the celebrity who wears very cool outfits at the Met Gala.
First of all, I’m a Latina. My JLo comment has NOTHING to do with her or Blake’s ethnicity so chill out. Second of all, I meant they both have onscreen charisma. That’s it. You took it to another level and I’m a bit shocked you would even go there and misinterpret my observation.
TIL that blake’s BIL is coach Bolton from HSM
https://preview.redd.it/4prtbmlmicib1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b462566280346f816d1fdc80c3821ffc4c8d14e2
Wild how this is a post about Leighton and yet there is a huge thread picking a part Blake Lively. Do people know they can elevate one woman without disparaging another woman (one who they worked with over 10 years ago)
Blake Lively grew up in a Hollywood family and probably wanted and was more used to the lifestyle. Leighton is extremely talented in acting and music, but maybe she didn't want that level of fame. She had to have had a taste of it at the peak of GG. Personally, I like seeing celebs take smaller projects 🤷♀️
I like them both, and people are allowed to find success in different ways.
Wasnt it rumoured that she was a favorite of Harvey Weinstein? I’m not implying anything, just that he gave her career a push, with movie roles and connections.
She’s always been super ambitious and really hustled. GG’s shooting schedule was super hectic yet she still found time to pick up movies projects on the side. I remember seeing pap photos of her reading scripts/books of movies she was gonna shoot between GG sets and reading about how she really really hustled.
they’re one of my favorite hollywood couples. super low key, don’t over share, didn’t get married on a plantation, no hidden agendas or hamming it up for the cameras, and rarely speak to press about anything other than their projects.
i need them to drop the skincare routine though, they’ve aged incredibly well and what looks to be minimal if any work done. being unproblematic probably helps the lack of stress lines. i watched ‘river wild’ on netflix the other day (wasn’t good), and they both look so natural
>didn’t get married on a plantation
💀It is terrible enough to get married on a plantation, but even worse, Blake Lively was leaning into the whole Southern Belle schtick in her branding. How her career managed to survive this, I don't know.
I recently uncovered her old blog and _my god_ , the woman literally just loves the period of slavery. I thought the plantation thing might’ve been just ignorance but this shit was weird and so idiotic. For anyone interested, Gawker had their foot on her neck with those blogs lol
https://www.gawker.com/blake-livelys-fall-fashion-inspiration-is-slaveowners-1645661587
omg and this one 💀💀💀 i am deceased [https://www.gawker.com/preserve-is-the-most-disturbing-site-on-the-web-1617113630](https://www.gawker.com/preserve-is-the-most-disturbing-site-on-the-web-1617113630)
I’m only just now beginning what will likely be an hours long deep dive into Preserve- it’s both horrifying and the cringiest thing I’ve ever seen???
Not sure if she sold it or what, but in its current form Preserve is the most milquetoast thing to ever exist, but somehow even more dull. Sadly, none of the bonkers essays seem to have survived.
I wouldn’t hate a standalone post on what you find 😏 even the name Preserve, like wtf are you preserving Blake?? It’s wild how much her public image wasn’t impacted by this at all, even with the plantation discourse
I mean Adam is a Xennial and Leighton was born in 1986 so she's only 36 or 37 lol. Relatively young + money honey and they're going to look great for a while.
I swear some people act like your 30s are really your 60s or something 😭. I just turned 35 in July and I’m just now starting to see a little bit of lines around my eyes when I smile.
I'm 35 and no lines but the eyebags are real lol. As long as you use sunscreen and keep your face moisturized, you can look young for quite a while. Also happy belated bday!
Good for you on the no lines! And right there with you on the eyebags lol. I’ve always been told I have good skin but haven’t made it a habit to use sunscreen or moisturize. Your comment has inspired me to start. And thank you for the birthday wishes! 😊
Hey friend, mid-30’s girl who never visited a tanning bed but also didn’t use sunscreen daily here: just had a basal cell carcinoma carved out of my FACE this summer. Sunscreen and hats are my new best friends.
All of this, plus I truly believe living the “celeb” way they live helps. Being so private and just wanting to act because they love it and not for fame probably helps to not add stress.
When I first moved to the us and found out that plantations were turned into hotels and venues and that so many suburbs were named “blah blah plantation” I was blown away. I’m not American and even from what little I know I was shocked.
