July 2009 News Archive

Tyra Banks is coming to the Upper East Side this season.

A source confirms to People that the Tyra Banks Show and America's Next Top Model host will be showing off her acting skills on the CW show in an episode during Gossip Girl’s upcoming third season, which returns Monday, September 14.

No word on the role to be played by Tyra Banks, who becomes the latest high-profile guest star to be announced for Season 3, following in the footsteps of singer and actress Hilary Duff, who will play a love interest for Penn Badgley's Dan Humphrey.

The Duff signing was met with less than universal praise, to say the least, from some fans who think the show is better off casting newcomers than known celebrities.

What do you think of this casting move?

Leighton Meester and boyfriend Sebastian Stan may not be friendly on Gossip Girl, but in real life, he feels fortunate to be in a relationship with her.

“I’m a really lucky guy,” Stan, 25, said at the premiere of Taking Woodstock in New York City on Thursday. “Leighton is the most interesting, sophisticated, talented and extremely funny person that I know. She’s really hilarious.”

While Sebastian Stan gives his costar Ed Westwick the evil eye when his character Chuck Bass gets to make out with Meester’s Blair Waldorf, it’s all in jest - and he says everyone always remains professional when it comes to romantic scenes.

“It’s work and everyone shares the same mentality when it comes to that. We all laugh about it,” he says. “The good part is I get to go home with her.”

On Gossip Girl, Carter Baizen may be putting the moves on Serena van der Woodsen, but in real life, Sebastian Stan's heart is with his co-star Leighton Meester.

Besides, Stan gets his own kissing scenes with Blake Lively in the upcoming Season Three, which returns September 14. In preparation, the actor skips the breath mints and goes for an unconventional route of eating fruit before he puckers up.

“I try to stick to apples and pears to keep it more interesting,” he said.

Stan says that when his character Carter Baizen’s background is revealed, it will stir up trouble with the Upper East Siders - especially Serena van der Woodsen.

“They are revealing his history, where he comes from,” says Stan. “His whole background involves Serena’s character. It’s different from the other relationships.”

A pair of Gossip Girl stars were filming scenes in close proximity to one another yesterday, and for once, we're not talking about Chair, or any of Blake's kissing partners.

Check out Leighton Meester and Michelle Trachtenberg talking very closely ...

Theories are welcomed as to what's going on here.

Below are some more photos taken on the Gossip Girl set yesterday, where Jessica Szohr and Taylor Momsen were spotted along with Michelle and Leighton.

If we come across more good ones, you'll be the first to know here on the Insider ...

Taylor Momsen has been sporting a '90s grunge look lately. This has drawn the ire, apparently, of rocker Courtney Love, the widow of the late Kurt Cobain.

Rather than looking at the image adopted by Momsen, 16, as the highest form of flattery, Love has decided that for these crimes, Taylor must pay a price.

Here are some of the Tweets Love has spewed in the direction of the Gossip Girl star. Courtney clearly needs to see a psychologist, or at least an editor ...

• @taylorxmomson shut the F*CK up you overpriveliged bratty bitch that picked one every freak in high school mention my name again? BAM
• ahhh and after taht im just going to go to find a friend and have a Virgin daquiri im sure @taylorxmomson your very “sweet” but idontcare
• @taylorxmomson is that youyr name? i dont watch tv or read teen mags and gossip rags so i wouldnt know, do NOT still “like my music” please
• aha ah so @taylorxmomson so sorry although now ive spazzed inront of alot of people i feel lame, but theres a look in the eyes icanalwaystel

This is hilarious, as we've never heard Taylor Momsen say anything to start this one-sided feud ... and since @taylorxmomson is not her Twitter account.

Spotted: Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford (who we know as Nate Archibald, and with bangs) smiling for the camera at New York's Thompson Hotel Wednesday night.

The occasion: the launch party for the Blackberry Tour Smartphone from Sprint.

As good a reason as any for us to post a photo of the handsome 24-year-old.

What a hunk. Ladies, swoon away ...

This girl is always up to something - and always up on the latest fashion trends. In character as Blair Waldorf, a smiling Leighton Meester rocked a pair of high fashion Chloé shorts with delicate scalloped edging on the set of Gossip Girl.

What do you think? Do you love them?

Welcome to the Gossip Girl Caption Contest - the 62nd edition of this fun tradition!

