The heart-breaking news of Michelle Trachtenberg’s untimely death at the age of 39 was shared yesterday (February 26). Michelle is best remembered for her role as the manipulative Georgina Sparks in the hit drama series Gossip Girl, which aired from 2007 to 2012. Gossip Girl, set in the chic Upper East Side of Manhattan, revolved around a group of teenagers attending an elite private school. Their lives were constantly under scrutiny by an anonymous blogger known as Gossip Girl, who reported on everything from their love lives to their battles for social supremacy. The show lasted for six seasons, following the characters’ journeys through high school, college, and beyond. It was a massive success, and maintains a dedicated fan base even years after its finale. A reboot of the show was attempted in 2021, featuring appearances from some of the original cast. However, it failed to impress critics and was axed after just two seasons. So, what became of the original cast once Gossip Girl made her final post? Leighton Meester
Leighton has had a successful acting career as well as venturing into music
(Image: FilmMagic)
Leighton played Blair Waldorf, the school’s queen bee, who was often ruthless but also had a vulnerable side. In addition to acting, Leighton has modelled and pursued a music career. After Gossip Girl, she released an album titled Heartstrings in 2014, for which she wrote all the songs. Since Gossip Girl, she has appeared in the Adam Sandler film That’s My Boy and the indie movie Like Sunday, Like Rain. She has also featured in numerous TV shows, including Semper Fi, and starred in the sitcom Single Parents. While her character may have been an icy socialite, Leighton has a much more caring side in real life. She heads up a lot of philanthropic projects, including volunteering for Feeding America. She’s married to another actor who found fame in a 00s teenage drama, Adam Brody, also known as Seth Cohen from The O.C. They have a son and a daughter together. Blake Lively
Blake Lively and husband Ryan Reynolds have become a Hollywood power couple
(Image: WireImage)
Blake Lively, who played troubled heiress Serena van der Woodsen, has had a successful career since the show ended. Married to the actor Ryan Reynolds, the pair are parents of four children. Blake has mainly focused her career on movies, starring in The Age of Adaline and The Shallows. But it’s her latest movie It Ends with Us that has generated the most headlines. Amidst a very public spat with co-star and director Justin Baldoni, lawsuits are being filed by both parties, with Blake alleging sexual harassment on the set, and Justin accusing her of defamation. Michelle Trachtenberg Michelle Trachtenberg, who was adored by fans for her role as the scheming Georgina Sparks, was found dead yesterday. Fans have taken to social media to mourn, one fan saying: “georgina sparks will always be the most iconic character ever” while another added “rip michelle trachtenberg nobody else could’ve played georgina sparks this perfectly”.
While Michelle Trachtenberg played a villain, her character was a fan favourite
(Image: WireImage)
Before she became a part of the Gossip Girl cast, Michelle Trachtenberg had already made a name for herself in the acting world. She was known for her roles as a child actor in Harriet the Spy and had a role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Post-Gossip Girl, she appeared in Love Bites, guest-starred in Criminal Minds, and even voiced an animated version of Harriet the Spy. Michelle also reprised her role as Georgina in two episodes of the Gossip Girl reboot. Unfortunately, she had been battling health issues and underwent a liver transplant recently before tragically passing away at 39. Ed Westwick Ed Westwick, a British actor, played the unforgettable character Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl. Despite his character’s dark side, many fans were rooting for him to end up with queen bee Blair. After the show, he starred in a film adaptation of Romeo & Juliet as Tybalt and in Bone in the Throat, a movie based on a novel by the late chef Anthony Bourdain.
Ed Westwick is married to Bollywood star Amy Jackson
(Image: Corbis via Getty Images)
He also featured in two seasons of the BBC drama White Gold, playing a dodgy 1980s double glazing salesman. Recently, he starred in the movie DarkGame, which revolves around a killer who livestreams his murders online. He is married to fellow actor Amy Jackson, who is known for her roles in Indian films, and they are expecting a baby. Penn Badgley Penn Badgley, known for his role as outsider Dan Humphrey in Gossip Girl, went on to play Joe Goldberg, a serial killer and obsessive stalker in the Netflix series You. He’s also had roles in films like Easy A and music biopic Greetings from Tim Buckley, where he portrayed musician Jeff Buckley. Penn also appeared in the gripping miniseries The Slap.
Video Loading
Video Unavailable
Click to play
Tap to play
The video will auto-play soon8Cancel
Play now
He also hosts a podcast called Podcrushed, where he chats with celebs about their cringe-worthy middle school years. Off-screen, he’s married to musician Domino Kirke and they have a child together. Taylor Momsen Taylor Momsen played Jenny Humphrey, Dan’s younger sister in Gossip Girl. Despite being one of the youngest cast members, Taylor was already used to the spotlight, having played Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas and boasting a successful modelling career.
Taylor Momsen hasn’t acted since Gossip Girl and has focused on her music career instead
(Image: PA)
She left Gossip Girl in its fourth season to focus on her music career. Since then, she hasn’t returned to acting but has found success as the lead singer of her band The Pretty Reckless. They’ve released four studio albums and 14 singles, some of which have topped the US Mainstream Rock charts. The band has also supported Evanescence on a worldwide tour and performed at major music events, including the Download Festival in 2014. Kristen Bell Kristen Bell’s iconic voiceover was a staple of Gossip Girl, famously starting each episode with “You know you love me. XOXO Gossip Girl”. Although Kristen only appeared on screen in the final episode, she made a lasting impression and continued her role as the narrator in the series reboot.
Video Loading
Video Unavailable
Click to play
Tap to play
The video will auto-play soon8Cancel
Play now
Before joining the cast of Gossip Girl, Kristen Bell was already a household name thanks to her lead role in Veronica Mars. In recent years she’s taken on diverse roles across TV and film, including lead parts in House of Lies and The Good Place. To many youngsters, she’s known as the voice of Anna from Disney’s Frozen. More recently, she’s been seen in the Netflix series Nobody Wants This, where she plays a relationship podcaster who falls for a rabbi. Fans can look forward to season two in 2025. All episodes of Gossip Girl are available on BBC iPlayer to stream for free.
