Was there ever a greater teen drama crossover than when Adam Brody and Leighton Meester started dating way back in 2010? Two opposite worlds colliding, our beloved sunny Californian Seth Cohen finding love with the hardened, feisty New Yorker Blair Waldorf – it was a love story for the ages. But unfortunately – or fortunately for them – we never really got to see it play out.
Since meeting while filming The Oranges in New York, Adam and Leighton have kept their relationship extremely low key, even marrying in secret in 2014. And since their first child, Arlo Day, was born in 2015 we’ve barely heard a peep from them. That is, until now.
That’s right, Adam and Leighton have started appearing together in public again – attending their second red carpet of the year on Monday having formerly not appeared at a public event together since 2017.
Posing together for the Los Angeles premiere of Ready Or Not - Adam’s new film - the couple looked very loved up and adorable. The public outing comes after a wave of new press that Adam is doing for his role in the film. In fact, he even shared details about their relationship in a new interview with GQ.
Adam Brody and Leighton Meester at the Ready Or Not Premiere
1 of 1Adam Brody and Leighton Meester at the Ready Or Not Premiere
Of course, it very much revolved around him explaining why they kept their relationship so under wraps for all of these years. ‘She's more inherently private than I am,’ Adam told the publication, ‘I don't seek publicity but if I'm sitting next to you on the subway, I'll tell you everything about me.’
‘We're homebodies,’ he continued, ‘We don't go to a lot of things that perhaps we could, and don't seek out promotion in that way. I'm not s--tting on anyone who monetizes that aspect of their life because I get it. But we've found this great balance so far that really works for us.’
Also explaining that this for privacy is why the pair ‘are not very active on social media’, Adam went on to talk about how different fame was for them because our obsession with celebrities on Twitter and Instagram hadn’t taken off yet.
‘I was fairly well-insulated from [the fame],’ he said, ‘It was pre-social media so I wasn’t interacting with the world at large that way. I even think there was so much less outlets for paparazzi so I think there was less of that.’
In fact, he says that the in-show dating on The OC - nodding to his relationship with co-star Rachel Bilson - kept the stars ‘in a bubble’.
Honestly, the noughties nostalgia is too much for us at this point. But never fear, he’s not judging us for obsessing over him and Leighton. In fact, he thinks it’s perfectly normal that everyone is fanatical about seeing Seth Cohen end up with Blair Waldorf – although, he’s not exactly comfortable with it.
‘[The interest] is not bizarre,’ he told GQ, ‘To be perfectly honest, it was a little embarrassing. I guess love knows no bounds?’
Yes Adam, when two of the most beloved TV characters of our teen lives get together, love certainly knows no bounds.
Read More: All of the BTS secrets you never knew about Gossip Girl...
Gossip Girl Cast: 45 Things You Didn't Know About Serena And Blair
1 of 451. Gossip Girl was originally planned as a one-off feature film...
With Lindsay Lohan lined up to play Blair Waldorf. Seriously.
2 of 452. When the film fell through, the network was keen to cast Ashley Olsen as Blair and Rumer Willis as Serena in the TV version...
In fact, even Jennifer Lawrence auditioned for a role - that of Serena - how weird would that have been?Eventually, they went with the (then) lesser known actresses Leighton Meester and Blake Lively, because they 'captured the essence' of the stories.
3 of 453. Ed Westwick (Chuck Bass) originally auditioned to play Nate Archibald...
But the producers decided he 'looked more like a serial killer than a romantic lead.' Ouch.
4 of 454. After landing the role of Chuck Bass, he modelled his American accent on The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air's Carlton Banks...
Ed is actually from Hitchen, just outside of London.
5 of 455. Leighton Meester had to dye her hair brown just to audition for the role of Blair...
The producers didn't want two blondes in the lead roles, so according to producer Josh Schwartz, Leighton 'did a sink-rinse dye job to audition as a brunette.' Talk about commitment. We actually think it suits her better, too.
6 of 456. The role of villainess Georgina Sparks was originally offered to Mischa Barton...
Who's best known for playing Marissa in The OC. Personally, we can't see it.
7 of 457. Taylor Momsen had her first major film role aged 7...
She starred as Cindy Lou in The Grinch, opposite Jim Carrey.
8 of 458. Taylor also auditioned to play Hannah Montana...
She was beaten to the role by a certain Miley Cyrus.
9 of 459. Aged 8, Taylor wrote a song called 'Blackout'...
It was later recorded and released by Heidi Montag, of The Hills fame.
10 of 4510. She's not the only musical cast member - her on-screen brother Penn Badgley recorded a pop song aged 12.
Much to our disappointment, it was never released.
11 of 4511. Ed Westwick also fronted indie rock band The Filthy Youth...
Two of his songs were featured in the season one episode, 'School Lies.'
12 of 4512. Blake Lively and Penn Badgley were friends before the show started...
They were home-schooled together as 11-year-olds. It's a small world, hey?
13 of 4513. Blair's classic look was modelled on Audrey Hepburn...
While Serena's wardrobe was based on Kate Moss and Sienna Miller's more bohemian style.
14 of 4514. A spin-off series, set in the '80s and focusing on Serena's mother Lily and her sister Carol, was originally planned...
With Brittany Snow starring as Lily and Krysten Ritter as Carol.
15 of 45It was never picked up by the network, but aired as part of the season two episode 'Valley Girls'...
