As Blake Lively’s drama with Justin Baldoni continues, people are turning their attention to an interview from 2009 where she confessed to “poisoning” her Gossip Girl co-stars against an actor.
The actor was none other than Penn Badgley, who played Dan Humphrey, her character’s love interest.
Blake told Glamour that she was “so upset” by Penn being cast as Dan that she turned her castmates against him.
“At first I was so upset that they hired him. I actually poisoned the whole cast against him,” she said.
“But then they noticed that he wasn’t a jerk and was actually a really nice, charming person.”
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Blake Lively confessed to “poisoning” her Gossip Girl co-stars against a fellow actor in an unearthed interview
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“Almost immediately, I realized that too, but it took me about a week to admit it.”
The teen drama show, which followed the lives of students at an elite private school in New York City, ran on CW for six seasons from 2007 to 2012.
Blake portrayed Serena van der Woodsen, a socialite and the it girl of Manhattan.
“We hang out after filming. We actually look forward to spending time together outside of work,” she told the magazine, refuting reports of a tense atmosphere on the Gossip Girl set.
Blake ended up dating Penn, her on-screen boyfriend, in real life from 2007 to 2010.
Image credits: People
“I remember there was one point where we were just afraid of how our personal lives overlapping our work life could be perceived by our bosses,” the 37-year-old actress told Vanity Fair.
“[But then] we were like, ‘Oh no, that’s exactly what they want.’ They wanted us all to date.”
Penn now appears to be friends with Justin Baldoni, who Blake accused of sexual harassment last December.
The actors were seen together in New York in 2021 and follow each other on Instagram. Penn does not follow Blake.
Blake said she was “upset” by Penn Badgley playing her love interest and turned their co-stars against him
Image credits: Netflix
Image credits: Netflix
Justin denied Blake’s accusations of sexual harassment. The It Ends With Us actor and director also refuted claims of orchestrating a media smear campaign against Blake in retaliation for her complaints about his purported misconduct on set.
Instead, they argue that Blake tarnished her own reputation with her interviews during the press tour for the film. At the time, many netizens complained that the Gossip Girl alum failed to address the movie’s theme of domestic violence, instead focusing on promoting her products.
Justin countersued Blake and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and is seeking $400 million in damages. He claims that he was the one to have his reputation “destroyed” by the Hollywood power couple.
Blake and Penn ended up dating in real life from 2007 to 2010
Image credits: Netflix
“This is a case about two of the most powerful stars in the world deploying their enormous power to steal an entire film right out of the hands of its director and production studio,” the lawsuit states.
“When Plaintiffs have their day in court, the jury will recognize that even the most powerful celebrity cannot bend the truth to her will.”
The Jane the Virgin actor filed a lawsuit against The New York Times, which first reported on the alleged smear campaign against Blake and quoted messages sent from him and his publicists.
Image credits: Netflix
Justin’s legal team published a website they claim has all the “receipts” that would prove his side of the story.
The 41-year-old filmmaker claims Blake tried to hijack the film, including modifying an important rooftop scene where their characters meet.
A 2022 interview in which the actress discussed her need to “assert herself” and “have authorship” over her projects in order to feel “fulfilled” has recently resurfaced, leading some to side with Justin.
Blake starred as Serena van der Woodsen, a socialite and the it girl of Manhattan
Image credits: Scott Wintrow/Getty Images
In December 2024, Blake accused her co-star of “invasive, unwelcome, unprofessional and sexually inappropriate behavior.”
She alleged that he walked into her trailer unannounced while she was undressed and “improvised physical intimacy” that had not been previously discussed.
Her team described Justin’s counter-suit as “another chapter in the abuser playbook.”
Image credits: Forbes
“This is an age-old story: A woman speaks up with concrete evidence of sexual harassment and retaliation and the abuser attempts to turn the tables on the victim. This is what experts call DARVO. Deny. Attack. Reverse Victim Offender.
“Wayfarer [Justin’s production company] has opted to use the resources of its billionaire co-founder to issue media statements, launch meritless lawsuits, and threaten litigation to overwhelm the public’s ability to understand that what they are doing is retaliation against sexual harassment allegations.”
A trial is scheduled for March 9, 2026.
“The entire cast of Gossip Girl is celebrating,” one user speculated
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