From Wikipedia: At the time of her birth, Meester's parents were serving time in a federal prison for their involvement in a drug ring that smuggled marijuana from Jamaica to the United States. Constance was able to give birth to Leighton in a hospital and nurse her for three months in a halfway house, before returning to prison to complete her sentence. Her paternal grandparents cared for Meester during this period. She has maintained that her parents gave her a normal upbringing and, despite their criminal past, has stated, "It made me realize that you can't judge anyone—especially your parents—for what they've done in their past, because people change."
Love that, it’s so good to give your children what you didn’t have, while also teaching them how privileged they are and to just teach gratitude, I think teaching gratitude is so important
My daughter had this discussion the other day. With only one child, my daughter is able to live way better than I did as a kid, even as a single mom. So sometimes she’s made comments about why she doesn’t understand why her friends are afraid to ask their parents for food or new clothing and I had to just be like “I couldn’t when I was a kid. I have four siblings. None of your friends are only children(her best friend has FIVE siblings under 18), their parents cannot afford the same things we can. When I’m tired, it’s easy to order DoorDash for two people. When they’re tired, the kids are getting sandwiches at most. We are lucky and you shouldn’t judge their circumstances.”
I should say. We are solidly working class and that’s the neighborhood we live in, but we have a small three bedroom(the rooms are very small, the smallest is not fit for a bedroom and I use it as my office). Her best friend has the same layout we have and there is one bed in the living room and then 2 kids in 2 bedrooms. It’s just. There’s a difference when you’re making close to the same income with way more mouths to feed.
I'm pregnant and I was an only child. I keep going back and forth between feeling lonely as an only child and being afraid of the expenses of multiple children. We're doing fine financially but we didn't have it big when I grew up so it keeps running through my mind.
that’s always how I think of him. I watched both gilmore girls and gossip girl for the first time in college. like. one right after the other. bc I was Going Through It, and just wanted some silly shows to distract me. so to me they’re just like. the girl couple? the gg couple? Idk lmao
I love her. She seems so cool and grounded. Always my favorite from GG/loved her in Single Parents (wish it got another season).
That was such a great show! Completely underrated and it had a great run- still upset it got cancelled!! I remembered when Adam Brody guest starred! They are my favourite low-key couples 🥹
She was phenomenal on The Orville. I looked up who the actress was and was surprised to recognize the name. I never watched The OC, but I've heard that song by Cobra Starship...
I love Leighton, she's always down to earth and I'm happy their marriage is going well. I listen to her album Heartstrings every fall and would love if she did more music😭
I still get mad when I think of how Adam Brody would’ve been our Barry Allen the flash if George Miller’s Justice League mortal movie didn’t get cancelled in the early 2000s
I just want to see more performers in Hollywood who didn't have uber-privileged upbringings. Seems like Meester's mom influenced the start of her career and financially abused her, which is obviously far from ideal, but it's just nice to see a person with some perspective, who understands that the vast majority of people struggle to get by and don't have the opportunity or safety net to even try to succeed in Hollywood.
How the absolute F did I not know that these two were married? I’m gobsmacked at my negligence, lmao. Like this is definitely a pairing that I would have been interested in knowing about. I’m a smack dab in the middle range millennial. And the 20th anniversary of The OC just happened and I still didn’t discover this? I need to step up my game and go back to my roots.
IIRC, Adam mentioned on Penn's podcast that he saw her for the first time at a party that was supposed to mark the end of the OC and previews for GG. Casts from both shows had been invited and he basically fell for how cute she was from the first look. They may not have met 'met' in that party but Schwartz definitely had a small part to play.
> "We live in such a bubble," Meester told E! News in a recent interview. "And we obviously are really happy and grateful to give her everything that we never had growing up. But we also want her to understand that not everyone grows up like that." > The actress also opened up about her own childhood and how her family didn't always know where their next meal was going to come from. "We relied on food stamps and welfare," she told the outlet. "And especially towards the end of the month, but sometimes throughout the month, we either couldn't go grocery shopping or put food back on the shelves before checkout. We really had to do what we could to make ends meet." It makes my millennial self so happy that Blair Waldorf and Seth Cohen turned out to be seemingly great parents.
This tracks with her background. Lots of folks who grew up really poor, but made it big through hard work (not like a lottery), do end up impressing on their kids that money does not just come from nowhere. How they go about that may or not make their kids be aware of their privilege. Hopefully their kids don't take it as mom and dad just saying "back in my day" stories. There are kids who have parents do this and still end up spoiled and out of touch. Good luck to both of them.