Had it gone ahead, it would have featured younger versions of characters from The OC, too.
16 of 4516. A spin-off show with Jenny Humphrey as the main character was also planned...
It was never picked up, and Jenny only had a handful of appearances after season four, as Taylor chose to focus on her musical career with The Pretty Reckless.
17 of 4517. Gossip Girl was voiced by Kristen Bell...
Who went on to provide the voice for Anna in Disney's hit Frozen.
18 of 4518. Kristen finally appears on screen in the last episode, alongside The OC's Rachel Bilson...
The two actresses appear to be auditioning for a film adaptation of Dan's novel. So meta.
19 of 4519. Jessica Szohr's cameo in season six was shot on the set of The Carrie Diaries, the '80s SATC spin-off...
So Vanessa actually appears in Carrie Bradshaw's '80s kitchen.
20 of 4520. The van der Woodsen family live in an apartment in the Milan Condominium Building, at 300 East 55th Street...
This is a real building - where a three bedroom penthouse apartment recently sold for around $7 million.
21 of 4521. Penn Badgley was genuinely named after Penn, the tennis ball company...
Better than being named after an actual pen, we guess.
22 of 4522. He was about to give up on acting when he was finally offered the role of Dan Humphrey...
He turned down the role twice, and had to be convinced into taking it by producer Stephanie Savage.
23 of 4523. Serena, Blair and Dan are the only characters to appear in every single episode of the show...
All 121 of 'em.
24 of 4524. The title of every episode is based around a reference to a film, book or TV show...
So, Desperately Seeking Susan becomes Desperately Seeking Serena, John Tucker Must Die (which, coincidentally, starred Penn Badgley) becomes Blair Waldorf Must Pie and The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton's classic novel of Gilded Age New York society, appropriately becomes The Age of Dissonance.
25 of 4525. Leighton Meester dated Sebastian Stan, who played frat boy irritant Carter Baizen, from 2007 to 2010...
He's now best known for playing the Winter Soldier in Marvel's Captain America film franchise.
26 of 4526. Leighton's now married to Adam Brody, aka Seth Cohen from The OC...
It's the ultimate teen drama crossover.
27 of 4527. Blake Lively and Penn Badgley were together off-screen from 2007 to 2010, too...
Blake is now married to actor Ryan Reynolds, and they've have two daughters Irnes and James.
28 of 4528. Ed Westwick and Jessica Szohr (who played Vanessa) were also in an on-off relationship throughout the show...
They've since broken up, too. Why are there no Gossip Girl success stories?
29 of 4529. The US Parents Television Council described the show as 'mind-blowingly inappropriate' and 'every parent's worst nightmare'...
These quotes ended up in pride of place on promotional posters for Gossip Girl season two.
30 of 4530. Costume designer Eric Daman worked on Sex and the City before dressing the Upper East Side's teen elite...
He won an Emmy for his work on SATC, too.
31 of 4531. In 2012, January 26th was named 'Gossip Girl Day'...
Michael Bloomberg, then the Mayor of New York, visited the set for the 100th episode, and commended the show for presenting the city in such a positive light.
32 of 4532. It cost between $10,000 and $60,000 per day to film on location in New York...
Yes, that's per day.
33 of 4533. The Empire Hotel - the aptly-named first addition to Chuck's property empire - is a real New York hotel...
You can head to the bar and order GG themed cocktails.
34 of 4534. In New York? You can go on a Gossip Girl location tour...
Taking in Henri Bendels, Grand Central Station (aka, the location of that opening shot of Serena) and the steps of the Met, of course.
35 of 4535. The author of the Gossip Girl book series, Cecily von Ziegesar, approved of the on-screen versions of all of her characters - except for Vanessa...
In her novels, Vanessa only wears black and is completely bald.
36 of 4536. Cecily has a cameo appearance in the final episode of season four, titled 'The Wrong Goodbye'...
She plays a guest at a Constance Billard mixer event.
37 of 4537. Other memorable cameos include Alexa Chung, Cyndi Lauper, Lady Gaga and Karlie Kloss...
Oh, and Liz Hurley pops up, too.
38 of 4538. Blake Lively was fitted for Serena's wedding dress the day after her real life wedding to Ryan Reynolds...
Talk about life imitating art. Her white and gold dress is by Georges Chakra Couture.
39 of 4539. Blair wears princessy Vera Wang for her first wedding, and pale blue Elie Saab for her second...
Naturally, she wears a headband for both.
40 of 4540. Jennifer Behr, the designer behind many of B's iconic headbands, released a gift set of nine replica styles in 2012...
It would have set you back a cool $4,000.
41 of 4541. The front of the Museum of New York City was used as the entrance to Constance Billard School...
It's found at 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street.
42 of 4542. Blair's full name is Blair Cornelia Waldorf...
Serena's is Serena Celia van der Woodsen (the 'Celia' is after her grandma, CeCe).
43 of 4543. Jack Bass and Georgina Sparks were kept apart by scheduling problems...
The writing team were always keen for the pair to have a storyline, but only managed to make it work in the final episode due to actor Desmond Harrington's commitment to Dexter.
44 of 4544. Henry Bass was child actor Alex Bento's first ever TV role...
He now has a recurring part on HBO drama Vinyl.
45 of 4545. The writers and producers of the show always knew that Blair and Chuck would end up together...
Because 'I'm Chuck Bass' is a legitimate answer to anything.