On-screen drama aside, much of the lore surrounding Gossip Girl is to do with the alleged behind the scenes divide between the cast, rumoured feuds and their various off-screen relationships. Did Chuck (Ed Westwick) and Blair (Leighton Meester) date in real life? Was there tension between Blake Lively and Leighton Meester on set? And who is still in touch?
The show, which lasted for six seasons, may have ended in 2012 but it is still a huge part of popular culture. So it's unsurprising that when former cast members and exes Ed Westwick and Jessica Szohr got married two weeks apart, fans took notice. And that they also had a close eye on their respective Gossip Girl guest lists...
One TikToker even claimed that the exes got married on the same day – forcing their co-stars to pick sides and choose which wedding to go to. Fans were quick to feed into the rumours writing, 'Now I want the tea on who went to which wedding' and 'I wonder if they have any mutuals who had to choose which wedding to go to'. However, this is untrue.
Jessica got married to former NHL (National Hockey League) player Brad Richardson in Arizona on 11 August and, amongst 150 other guests, her former co-star and on-screen partner Chace Crawford was in attendance. Two weeks later, Ed married actress Amy Jackson in Italy and the couple were joined by Ed's friend and former co-star Kelly Rutherford, who played Ed's step-mother Lily Van Der Woodsen on the show.
Apparently, Chace was also invited to Ed's wedding but was unable to go because of a scheduling clash. The actor who played Nate Archibald in the hit show told Andy Cohen, 'So, I did score an invite to the big day… I'm filming something during it.' While some fans have taken this as a sign that the pair are no longer close, or at least not as close as Chace and Jessica, Chace did confirm that they are still friends and it was purely a logistical issue.
Luckily for Ed, Kelly made a touching speech during his reception to make up for it. In a viral TikTok clip caught by one of the couple's 220 guests, Kelly said, 'I truly feel the most grateful for our friendship and to be able to work with you was such a gift. And to be able to watch you fall in love … I’m going to cry. No, truly it is the most beautiful thing in life and you are such a beautiful man.'
As for their other co-stars such as Leighton Meester, Blake Lively, Taylor Momsen and Penn Badgley, they appear to have been absent at both weddings.
Ed and Jessica reportedly dated on and off for years during Gossip Girl's run, but ultimately called it quits in 2010. Jessica has since spoken about their relationship on the 'Chicks in the Office' podcast and said, 'A lot of us did date and I remember when Ed and I started dating, we wanted to keep it super private.' Something she thinks wouldn't be possible in the age of social media, especially given the global popularity of the show.
While it's hardly a surprise that Ed and Jessica weren't at each other's weddings (not least because they were busy with their own) any reunion between cast members – big or small – always gets fans talking. In 2022, Zuzanna Wanda who played Dorota on the show shared a photograph of her with Ed Westwick, Chace Crawford, Jessica Szohr and Aaron Schwartz and fans commented 'my heart', 'OMFG' and 'I'd die to be in a room with these people'.
Considering that the majority of the cast were in their late teens when the show first started, it's unsurprising that they aren't all still huge parts of each other's lives nearly 20 years later. Given how many of them have dated and broken up, and that their careers have all gone in different directions, they seem to be on largely good terms when they do cross paths.
Gossip Girl reunions might be few and far between, but they are all bonded by their involvement in the franchise. To illustrate this point, one fan even commented on Ed's wedding photos on Instagram saying, 'Looks like lonely boy isn’t so lonely anymore. I guess even the coldest of hearts can find its warmth. I for one can’t wait to see how B will react. Stay tuned - xoxo gossip girl.'
Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, covering TV, celebrity interviews, news and features.