Taylor Momsen became an instant fan-favorite the moment she appeared as Jenny Humphrey in The CW’s hit series Gossip Girl, which is why her sudden departure from the show came as a shock for fans. After withholding specific details about her exit for 13 long years, the actress finally opened up about leaving the show despite being a series regular.
Momsen reunites with on-screen brother Penn Badgley
During an episode on Penn Badgley’s (who played Dan Humphrey in Gossip Girl) podcast Podcrushed, the actress got candid about her stint in the show, including committing to a big project at the age of 12. She then disclosed that leaving the show was her choice so she could further her music career, though rumors at the time suggest that she was being “difficult” on the set.
“Larger powers than me came down and went, ‘This is a great opportunity,’” Momsen said in the podcast. “That’s where music became such a solace for me. Thanking back on my life, it was this place where I could just be — writing songs, emoting how I felt. I was by myself a lot. I didn’t have my own clique.”
Of course, being the youngest cast member in the show left Momsen feeling like she “didn’t fit in” with any of the members. But acting, for the most part, wasn’t her decision in the first place, and the moment she reached the age where she could finally decide for herself, she realized music had always been at the top of her list of interests.
“It was a childhood thing that I got put into at two years old. I wasn’t making my own choices then. Literally, as soon as I got to an age where I could make my own decisions, it was like a click… I woke up one morning and went, ‘Wait a second. I don’t have to do this? I don’t have to do this other job? I can just play in my band and tour and write songs? I can just do that?’ Granted, a little more complicated to get out of a television show than that, but the answer was yes,” she explained.
She went on to say that her Gossip Girl family assisted her in her decision that “changed [her] life overnight.”
“They went, ‘Well, we can’t let you out of your deal, but we can write you out of the show, so you can go on tour.’ They really allowed me to follow my dream, and I’m forever grateful and thankful to them for that,” Momsen added.
Gossip Girl follows a group of wealthy and privileged teenagers whose scandalous lives were revealed publicly through a gossip blog called “Gossip Girl.” The person behind the website was later revealed to be Dan Humphrey all along, which he used as a way to make Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) go out with him. Momsen, on the other hand, portrayed Dan’s younger sister before leaving after Season 4. She made a brief cameo appearance during the series finale.
