Romance With Blake Lively Saved Penn Badgley From Substance Abuse: “Saved me from forcing myself to go down that road”
Gossip Girl was an iconic show that captured the audience when it first aired in 2007. Although the show recently bought a reboot of the hit series, nothing can beat the OG. Fans loved the couples on-screen, and few even dated off-screen. Among them were Blake Lively and Penn Badgley.
Lively is a famous personality in the industry. Her marriage to Ryan Reynolds made her a favorite among fans. Badgley, who stars in the Netflix hit series You, rose to fame through Gossip Girl. The actor, during an interview, opened up about his relationship with the 35-year-old. Penn Badgley also opened up on how The Age of Adaline actress saved him from driving into the dark side.
Blake Lively kept Penn Badgley away from drugs and alcohol
Penn Badgley is famous for his role in the Netflix show You. The actor first rose to fame with the iconic show Gossip Girl. Badgley starred in the teen drama as budding writer Dan Humphrey. The actor’s on-screen romance with Blake Lively was loved by fans, leading them to date off-screen. Lively played Serena van der Woodsen, the lead in the show, and the 36-year-old’s love interest.
The Gossip Girl co-stars were in a secret relationship during the show, but their cover was blown due to their chemistry. During an interview with Variety, Badgley opened up about his time on the iconic show and his struggle with stardom. He said there was a “dark undercurrent” to his time on Gossip Girl. The actor cleared that the darkness was not related to substance abuse thanks to his relationship with the A Simple Favor actress.
The You star said,
“To be honest, I never struggled with substances. Blake didn’t drink, and I think our relationship in some ways saved me from forcing myself to go down that road.”
Penn Badgley also shared how he struggled to deal with the newfound fame after Gossip Girl. He said,
“Like anybody who experiences some degree of fame and wealth, I was presented with the universal truth that not only does it not make your life better or easier, it actually can greatly complicate things, and make you quite unhappy.”
The Easy A actor had a positive influence in his life due to Lively and didn’t dive into substance abuse. Penn Badgley even managed to deal with his fame and is now part of many successful movies and TV shows.
Penn Badgley and Blake Lively’s off-screen romance
The Gossip Girl co-stars had amazing chemistry on-screen. Lively played Serena van der Woodsen, while Badgley was the budding writer Dan Humphrey. The duo was a couple on the show, and their characters after dating many people on-screen, finally ended up together. However, that is not what happened off-screen.
Penn Badgley and Blake Lively dated from 2007 to 2010. After their split, they stayed friends. The duo kept their relationship secret for a long time. Even their breakup was kept hidden from the show’s crew.
The former couple has already moved on from each other. The Simple Favour actress and Ryan Reynolds married in 2012 and share four kids. Badgley and his wife Domino Kirke, whom he married in 2017, have a son named James, who is two. Additionally, he is the stepfather to Kirke’s 13-year-old son Cassius from her former union with Morgan O’Kane.
Gossip Girl is available to stream on HBO Max.
Source: Variety
