Blake Lively and Penn Badgley, famous from Gossip Girl, were a couple both on and off-screen from 2007 to 2010. They confirmed their breakup in October 2010. Despite splitting two years before the series finale, they continued to work together on the hit show in New York.
According to them, they handled the challenge professionally. They even kept their separation a secret from the rest of the team initially. Both have since reflected on this formative time in interviews.
Penn Badgley mentioned that the close connection on set made work both easier and harder. Blake described how public interest in their relationship initially made her insecure. After the series ended, both found happiness away from scripts and paparazzi.
Penn Badgley married musician Domino Kirke in 2017 and is now expecting twins with her. Blake Lively became Ryan Reynolds' wife in 2012. Penn openly discussed how difficult it was to separate himself from his character, Dan Humphrey.
"What people thought of Dan seemed to be transferred to me," he revealed in the "Call Her Daddy" podcast in April 2025. He also mentioned that Blake supported him during difficult times. Her lifestyle even had a positive effect on him: "Blake didn't drink, and somehow our relationship saved me from slipping into bad habits," Penn told Variety.
Behind the camera, both developed their own ways of dealing with the sudden fame that shaped their early twenties. Producers later reported how reserved and discreet Penn and Blake were in handling their private relationship on set. Blake told Vanity Fair that the production even hoped the actors would get closer.
She said they tried to strictly separate their private and professional lives for a long time. Penn and Blake are now seen as prime examples of a successful restart after an intense time in front of and behind the camera. Penn is embracing his role as a soon-to-be father, while Blake enjoys life with Ryan Reynolds and their four children, away from the spotlight that once followed every move of the Gossip Girl stars.