Penn Badgley opens up about the challenges of dating ‘Gossip Girl' co-star Blake Lively; here’s what he said

Penn Badgley is getting candid about his past relationship with Gossip Girl co-star Blake Lively. In an interview on Call Her Daddy, he spoke about the stress and uncertainty that accompanies dating in the public eye.

Did fame blur the lines for Penn Badgley and Blake Lively?

Their fictional on-screen love life was parallel to their real ones, which caused a stir.

On Wednesday’s episode of “Call Her Daddy,” Penn Badgley was questioned about his relationship with his ex-girlfriend and former “Gossip Girl” co-star, Blake Lively, as per a report by The NY Post.


Penn Badgley discussed how dating Blake Lively in Gossip Girl was psychologically daunting, with fame blurring lines and always having the pressure to be 'on' both on screen and off screen, as per reports.

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From 2007 to 2012, Badgley starred on "Gossip Girl." Between 2007 and 2010, he dated Lively.

When Badgley was dating Lively in real life while their respective characters, Dan and Serena, were dating on the show, host Alex Cooper questioned him about whether he was "able to separate his actual job from reality."

Badgley answered, "I mean, that's a great question because it was the struggle." He clarified, "When you do a television show, you're doing it constantly,” as quoted in a report by The NY Post.

“Because of the nature of that show and the celebrity culture at the time,” Badgley continued, recalling that he was frequently asked in interviews about “dating advice” back then.

What does Penn say now about that time?

Badgley revealed that he felt the need to prove himself all the time and spent the majority of his time in a relationship or not. He added that there wasn't enough space for everyone, and that the celebrity element played a significant role.

He added that he lacked the emotional maturity to distinguish himself in terms of self-worth because he was only in his early 20s.

"What starts to happen when you're in this one role for a long time, and the aspect of celebrity is a huge part of it," the "Easy A" star went on.

“No one has enough space for themselves. On the street, you are referred to by this person's name. At work, you also have to be that person all the time.” He claimed that people's perceptions of him were similar to their perceptions of Dan.

Last year, during an episode of his podcast "Podcrushed, he claimed that following their breakup, they remained cordial as co-stars, acting professionally and engaging in a variety of crazy activities.

Badgley's popularity skyrocketed in 2023 as a result of the show and his romance with Lively. He claimed that no one would be interested in him in public outside of their relationship.

Badgley viewed his "Gossip Girl" years as exciting and fast-paced, but he also saw a sinister undercurrent that would eventually fade away in his later twenties.

FAQs

Why did Penn Badgley struggle to date Blake Lively?
He stated that the pressure of fame and constantly being portrayed as his character made it difficult to separate real life from work.

Did Penn and Blake remain on good terms after their breakup?
Yes, he stated that they remained professional and friendly throughout the rest of the show's run.