Penn Badgley Reflects on the ‘Struggles’ of Dating Blake Lively

Penn Badgley revealed dating co-star Blake Lively during “Gossip Girl” was a ‘struggle’. He found it hard to separate his character from his own identity. Despite their romantic past, they’ve stayed friendly post-breakup. Both have since married and started families of their own.

Penn Badgley, the all-too-familiar face from “Gossip Girl,” recently spilled the beans about his on-again, off-again romance with co-star Blake Lively, and boy, was it a bit of a rollercoaster ride! While chatting on Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Badgley, 38, noted that dating during filming was, well, downright tricky. Apparently, it was tough to juggle their sizzling on-screen chemistry while trying to figure out their real-life relationship. Who knew being a teen drama star came with such challenges?

Badgley got candid about how he struggled to separate Blake Lively from her character, the glamorous Serena van der Woodsen. He pointed out that movies are a one-and-done deal, but shooting a TV show is like being stuck in a crazy carnival, with everything happening at once. “You’re doing it constantly,” he said. The CW series blew up and left audiences associating him with Dan Humphrey—who knew celebrity came with a side of confusion?

With such a long run on a hit show, Badgley revealed that the line between his identity and Dan’s started to blur. He explained that there wasn’t enough separation, as fans called out to him like he was that bespectacled guy who published stories instead of a real person with hopes and dreams. “What people seemed to think of Dan was what people thought of me,” he lamented, echoing the struggles of many stars caught in the showbiz grind.

The couple dated from 2007 to 2010, and even after parting ways, they kept it cool—just like a good British summer! Sources at the time noted how they remained professional and friendly, making everyone’s lives a little less dramatic on set. Because, you know, drama belongs in the story, not in the actors’ personal lives.

Fast forward two years, and Lively was sweeping into matrimony with none other than Ryan Reynolds on a picturesque plantation in South Carolina. Meanwhile, Badgley tied the knot with Domino Kirke in 2017 and added a little peanut named James to their family in 2020. Talk about plot twists! The couple is now expecting twins, proving that their real-life relationships are even more surprising than scripted TV drama.

In short, dating Blake Lively while filming “Gossip Girl” was a bit of a messy affair for Penn Badgley. He struggled to maintain his own identity, often feeling trapped as Dan Humphrey. Despite the romantic entanglements, both actors have moved on and found their happy endings with their respective partners. Who said life doesn’t mirror art, eh?

Original Source: pagesix.com