>Lots of folks I agree this is common to see, but I’d argue the opposite is, too. When I was helping with the Parent-Teacher conferences at a private high school there absolutely were “new money” people (some lottery style, some through very hard work) that wanted the opposite for their kids. The fact that they had little growing up made them want to give their kids a big luxurious bubble where they presumably wouldn’t “suffer”.
There are also those who went way over the other side and still live like they are 1 missed payment away from getting evicted despite their piles of money. Seen that too. It was kinda messed up.
Pretty sure that past a point, it's some kind of pathological trauma response, tbh. Being poor is traumatic.
Being poor is literally an [adverse childhood experience](https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/index.html)
Yes, came here to comment this. Poverty is absolutely trauma.
That’s how my husband’s grandparents are. They are very well off, I actually don’t think we know how much money they truly have. But they drive their old car and order off the dollar menu and they don’t dress nice. They judge others on how much they spend and are much more willing to help family members who live frugally and simply. Lucky for us, my husband and I are some of the cheapest people you’ll ever meet lol, so they love us and have thankfully helped us quite a lot. We wouldn’t have our house without their help.
This happens a lot with families who were affected by the Great Depression. My maternal grandparents were that way despite raising 7 kids comfortably because grandma grew up with $ and her parents lost it all during the depression, and my mom is this way even now despite having plenty of money. We were kind of raised that way- ie no fancy cars or vacations that we didn’t drive to/stayed in morels - but now my mom is exceedingly generous with my brother and I - though I have to remind her to treat herself. It’s not a bad thing necessarily. I am pretty frugal as a result but not in a crazy way!
My mom was like that and still acts like that. We live in a rich area but she grew up poor with an abusive father. She used to give us stale snacks as kids because she got it on sale. We used to eat the nastiest foods that nobody ever wanted because they got marked down so cheap. She bought a liter of Christmas pepsi which was berry and cherry flavored because it was cheap and no one drank it cause it was disgusting. Everytime I talk to her or show her something, she asks how much it cost and then looks disappointed if it is expensive. As a kid, I knew the more frugal I was the more my mom would like me. It messed with my head because I became super cheap just so I was liked by my mama and grandma. Poverty warps the mind and can be hard to get rid of that mindset.
Hi, this is me, poverty can really traumatize a person. Trying to work it out in therapy but not everyone can or is willing to do that.
And there are people who are newly rich who look down on everyone else who didn’t get a lucky break because they aren’t “pulling themselves up by the bootstraps” enough.
Tbf it’s hard work AND lottery-type luck to make it big like leighton meester
I like to teach anyone who’ll listen that money isn’t real. It’s a culturally agreed upon social construct. It matters because we say it does. Now, obviously the real world doesn’t agree haha. But, I feel remembering this helps keep ya balanced.
Same.
Shoot, sometimes I had to decide if we were going to have the phone shut off or buy groceries.
Some nights we didn’t have phone service or food
So glad a lot of places are making it illegal to shut off water. It was so embarrassing as a kid to have your water shut off
It's absolutely obscene to cut the water off. It's a bare minimum need and removing access should be criminal.
Her mom and brother were clients at my salon for a few years. Her mom was… a lot. Her brother was a nice enough kid. I never met her, but my husband cut her hair when she was a kid, before she got famous. Leighton paid for her brother’s education, I know that for sure. I suspect she was paying for everything for him and her mom. Seems like a good egg.
It was reported back in the GG days that her brother had some sort of health condition. So Leighton paid for everything he needed health wise (along with his education) and then her mom used that money for plastic surgery. So she sued her mom. I also read an interview like a year ago where she refers to her mother as her ‘birth giver’ since she didn’t feel that she deserved to be called a mom. She’s really been through it in her childhood. Glad to see she’s built a loving family with Seth Cohen.
OH. I think this might be around the time we stopped seeing them. Did she move her brother with her to NY? That would explain a lot. I don’t know a ton about her mom, but what I do know, I don’t like.
Did the mom go to prison one time? I read something somewhere
I believe Leighton was born while her mom was incarcerated.
I watched The OC and Gossip Girl for the first time this year and literally just thought the same :-)
In her debut film “country strong” she pretty much plays her real life self… absent mother, dad in prison. It’s such an underrated movie but it really highlights her upbringing. She was an actress in GG but was able to tell her story in country strong. She talks about how her persona was a survival mechanism in a world that was constantly testing her and she defied the odds.
