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Actor Penn Badgley, known for his role in Gossip Girl, has opened up about how his on-screen romance with Blake Lively blurred the lines between fiction and reality. The You star famously dated Lively, his Gossip Girl co-star, from 2007 to 2010 while they were both starring in The CW series. This period, according to Badgley, presented unique challenges in separating his personal life from his character on the show.
The Blurring of Lines: Penn Badgley on ‘Gossip Girl’ Romance
“It was a struggle,” the 38-year-old Independent Spirit Award winner confessed on the Call Her Daddy podcast on Wednesday.
Navigating Celebrity and Character Identity
Badgley elaborated on the challenge of maintaining a distinct identity while playing a long-term role, especially when celebrity becomes intertwined.
“What starts to happen when you’re in this one role for a long time – the aspect of celebrity being a part of it, a huge part of it – there is not enough separation, I think, for anybody,” he explained.
He added, “You’re seen as this person, you’re called their name out on the street. You also constantly have to be that person at work.”
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Remembering the Original ‘Gossip Girl’ Series
- The acclaimed TV adaptation by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage of Cecily von Ziegesar’s book series, which revolved around affluent Manhattan teenagers, had a six-season run from 2007 to 2012.
- Later, a follow-up series also called, Gossip Girl, aired on Max for two seasons between 2021 and 2023.
Penn Badgley’s Reflections on Character Differentiation
Penn admitted he lacked the “emotional maturity to understand how to differentiate” himself from his character, Dan Humphrey, a Brooklyn scholarship student, particularly concerning “self-worth.”
“What people seemed to think of Dan seemed to be what people thought of me,” Badgley noted.
Early Relationship Dynamics with Blake Lively
The actor mentioned he was “starved for many kinds of intimacy” due to his parents’ divorce and “really longed for that kind of connection” with Lively, portraying socialite Serena van der Woodsen.
Blake Lively’s Initial Impressions
Back in 2009, Lively told Glamour about her first impressions of Penn: “At first I was so upset that they hired him. I actually poisoned the whole cast against him. But then they noticed that he wasn’t a jerk and was actually a really nice, charming person. Almost immediately I realized that too, but it took me about a week to admit it.”
Legal Issues and Personal Life Updates
Lively is currently involved in a legal battle with Justin Baldoni, her director and co-star in It Ends With Us, who is also a close friend of Badgley’s.
- Badgley has even featured Baldoni on his Podcrushed podcast in 2022 and 2023.
- The Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni case is scheduled to proceed in Manhattan US District Court in March 2026.
Penn Badgley’s Family Life
Meanwhile, Penn and his wife, Domino Kirke, are expecting twin siblings this summer, joining their four-year-old son, James. Badgley is also a stepfather to Kirke’s 16-year-old son, Cassius O’Kane, from her previous relationship.
Past Relationships and Current Projects for Penn Badgley
The Lewis & Clark College drop-out, who also previously dated Zoë Kravitz, first met Domino at a meatball shop in 2014.
Penn shared, “When we first met, it was immediate. And before we had time to think, I think we wanted to be together in the deepest way.”
‘You’ Season 5 on Netflix
Badgley stars in You as serial killer Joe Goldberg in the series’ fifth and final season, premiering this Thursday on Netflix. The series also features Madeline Brewer, Anna Camp, Griffin Matthews, Charlotte Ritchie, and Tati Gabrielle.