Actress Blake Lively continues to find herself embroiled in new controversies following her fallout with It Ends with Us co-star Justin Baldoni. After Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, the actor-director has now retaliated with a $400 million lawsuit against Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds adding more fuel to the fire.
Before Lively’s high-profile feud with Baldoni and marriage to Reynolds, the actress briefly dated Penn Badgley while working on the teen drama series Gossip Girl. In an interview, Badgley talked about his relationship with Lively and how it affected his life, especially during a period of rapid change. Here is what Badgley had to say about his romance with Lively.
Penn Badgley revealed how relationship with Blake Lively changed his life
Actor Penn Badgley rose to prominence with his performance as Dan Humphrey in The CW teen-drama series Gossip Girl. The series also starred actress Blake Lively in the lead role with her and Badgley’s characters sharing a romantic relationship.
The duo’s romantic relationship translated off-screen and the co-stars started dating in 2007 before breaking up in 2010 (via Elle). During an interview with Variety in 2023, Badgley opened up about his relationship with Lively. The couple was a hot item for paparazzi at the time and Badgley understood why.
Beyond our relationship, I don’t think anybody was going to be interested in me publicly.
Badgley made the above statement, explaining how he was a relative unknown despite having worked as a teenager for years.
His role in the glossy teen drama and relationship with Lively had put him in the media spotlight. However, the actor felt he was becoming the center of attention because of his romance rather than work. As a result, it must have been pretty brutal for Badgley to maintain his relationship under heavy media and public scrutiny while also focusing on his performance.
Penn Badgley admitted his relationship with Blake Lively saved him from going down a dark path
In the same interview, Badgley also discussed dealing with the fame that came with the show’s success. Although the series initially had low ratings, it became a global phenomenon, making Badgley a household name. However, the actor admitted that his rise to fame had a dark undercurrent.
When Badgley was asked whether he was referring to any substance abuse issues that have affected the career of many stars, including Charlie Sheen and the late Matthew Perry, he denied the notion. Instead, Badgley credited his relationship with Lively as the reason he refrained from going down that path.
To be honest, I never struggled with substance. Blake didn’t drink, and I think our relationship in some ways saved me from forcing myself to go down that road.
Badgley made the above comment, addressing the positive impact his relationship with Lively had on his life, especially during a very turbulent period.
Following his breakup with Lively, Badgley dated actress Zoë Kravitz before dating singer Domino Kirke whom he married in 2017. The actor will be next seen in the fifth and final season of the popular Netflix psychological thriller series You, reprising his role as Joe Goldberg one final time.
Gossip Girl and You can be streamed on Netflix.