Follow the link to see who won last week's edition of the Caption Contest, then send us your best caption(s) for this Gossip Girl picture by leaving comments below.

It was, as always, a tough decision, with all of your quality entries. But we chose MustLoveChuck. Congratulations! The winning reply appears below the photo.

Honorable mentions go out to JessicaD, bfan and Kamay. Thank you all for playing and making this such a fun weekly tradition. Best of luck again next week ...

Eric: Wow... Just wow.
Serena: That was amazing.
Jonathan: Go Blair and Chuck.
Jenny: Are you guys watching the Chuck says I love you scene... again?
Serena: It's sooooo sweet though.
Eric: He got her stockings that's amazing.
Jonathan: I just love the background music.
Jenny: I need new friends.

In a recent video interview with People magazine, Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester offers some insight and a behind-the-scenes look at what's to come for Chair in the upcoming third season of the hit show. Suffice it to say, we're excited.

See what you think below ...

With all the photos we've seen from the set, it's no secret that Privileged star Joanna Garcia is making her presence felt on Gossip Girl this summer.

We know she plays a love interest for Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford) but fans are wondering what they can expect from her character, Bree Buckley.

Various sites describe Bree Buckley as a cheeky politically progressive, "slightly evil Miss America-type who hails from a conservative Southern family."

Well, she's not giving away too much, but Garcia is clarifying a few things about her Gossip Girl role and what's it like to kiss one of the show's hunks.

First off, Garcia insists that Bree isn't a bad girl.

"That's kind of a big myth! She certainly is not a bad girl at all! She comes from a different world - from a rival Texas elite family that has a lot of beef with the Archibalds. So there's a lot of tension that comes from that," she said.

"There are some interesting stories that are a little dramatic. But there's a great deal of getting along between Nate and Bree," Joanna said.

Garcia also notes that her Gossip Girl role is nothing like a Carrie Prejean clone: "No. I don't know where that leaked into the press," Joanna Garcia said.

"She certainly isn't a debutant or a beauty queen or anything like that. She's very grounded, very sweet, and very smart. And she certainly isn't blonde!"

Since Garcia has been cast to play Nate Archibald's love interest, the two have more scenes and, understandably, spend a decent amount of time together.

"Chase and I have spent a ridiculous amount of time together in the last few weeks, and he welcomed me with open arms," Garcia said, adding that kissing Chace Crawford is "everything you would imagine him to be, and more!"

At present, Joanna Garcia is only scheduled to be in four episodes on Gossip Girl but the actress is open to the possibility of returning for more.

"For now it's four, but there's always the possibility of more. I would love to do more, simply because I love the people. I wish I could claim full responsibility for every decision made in my career," the actress, 29, says.

"I have a team of people that have very brilliant opinions. The good thing is that the people on my team are in the Gossip Girl family, so hopefully, at some point I can talk them into letting me come and play," she said.

Taylor Momsen, Sweet 16? Not exactly.

Teenagers around the country tune in to Gossip Girl to see Taylor play Jenny Humphrey – a high school rebel with the obligatory, requisite teen angst.

But Momsen says she's hardly a typical 16-year-old in real life.

"I live a very adult life," the high school graduate (she got her diploma two years early!) tells Teen Vogue in its new September issue.

"What am I going to do, hang out with high school kids? I just can't relate to what they talk about – it all seems so petty to me."

That includes high school boys. Taylor Momsen, who claims to have been in "lots of relationships," says she could never date a guy who's also 16.

"Boys are so much less mature than girls as it is," the Gossip Girl actress says.

"I would eat a boy my age alive."

Instead, Momsen is eschewing the idea of a traditional college education, opting to take classes online, sing in her band, The Pretty Reckless, and act.

"I'm an artist; I'm not going to use trigonometry," she says. "For most people college is a place where you learn about yourself."

"I feel like I'm doing that already. I'm already independent."

But what about making new college friends?

"I have such trust complexes," Momsen admits. "I'm close to like, two people."

Still, all her insecurities fade away when she steps in front of a crowd to sing. Having spent her life in front of a camera, she's used to it, and doesn't mind if Gossip Girl fans don't "get" her rock star persona or her look.

"I'm pretty, but I'm not, like, a 'pretty girl,'" she says, adding that she modeled her new 'do on a Joan Jett photo. "I know people were a little, um, taken aback. But it wasn't me that changed – it was just that I decided to start being myself."