Blake Lively’s unearthed comment calling her Gossip Girl co-stars ‘monkeys’ has resurfaced, adding fuel to the ongoing drama surrounding her current project, It Ends With Us.
In a now-viral TikTok, Lively is seen at a 2008 Paleyfest panel with co-stars Leighton Meester and Ed Westwick. During the discussion, she joked about the promises made to her to join Gossip Girl, including not having to act with a pet monkey, a nod to Westwick’s character in the books.
Laughing, Lively quipped, ‘Well, I got a few of them,’ gesturing to her co-stars. The joke brought immediate laughter from the audience, but her co-stars, particularly Meester, looked unamused. Meester scrunched her face, and Chace Crawford and Penn Badgley didn’t crack a smile.
Lively insisted she was joking, exclaiming, ‘C’mon it was a joke! Lord have mercy!’ However, not everyone found it funny. TikTok user @thedisasterguru recirculated the clip, writing, ‘Probably not a good idea to call your co-workers monkeys.’ Some fans criticised the joke as ‘gross’ and indicative of Lively’s alleged ‘mean girl’ behaviour.
@thedisasterguru Probably not a good idea to call your coworkers monkeys and look at #leightonmeester lol. #blakelively #gossipgirl #thisisus For context – she is talking about things they made the creators of Gossip Girl promise her if she agreed to do a tv show. One of them was no monkeys.
Comments on the video reflected mixed reactions. Some people defended Lively, while others felt she was unfairly making jabs at Meester. ‘I always wondered why they weren’t besties in real life because Leighton is the sweetest but now I see why,’ one user wrote.
The resurfacing of this clip comes as Lively faces scrutiny over her role in It Ends With Us and her perceived lack of sensitivity during its promotion. Additionally, rumours of a feud with director and co-star Justin Baldoni continue to swirl, which only feeds into the narrative of her controversial past.
Executive producer Joshua Safran once noted in a 2017 Vanity Fair interview that Lively and Meester were never friends like their characters, Serena and Blair. He mentioned their different personalities, stating that Lively was very contemporary and social, while Meester was more reserved.
During their six-season run of Gossip Girl from 2007 to 2012, reports suggested the two had a tense relationship. An April 2008 report from New York Magazine stated they ‘avoided each other like the plague’ while filming. This tension reportedly forced other cast members to ‘choose sides.’
This newfound attention on Lively and Meester’s alleged behind-the-scenes drama is reigniting public interest in the Gossip Girl era. Meanwhile, as Lively promotes It Ends With Us, the press tour has been overshadowed by off-screen controversies, including her supposed rift with Baldoni and her handling of the film’s serious subject matter.
Despite the controversy, It Ends With Us has already grossed $93 million at the box office. Yet, fans remain divided. Some support Lively, while others criticise her for downplaying the film’s focus on domestic violence, treating it more like a romantic comedy.
The drama has also sparked debates about Lively’s career and her interactions with reporters and fans. Several past interviews where she appeared ‘rude’ have been resurfacing, further fuelling the backlash. Some fans feel these instances shed light on her true personality, contrasting sharply with her public image.
Adding a twist to this saga, the comments extend beyond TikTok. Twitter users have brought in Penn Badgley’s social media activity, noting he follows Meester and Baldoni but not Lively. This has only added more fuel to the speculation about her relationships with former and current colleagues.
In summary, the re-emergence of Lively’s ‘monkeys’ comment has intensified scrutiny on her past and present professional relationships. Amid the ongoing drama, it’s clear that public opinion remains sharply divided on the actress and her actions.
The resurfaced ‘monkeys’ remark has undoubtedly complicated Blake Lively’s current situation, bringing past tensions and new controversies to light. As she navigates this storm of public opinion and ongoing drama, it remains to be seen how this will impact her career moving forward.
Source: Dailymail
