This post mentions sexual assault and might be triggering for some readers. 

It’s hard to believe it’s been 13 years since Gossip Girl (and all its glorious drama) first hit our screens. From the secret scandals to the entangled love triangles, it didn’t take long for our teenage minds to become seriously obsessed.

The hit 2000’s show followed the lives of a group of New York high school students, most notably Serena (played by Blake Lively) and her best friend Blair (played by Leighton Meester). Oh, and there was a mysterious blogger who somehow knew everyone’s secrets and liked to expose them.

Remember that one time Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were on Gossip Girl? Post continues after video.

Even though the series wrapped up in 2012, Gossip Girl continues to grow a cult following today.

So much so, that the show has inspired an upcoming reboot series with a new generation of Manhattan’s young elite. But sadly, the original Blair, Serena or Nate won’t be returning (the actors have been pretty busy after all).

Here’s what our favourite Upper East Siders have been up to since the original show aired.

Blake Lively (Serena van der Woodsen)

From the moment she walked onto the Gossip Girl screen (in ridiculously stylish high heels), Blake Lively has continued to build a stellar career for herself. The 33-year-old has starred in a number of films including The Age of Adaline, The Shallows, All I See Is You and most recently A Simple Favor alongside Anna Kendrick.

To top it off, she's next set to appear in the highly anticipated thriller film The Husband's Secret.

While it's hard to imagine Serena ending up with anyone other than Dan Humphrey, she and Ryan Reynolds do make a pretty cute couple. The pair have three daughters together.

Leighton Meester (Blair Waldorf)

The Queen B of the Upper East Side has been pretty busy since her Gossip Girl days. While she may have ditched her signature headband, Leighton Meester is still a force to be reckoned with. After the show wrapped up, Meester made a name for herself in music, with her debut album Heartstrings peaking at No. 139 on the Billboard 200 chart. She later hit the Broadway stage when she appeared in Of Mice and Men.

Outside of music and theatre, the 34year-old has starred in the films Like Sunday, Like Rain and That's My Boy with Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg, which led to her being nominated for a Teen Choice Award. Most recently, she appeared in television shows, Making History and Single Parents.

While her iconic on-screen love affair with Chuck Bass will never be forgotten, Meester is now happily married to another teen drama star, The O.C.'s Adam Brody. The couple share a young daughter together and even appeared in the rom-com Life Partners together.

Earlier this month, Brody shared the couple have welcomed their second child together. 

He confirmed the news of their baby boy on Twitch for Hold the Phone TV's The Fun Time Boys Game Night Spectacular. 

"I have a new kid. Since last I played, I have a new kid," he shared. "I have a boy, and he's a dream. He's a dream boy."

Penn Badgley (Dan Humphrey)

After revealing he was 'Gossip Girl' himself, Penn Badgley moved on to play another stalker in Netflix's hit psychological thriller, YOU. Before that, he appeared in several indie films like Adam Green’s Aladdin and dark revenge movie, The Paper Store. 

Outside of acting, the 33-year-old fronts Brooklyn-based band 'MOTHXR', which formed in 2013. Three years later, they released their debut album, Centerfold. 

Oh and it looks like 'Lonely Boy' isn't so lonely anymore. Badgley ended up tying the knot with singer, Domino Kirke in 2017.

This week, Kirke announced her and Badgley had previously welcomed their first child together. 

"His heart shaped home  #40dayspostpartum," she captioned the photo of a heart which was drawn using the placenta.

View this post on Instagram

His heart shaped home ❣️ #40dayspostpartum #placentaart

A post shared by  Domino Kirke-Badgley (@domino_kirke) on Sep 20, 2020 at 2:35pm PDT

Kirke, who already has a son from a previous relationship, first announced her pregnancy in February this year. 

Chace Crawford (Nate Archibald)

Eight years on, Chace Crawford is very much still a heartthrob. After playing Nate on Gossip Girl, Crawford started landing roles on the short-lived ABC series Blood & Oil in 2015 and comedy film I Do…Until I Don’t in 2017. You also may have spotted him during his one-off guest appearance in Glee, where he played Quinn Fabray's boyfriend.

Crawford also had a bit of a run-in with the law and was arrested with possession of marijuana back in 2010.

More recently, the 35-year-old has been busy with his acting, having played cult follower Tex Watson in Manson Family movie Charlie Says and a superhero in Amazon Prime's series The Boys.

Ed Westwick (Chuck Bass)

Much like his other cast members, resident bad boy Chuck Bass has gone on to star in a number of thriller films. After Gossip Girl, he appeared in the comedy horror film Freaks of Nature and supernatural thriller Last Flight. He also played a serial killer on ABC’s short-lived Wicked City.

The 33-year-old also has an upcoming movie called Me, You, Madness. And yep you guessed it, the film is another comedy thriller about a thief who discovers he robbed the home of a serial killer. Westwick also played the role of Tybalt in the 2013 adaptation of Romeo & Juliet alongside Douglas Booth and Hailee Steinfeld and more recently, he starred in British comedy series White Gold. 

In 2017, Westwick was accused of rape by two women and sexual assault by a third. However, the charges were later dropped in 2018 after prosecutors said there was 'insufficient evidence'.

Taylor Momsen (Jenny Humphrey)

Since leaving Gossip Girl, Dan’s little sister has kept herself away from the screen. Instead, Momsen has turned to music and leads rock band The Pretty Reckless. Since forming in 2009, the band has released four studio albums, including one called Death by Rock and Roll earlier this year. 

Feature Image: The CW.

If this post brings up any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. It doesn’t matter where you live, they will take your call and, if need be, refer you to a service closer to home.