Leighton Meester Wouldn’t Call the ‘Gossip Girl’ Set The ‘Healthiest Environment’

While discussing her new project, Single Parents, Leighton Meester, forever seen by some as Gossip Girl's Blair Waldorf, reflected to Porter, Net-a-Porter's weekly e-zine, on her time on the show.

Does she miss that period of her life? In short, the answer is no. She was 'a kid' then—she filmed the show in her early twenties—and coming into adulthood with that spotlight and scrutiny wasn't exactly the healthiest.

'It was a very special time…that was filled with challenges that have nothing to do with [Gossip Girl] and also sometimes things that did have something to do with it,' she said. 'But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s sort of a time capsule. A lot of the questions that come from it are: "Do you miss it?" "Did you love what you wore?" And I understand that, but—and I say this with nothing but love—it is like saying, "High school was an amazing time for you, do you wish you could go back?" And the truth is, it was so special and such a unique, amazing experience, but no, I wouldn’t wanna go back to it, I was a kid!'

With Blake Lively on set.

Meester told Porter that looking back, the Gossip Girl experience wasn't exactly the best way for any 21-year-old to figure out her life.

The schedule was grueling, as Porter pointed out, with cast working 16 hours a day, five days a week in a Long Island City studio. And relationship-wise, 'I had to figure it out quickly and with not a completely developed mind to discern between what’s real and what’s not, who I can trust and who I can’t,' Meester said. 'I got really lucky and was able to very early on find and stay friends with people who are true.'

Generally, Meester said, 'I’m not haunted by that time, but it’s been interesting and helpful for me to look at it and examine it as an adult and go, "I don’t know if it was the healthiest environment."'

Alyssa Bailey

Senior News and Strategy Editor

Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she's not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.