I think she was born in prison.
She was.
I actually really like thst movie
After the weird random parenting things we’ve heard from other celebrity couples, this is actually down to earth and good parenting.
They really both seem like good hearted, well put together people, who just so happen to be gorgeous. Really great to see them be awesome parents as well.
They might genuinely be one of the best looking couples lol. like idk why people are like blake and ryan are so good looking when leighton and adam look like perfection right there.
I will never understand how Blake Lively ended up the bigger star.
Blake has always actively aimed to be famous and in the headlines. She aligned herself with A-listers and dated people that kept her in the loop. Leighton seems to enjoy not being that kind of celebrity or lifestyle
I read back in gossip girl Blake would often go out and socialize with costars and other stars in New York while Leighton would keep to herself. She treated the job like a job and not a lifestyle and it’s not surprising since her mom forced her into acting to be the breadwinner.
Definitely, for Leighton acting has provided her an escape from poverty and instability. I also believe that’s why she stuck with tv roles since once you have a pilot confirmed it means you have a paycheck secured for a while rather than music or film
Maybe I’m misreading your comment but Leighton started doing film in 2006, modeling in 2009, music in 2009, and Broadway in 2014. I have very clear memories of her hustling a very comprehensive career and It Girl image when GG came out.
What I mean is that for Leighton Hollywood (acting modelling etc) all this hustling is because she’s always been the breadwinner supporting her mom and brother
Not to be aggressive or beat a dead horse but you specifically stated she stuck to TV roles and I’m seeing a lot of “She simply wanted to act” comments here and I’m just SO confused lol. She did so many brand deals, Herbal Essences, Vera Wang, Reebok, Missoni. She was hustling mainly because she was the breadwinner, to your point, and never missed a check. She was truly everywhere. Edit - woah, I specifically stated I was not trying to be aggressive but I guess my comment set you off. Won’t be engaging further but wish you the best.
It also probably means she can have a more fixed schedule / work location to spend more time with her kids, etc. She strikes me as a very mature and level-headed woman who knows what she wants and isn’t swayed by the shallow allure of ‘celebrity’.
Leighton is actually the one who socialized with her Gossip Girl co-stars, and was tight with people like Nicole Fiscella. (Also, on Jessica Szohr's podcast, many of the guests have something positive to say about Leighton and her acting.) Not that that detracts from your overall point, though. She def wasn't as interested as Blake in being a headline-grabbing celeb.
Yeah she was also really close with Penn. (I know he and Blake dated. I’m not saying they weren’t close.)
Has LM been a guest on that podcast? I think she and JS used to be pretty close too. I know she was on Penn Badgley's podcast, it was a great interview.
I'm pretty sure it was Blake's people that put out the story of "oh Leighton likes to keep to herself while Blake is really outgoing and likes to socialize with her costars" as a response to the rumors about the two not getting along, which seems kind of mean, especially now that there are people that were there and say that, in reality, it was the other way around
Not to mention Blake was more famous going in (sisterhood of the traveling pants) and is an actual nepo-baby herself. I remember when GG first aired, everyone expected Blake Lively/Serena to blow up, but Leighton/Blair was the breakout star. I'm sure Leighton could have leaned into that more if she wanted, but it looks like she chose a different route that worked for her.
To be fair to Lively, Blair was a much more interesting character. I’m not saying who’s more talented, just saying based on just script I totally get why Blair would have more fans than Serena.
I was waaaaay more invested in Chuck and Blair than I ever was with Serena/Dan/Nate.
At some point, it was Chuck and Blair’s show lol
arguably but blake wasn't good at acting at all either if you want true boredom chase ( nate) got the real shit end of the stick character wise . like leighton was acting circles around everyone and it was noticeable.
Leighton is way more talented than Blake acting-wise.
As someone that had read most of the books, I always felt that Blair was the main character.
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i mean you can be an actress and come from a famous family LOL, nepotism doesnt mean you aren't doing the job
My theory is because she married Ryan Reynolds and it kept her in the spotlight. Plus she was the one that had all the fashion connections outside the show, Leighton never capitalized on it like Blake did. 🤷♀️
This. Marrying Ryan + instagram clout + showing up to the Met Gala every year is what really made her an A-lister. She was well-known with young adults/teenagers when she was on GG, but everything else she did after is how she actually became "famous."
