Penn Badgley, Blake Lively's breakup secret exposed amid legal turmoil

Blake Lively’s bond with Penn Badgley is surfacing once again amid her legal turmoil with her It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni.

The Gossip Girl duo, who garnered recognition for their roles as Serena van der Woodsen and Dan Humphrey in the 2007 drama series, were in a three-year relationship during the show’s early seasons.

Badgley, 38, went on to marry singer Domino Kirke in 2017, while Lively, 37, tied the knot with actor Ryan Reynolds in 2012.

As The Stepfather star gears up for the final season of Netflix thriller You, his return has sparked debate about his former relationship with the American celebrity.

In a 2017 interview with Vanity Fair, Lively opened up about how the pair kept their breakup private during their time on the show.

Speaking to the outlet, she said, “I remember there was one point where we were just afraid of how our personal lives overlapping our work life could be perceived by our bosses. But then we were like, ‘Oh no, that’s exactly what they want.’ They wanted us all to date. They wanted us all to wear the same clothes that we’re wearing on the show. They wanted that, because then it fed their whole narrative. People could buy into this world.”

In addition, the Gossip Girl executive producer Joshua Safran also reflected on their relationship, revealing, “I found out on the set of the season 2 finale that Blake and Penn had broken up months before. They kept the breakup hidden from the crew, which you could never do now.”

He continued, “I don’t even know how they did it. They kept it from everybody which is a testament to how good they are as actors. Because they did not want their personal drama to relate to the show.”

This comes amid Lively’s ongoing legal dispute with her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni.

For the unversed, a source recently revealed that the actress has “no regrets” for filing a lawsuit against Baldoni.