The extent of the separation drama on set must have been immense

Gossip Girl was full of romantic twists and turns, but the cast members themselves all seem to have dated each other at some point during filming. While everyone knows Blake and Penn, there are a few other cast members you may never have known were secretly making out.

So let’s reveal some juicy secrets and look at all the Gossip Girl cast members who secretly dated in real life

Blake Lively and Penn Badgley

I’m pretty sure there isn’t a Gossip Girl viewer who doesn’t know that these two cast members were a couple. Blake and Penn played Serena and Dan, and their on- and off-screen relationships were just as tumultuous as each other’s. They dated on and off between 2007 and 2010 before deciding to split for good, but somehow managed to keep their split a secret from the rest of the cast for months.

Executive producer Joshua Safran told Vanity Fair, “They kept the breakup a secret from the crew, which is something you couldn’t do today. I don’t even know how they did it. They kept it a secret from everyone, which is a testament to how good they are as actors. Because they didn’t want their personal drama to be associated with the show.”

After their split, Penn was asked in an interview with Elle if it was difficult to continue working with Blake. He admitted: “We were very immersed in the show, which itself was a six-year ordeal. Our relationship was part of that and helped us get through it. I mean, like anything worthwhile, it had good and bad and it was a learning experience.”

Leighton Meester and Sebastian Stan

Rumors of a relationship between Gossip Girl actors Sebastian Stan and Leighton Meester began to swirl after they were spotted together at an industry dinner. According to Page Six, they “couldn’t keep their hands off each other” and the following year Sebastian confirmed their relationship in an interview with People.

He told the outlet the best thing about working with Leighton is that he gets to “go home with her.” He added, “I’m a really lucky guy. She’s the most interesting, sophisticated, talented, extremely funny person I know. She’s really hilarious.”

The couple dated for two years before splitting in 2010, according to OK!, which claimed Leighton broke up with Sebastian because she “didn’t know how to be in a relationship and she didn’t really like him.” Leighton later told Seventeen, “I’ve never really liked anyone,” Meester explained in January 2011. “Even when I dated guys, it was pretty superficial and it was always a relief when we broke up.”

Taylor Momsen and Chace Crawford

I don’t know why, but the thought of these two Gossip Girl actresses dating each other literally never crossed my mind. Although the two were never officially a couple, they were rumored to be dating while filming. Page Six claimed they were spotted kissing during a cast Christmas party.

However, when Taylor Momsen was asked about the rumors in an interview with OK!, she explained that they were just friends and said, “It’s great because when we went on set, we were all such good friends. And rumors are rumors.”

Kelly Rutherford and Matthew Settle

If there was one off-screen relationship I wish the cast had, it’s definitely this one. Kelly and Matthew announced their divorces from their respective partners at the same time, and rumors quickly began to swirl that they were secretly dating.

Responding to the rumors, Matthew claimed, “We are good friends. Kelly and I have a lot in common because we support each other during this time in our lives.” Let me indulge in my delusions a little longer, that’s all I ask!

Gossip Girl is now available on Netflix. For more, check out this article on which cast members dated in real life, plus all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes, and memes like “The Holy Church of Netflix” on Facebook.

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Selected images via Netflix.