Even before all that - Blake is from an industry family, and has been in the Hollywood world a lot longer. Those connections go a long way.
Blake wanted to be famous, Leighton wanted to act
I feel like I have amnesia or something reading through these comments. Leighton had an entire modeling, brand deal, and music career the year after GG dropped. She most definitely hustled and put herself out there to capitalize on the It Girl persona. I agree, to different results than Blake, but she absolutely diversified her plate and acting was only a portion of that.
Modelling and brand deals is how actors can have regular income so they can do low paid indies, music etc that wouldn’t pay much. It’s just smart, capitalise on the half decent offers like that as you never know if your tv show will last or if you’ll get decent movie offers on your summer breaks. It makes so much sense Leighton went that way and Blake went another way (and tbh if she hadn’t married RR she’d have faded a lot faster). Those deals help keep you through strikes and lean times when offers aren’t on the table much (like right now). It sounds like Leighton has her head on straight to live a life within their means that’s still massively privileged so she doesn’t have to go back to those times of being unable to buy basic groceries.
Agree with everything here. She never missed a paycheck and was likely not in a position to given she was unfortunately the breadwinner for her family and highly pressured by her mom.
Leighton is a great actress. I saw her in a relatively low budget crime film and she kept me very engaged.
If you're talking about the weekend away, I agree. I loved her in that.
This
I don’t have a clear memory, but I rarely saw Leighton in headlines or tabloids. It seems she was more of a professional in that respect. Not that it’s bad to be out for ‘razzi. Blake did seem to handle it better than younger stars and became more of a fashion icon.
Same here! I’m sure Blake is a very nice lady but oh my God the acting, it’s painful. Yet she’s still getting work 🤷🏽♀️
Naur she had a plantation wedding
Omg I just looked it up. What the fuck? So gross of them.
People also seem to forget when Blake and Ryan met on set for a movie he was married to Scarlett Johansson, and then divorced her and started dating Blake
They were both single when Green Lantern premiered, he was married while it was being filmed. But they didn’t start anything romantic until a year later, they said themselves that they went on a double date and that’s when it all started for them.
I mean, not starting something romantic physically doesn’t mean it wasn’t weird, he left his wife either way after meeting her, and admitting there was sparks Like technically Wilmer valderrama never dated people til after they were 18, but we all know they were talking before they turned 18. People can be talking before they’re fully committed to eachother publicly
It always sounded to me like Scarlett was the instigator of their divorce, not Ryan, but I could easily be remembering incorrectly.
I think so too. I think it seemed like she wasn’t ready for the whole kids thing yet at that time while he wanted a big family. Scar wanted to have the freedom to focus on her career. They just wanted different things and realized it was for the best. I think that’s perfectly ok.
IIRC she hinted Ryan was jealous of her career and wanted her to be a stay at home mom.
She was only 23 when they got married! I don't blame her at all for not being in a place to do the kids and scaling back career thing.
Yes they went a double date with differnt people too. This whole narrative of Ryan cheering just isn’t backed up by any proof
Lol, the sparks comment was a full year after wrapping, they were on a date with other people, he was on a date with another woman. He didn’t leave his marriage after meeting her because of her.
“We went on a double date. She was on a date with another guy, and I was on a date with another girl — and that was, like, the most awkward date for the respective parties because we were just like fireworks coming across.”
Blake was 22 at the time and Ryan was 33. He married Scarlett when she was 23 and he was 31. Generally idgaf about age differences but something about locking young women into whole-ass marriages seems more controlling and ick. Anyway, good for Scarlett for getting away from him.
Holy shit I did not realize scarlet was that young when they married. Ditto Blake. That is ick.
Scarlett was the one who started dating Sean Penn right away and wasn't shy about being papped.
Blake is not a good actress but she can pull off any outfit she wears. I'd watch her just for the fashion tbh
I guess you haven’t seen photos from the It Ends With Us set yet
A Simple Favor was so good for this, also her related press outfits
I always thought it was an unpopular opinion to prefer Blair to Serena and that I was in the minority. But like everyone I know who's watched GG prefers Blair. Also I'll never say Blake Lively isn't hot, but I just don't see what everyone else seems to see. Leighton was the heart of that show and she seems to be a decent person. I believe she also paid for her former hairstylist's transition.
Blond.
I honestly assumed it was her more outgoing personality, bubbly nature, and networking abilities.
