The most remembered on-screen couple in a drama series was probably Serena van der Woodsen and Dan Humphrey of Gossip Girl. They portrayed the perfect couple who, despite turbulence in their relationship, ended up getting hitched. Isn't getting married the most essential #couplegoal?
These beloved characters were played by Blake Lively and Penn Badgley. The two actors had a relationship in real life - they were a couple when the Gossip Girl cameras stopped rolling. However, their romance did not culminate in marriage, unlike their on-screen romance. In real life, things fell apart.
Blake and Penn preferred keeping their personal life away from the public eye. They had to talk about their romance and subsequent split occasionally, but neither revealed exactly why they discontinued their relationship. So, there is a lot of guessing when it comes to the reason for the breakup. People put bits and pieces of information together then started speculating. These facts will help Gossip Girl fans to draw realistic conclusions.
15 They Both Kept Their Lips Sealed
One noteworthy fact about Blake and Penn's romance was that, though the couple supposedly began dating around 2007, they remained tight-lipped about their relationship for a long time. They would not give direct answers to questions about their relationship. They didn't talk about their romance for months.
14 Blake Denied It
Blake completely denied the rumor about them being together in 2008. In an interview with People magazine, when she was asked if the talk about the romance was real, she replied, "It's silly". She went on to say that the media would always try to speculate about any famous people who worked together. She made it clear that she had always been friends with her male colleagues.
13 Penn Denied It Too
Simultaneously, in 2008, when Penn was asked about his relationship with Blake by People, he denied it. He was all praise for Blake, calling her "incredible" and "amazing" and "beautiful", but he did not confirm the romance at all. Both put up a united front, and fans and the media were made to believe the rumors linking them were just false gossip.
12 Caught Kissing
Paparazzi clicked Blake and Penn kissing each other in Cancun, Mexico, within a few months of the People interviews where they dismissed the gossip about their alleged romance. The couple was supposedly on vacation and the photo seemed to confirm their relationship beyond a reasonable doubt. Maybe the initial denial by the two was because they weren't sure of their relationship at first?
11 They Feared Upsetting The Show-Runners
The couple may have had more than one reason for hiding things. One issue that Penn and Blake had on their minds did provide at least a partial explanation that was plausible. They said that they were worried that the Gossip Girl show-runners would not like the idea of them being partners in real life, as mixing work and romance could be considered rather unprofessional.
10 Blake Confirmed The Reason Behind The Secrecy
Years later, in 2017, Blake confirmed some facts for Vanity Fair. To celebrate the completion of 10 years of Gossip Girl, Blake was interviewed by the magazine. She told them, "I remember there was a point where we were afraid of how our personal lives overlapping our work life could be perceived by our bosses". So, that's one mystery solved!
9 The Reel Vs. Real Life
Blake told Vanity Fair that they eventually realized their bosses wanted them to be together in real life and wear the clothes they wore on the show in real life - producers felt that doing these things would make Gossip Girl even more popular.
Blake and Penn went for it. They were dressing up as their characters and walking hand in hand down the street, just like Serena and Dan. However, this real-life couple just couldn't keep the love alive.
8 The Show Must Go On
Blake and Penn split as silently as they got together. They were thought to be together from 2007 to 2010. They parted ways in 2010, but they continued to play their respective roles on Gossip Girl. They maintained professionalism and stuck to the saying, "Come what may, the show must go on"!
7 Remarkable Professionalism
In 2015, Penn opened up their break-up. He said, "We were consummately professional" and that he and Blake gave each other credit for avoiding complications in the workplace. He was right. Blake and Penn did not even let their bosses or the cast and crew know that they called off the relationship. They behaved normally on the set...as if nothing was wrong.
6 Overlapping Life Could Be A Burden
According to how Blake talked about things later, it seemed to have been tough for the couple to carry on with their off-screen, real-life romance. When they were spotted together, fans and media were unsure if it was real or merely a promotion for the show. This burden of being in the shadow of their characters may have been too much for them.
5 Blake Called It 'Different On The Inside'
Looking back at the time when they were together, Blake made an interesting statement to Vanity Fair. She said that when they merged their on-screen and off-screen romances, "What was heightened was, wow, it all looks similar from the outside, but it's so different on the inside." What she meant by 'so different' was never known, but it hinted at something that made them part once and for all.
4 Professional Life Pulled Them Apart
There were other speculations about the split, as well. E! News reported that in 2010, Blake and Penn got involved in other projects (besides Gossip Girl) and needed to film and promote them separately. Penn was cast in Easy A, opposite Emma Stone, and Blake was featured in The Town with Ben Affleck. With a drift in their professional life, their personal life suffered.
3 Different Relationship Goals
Not long before they parted, Blake disclosed to Allure that she wished to have "lots of babies". This acted as a cue to some gossip hounds - they wondered if this was the reason for their break-up. Blake did not say if Penn shared the same view about having babies. This was a grey area that some thought might have been instrumental in their split.
2 It Was Good And It Was Bad
Penn told Elle in 2013 that their relationship was "good and bad" and a "learning experience". They behaved professionally while doing the show, even after their break-up, and continued their on-screen romance, as previously mentioned. Even though things did not work out between them in the end, they looked at it as a valuable experience...and then moved on.
1 No Drama At All
Whatever the actual reason for their break-up, be it mutual differences or not-so-good experiences or different professional commitments, it is clear that there was nothing seriously wrong between the two. They drifted apart quietly. Even the cast and crew (and their bosses on Gossip Girl) confirmed there was no awkward moment or drama between them on the set.