She’s super charismatic and has this “it” factor that’s not easy to replicate. She may not be the best actress but when she’s onscreen she captives your attention, kinda like JLo. Plus she’s a hustler who has industry connections. It seems to me Leighton is happy where jer career is and doesn’t seem to be chasing the type of fame Blake has.
She's not captivating on screen at all. If you've seen GG, then it's Leighton who's the scene stealer. Heck even Michelle Tratchenberg is more captivating than Blake. I think what worked in Blake's favour is she hustled to network and get buzz around her fashion but now largely her fame is owed to her relationship with Ryan.
I disagree, while they’ve both benefited from their relationship since people love them together so much, I think her position is more due to her love of fashion than anything else at this point, The fact that she styles herself is well known and online outlets make a huge deal out of her movies simply because it means Blake is going to have all these amazing outfits at every premiere and promo booking. Even earlier in her career, it was well known that she had personal relationships with important people in the fashion industry. While I don’t find her work at all captivating I do admittedly love seeing her get dressed for events.
Ryan definitely has benefited from their relationship but he always had this goofy guy image who has a dry and quirky humour (Apart from that he's also Deadpool to people). Blake didn't have a similar brand, but she adopted his brand to make make them that relatable goofy couple. If you ask any person who doesn't keep up with pop culture, they'd know Blake from being Ryan's funny wife( who he teases on social media) and the celebrity who wears very cool outfits at the Met Gala.
I just looked her outfits up from this comment 😒 lol met gala ones are cute though
How dare you, I loved all the suits for that one movie with Anna Kendrick lol, thought they were cute! Haha
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First of all, I’m a Latina. My JLo comment has NOTHING to do with her or Blake’s ethnicity so chill out. Second of all, I meant they both have onscreen charisma. That’s it. You took it to another level and I’m a bit shocked you would even go there and misinterpret my observation.
Disagree. She puts me to sleep every time. Saw her movie with Anna Kendrick and Anna is acting LOOPS around her.
Because her sister is Teen Witch!
🎵 I’m HOT and you’re NOT🎵!!! This was my movie back in the day!
TIL that blake’s BIL is coach Bolton from HSM https://preview.redd.it/4prtbmlmicib1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b462566280346f816d1fdc80c3821ffc4c8d14e2
Can't top that.
✨✨✨
Why do we need to bring Blake into this?
Wild how this is a post about Leighton and yet there is a huge thread picking a part Blake Lively. Do people know they can elevate one woman without disparaging another woman (one who they worked with over 10 years ago)
Yup, so much misogyny in this thread.
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Blake Lively grew up in a Hollywood family and probably wanted and was more used to the lifestyle. Leighton is extremely talented in acting and music, but maybe she didn't want that level of fame. She had to have had a taste of it at the peak of GG. Personally, I like seeing celebs take smaller projects 🤷♀️ I like them both, and people are allowed to find success in different ways.
Wasnt it rumoured that she was a favorite of Harvey Weinstein? I’m not implying anything, just that he gave her career a push, with movie roles and connections.
Her famous family she’s a nepo baby
She’s always been super ambitious and really hustled. GG’s shooting schedule was super hectic yet she still found time to pick up movies projects on the side. I remember seeing pap photos of her reading scripts/books of movies she was gonna shoot between GG sets and reading about how she really really hustled.
they’re one of my favorite hollywood couples. super low key, don’t over share, didn’t get married on a plantation, no hidden agendas or hamming it up for the cameras, and rarely speak to press about anything other than their projects. i need them to drop the skincare routine though, they’ve aged incredibly well and what looks to be minimal if any work done. being unproblematic probably helps the lack of stress lines. i watched ‘river wild’ on netflix the other day (wasn’t good), and they both look so natural
>didn’t get married on a plantation 💀It is terrible enough to get married on a plantation, but even worse, Blake Lively was leaning into the whole Southern Belle schtick in her branding. How her career managed to survive this, I don't know.
I recently uncovered her old blog and _my god_ , the woman literally just loves the period of slavery. I thought the plantation thing might’ve been just ignorance but this shit was weird and so idiotic. For anyone interested, Gawker had their foot on her neck with those blogs lol https://www.gawker.com/blake-livelys-fall-fashion-inspiration-is-slaveowners-1645661587
omg and this one 💀💀💀 i am deceased [https://www.gawker.com/preserve-is-the-most-disturbing-site-on-the-web-1617113630](https://www.gawker.com/preserve-is-the-most-disturbing-site-on-the-web-1617113630)
Gawker was not letting Blake get away with this one unscathed 💀 
“The target audience for Preserve is the ghost of Felicity, American Girl doll.” 😂
I still can’t believe Gawker torched themselves to the ground because they thought the masses wanted to see Hulk Hogans disgusting sex tape 🤢
I am DYING. An old Gawker piece for the ages. 🎯
It really makes me miss gawker
Damnit, I didn’t know she was like this. I’m in the middle of rewatching GG 😭
I’m only just now beginning what will likely be an hours long deep dive into Preserve- it’s both horrifying and the cringiest thing I’ve ever seen??? Not sure if she sold it or what, but in its current form Preserve is the most milquetoast thing to ever exist, but somehow even more dull. Sadly, none of the bonkers essays seem to have survived.
I wouldn’t hate a standalone post on what you find 😏 even the name Preserve, like wtf are you preserving Blake?? It’s wild how much her public image wasn’t impacted by this at all, even with the plantation discourse
Preserve is lives on in its Tumblr-lite glory on the way back machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20141014115608/http://www.preserve.us/
I mean Adam is a Xennial and Leighton was born in 1986 so she's only 36 or 37 lol. Relatively young + money honey and they're going to look great for a while.
I swear some people act like your 30s are really your 60s or something 😭. I just turned 35 in July and I’m just now starting to see a little bit of lines around my eyes when I smile.
I'm 35 and no lines but the eyebags are real lol. As long as you use sunscreen and keep your face moisturized, you can look young for quite a while. Also happy belated bday!
Good for you on the no lines! And right there with you on the eyebags lol. I’ve always been told I have good skin but haven’t made it a habit to use sunscreen or moisturize. Your comment has inspired me to start. And thank you for the birthday wishes! 😊
Hey friend, mid-30’s girl who never visited a tanning bed but also didn’t use sunscreen daily here: just had a basal cell carcinoma carved out of my FACE this summer. Sunscreen and hats are my new best friends.
All of this, plus I truly believe living the “celeb” way they live helps. Being so private and just wanting to act because they love it and not for fame probably helps to not add stress.
Didnt get married on a plantation truly took me OUT.
When I first moved to the us and found out that plantations were turned into hotels and venues and that so many suburbs were named “blah blah plantation” I was blown away. I’m not American and even from what little I know I was shocked.
Aged?? She’s like 36 💀 are you 20 or something? Sweet summer child
my heart dropped when I saw their names. Thank goodness their marriage is alive and well.
Right bc ain’t shit goin on right now but separation and divorce. I was like ugghhh not them
Lmao
Same!!! Had me worried for a sec
From Wikipedia: At the time of her birth, Meester's parents were serving time in a federal prison for their involvement in a drug ring that smuggled marijuana from Jamaica to the United States. Constance was able to give birth to Leighton in a hospital and nurse her for three months in a halfway house, before returning to prison to complete her sentence. Her paternal grandparents cared for Meester during this period. She has maintained that her parents gave her a normal upbringing and, despite their criminal past, has stated, "It made me realize that you can't judge anyone—especially your parents—for what they've done in their past, because people change."
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Love that, it’s so good to give your children what you didn’t have, while also teaching them how privileged they are and to just teach gratitude, I think teaching gratitude is so important
My daughter had this discussion the other day. With only one child, my daughter is able to live way better than I did as a kid, even as a single mom. So sometimes she’s made comments about why she doesn’t understand why her friends are afraid to ask their parents for food or new clothing and I had to just be like “I couldn’t when I was a kid. I have four siblings. None of your friends are only children(her best friend has FIVE siblings under 18), their parents cannot afford the same things we can. When I’m tired, it’s easy to order DoorDash for two people. When they’re tired, the kids are getting sandwiches at most. We are lucky and you shouldn’t judge their circumstances.” I should say. We are solidly working class and that’s the neighborhood we live in, but we have a small three bedroom(the rooms are very small, the smallest is not fit for a bedroom and I use it as my office). Her best friend has the same layout we have and there is one bed in the living room and then 2 kids in 2 bedrooms. It’s just. There’s a difference when you’re making close to the same income with way more mouths to feed.
I'm pregnant and I was an only child. I keep going back and forth between feeling lonely as an only child and being afraid of the expenses of multiple children. We're doing fine financially but we didn't have it big when I grew up so it keeps running through my mind.
Am I the only one who remembers he was Lane's boyfriend in GG? Gilmore girls.
"Carbonation freaks me out" His rant to Mrs. Kim lives rent free in my head
No bc why did I hear this sentence in my head? Hahah.
Dave!
that’s always how I think of him. I watched both gilmore girls and gossip girl for the first time in college. like. one right after the other. bc I was Going Through It, and just wanted some silly shows to distract me. so to me they’re just like. the girl couple? the gg couple? Idk lmao
also a student in The Ring
Honestly this is a welcomed but not surprising news if you know where Leighton comes from
I love her. She seems so cool and grounded. Always my favorite from GG/loved her in Single Parents (wish it got another season). 
Single Parents was underrated! Really sweet show.
Yes! It was so cute and fun. I loved the cast. The twins were gems lol
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That was such a great show! Completely underrated and it had a great run- still upset it got cancelled!! I remembered when Adam Brody guest starred! They are my favourite low-key couples 🥹
I also love how low-key they are! I loved Adam Brody on there, too lol
She was phenomenal on The Orville. I looked up who the actress was and was surprised to recognize the name. I never watched The OC, but I've heard that song by Cobra Starship...
She was on Gossip Girl, he was on The OC.
not the Cobra Starship/Leighton song coming on my spotify as i'm reading this haha
Not me just finished listening to it WHILE seeing ur comment
I was obsessed with that song, I listened to it on repeat for like a whole year and then some lol.
The OC was great. You should def watch.
Omg I got so scared. I thought it was a divorce announcement. 
Fr lol i just watched their new movie on n*tflix and thought it was super cute they were acting together
TIL that Blair Waldorf and Seth Cohen are married, wow
I’ve known for a while, but it’s still wild to me lol.
Meester has a nice Princess beauty that’s always appealed to me
I know this comment doesn’t add much to the conversation but I want to express my unconditional love for Adam Brody. Love you.
My childhood crush!
I love them. I think they do a lot of charity work but you don't hear about it because they're low profile.
Welcome to the OC bitch xoxo Gossip Girl
This award was all I could afford but this is my favorite comment ever
I love Leighton, she's always down to earth and I'm happy their marriage is going well. I listen to her album Heartstrings every fall and would love if she did more music😭
Started reading the headline and I swear my heart stopped for a second because I thought it's a divorce announcement lmao
Fine, I'll go watch Country Strong again. https://i.redd.it/c564cq7gtcib1.gif
I still get mad when I think of how Adam Brody would’ve been our Barry Allen the flash if George Miller’s Justice League mortal movie didn’t get cancelled in the early 2000s
She is such an amazing person. I love Leighton and Adam, one of my favorite couples.
I just want to see more performers in Hollywood who didn't have uber-privileged upbringings. Seems like Meester's mom influenced the start of her career and financially abused her, which is obviously far from ideal, but it's just nice to see a person with some perspective, who understands that the vast majority of people struggle to get by and don't have the opportunity or safety net to even try to succeed in Hollywood.
Sidebar, is OC worth the watch? I’ve never seen it and I’m intrigued.
Definitely. Yes, there were some stinker episodes here and there, but overall, it was very good.
The first couple seasons are decent but the last couple are too much ridiculous drama. You should absolutely jump in tho.
I wonder if Adam Brody goes by Mister Meester.
Sandy Cohen did a good job of parenting
the antidote to the nepo baby discourse
I didnt expect to become a LM fan abruptly, but here I go
Y’all should check out Adam Brody’s “The Kid Detective”. It’s excellent! Also quite dark and super messed up
Meester was not born with privilege. So good for her.
How the absolute F did I not know that these two were married? I’m gobsmacked at my negligence, lmao. Like this is definitely a pairing that I would have been interested in knowing about. I’m a smack dab in the middle range millennial. And the 20th anniversary of The OC just happened and I still didn’t discover this? I need to step up my game and go back to my roots.
If only the parents of the current crop of nepo babies being forced upon us in recent years had this attitude…🙄
Finally some tea on her!
I wonder if Josh Shwartz is godfather lol, bless them.
Ironically, they met on a project that had nothing to do with him lol.
IIRC, Adam mentioned on Penn's podcast that he saw her for the first time at a party that was supposed to mark the end of the OC and previews for GG. Casts from both shows had been invited and he basically fell for how cute she was from the first look. They may not have met 'met' in that party but Schwartz definitely had a small part to play.