Blake Lively sparks Gossip Girl nostalgia with rare photos featuring ex

Blake Lively brought a wave of nostalgia as she celebrated the 18th anniversary of Gossip Girl with a bundle of never-before-seen photos. 

The actress, 38, shared the throwbacks on Instagram, calling the show her “college” and saying it gave her an “education” along with friends who became like “family.”

“The summer Gossip Girl turned 18…” she wrote, pairing the slideshow with the song Young Folks by Peter Bjorn and John.

The photos offered a glimpse of the cast during filming and their time off in New York City. Lively appeared in warm moments with Leighton Meester, who played her onscreen best friend Blair Waldorf. 

A touching picture also showed her with Michelle Trachtenberg, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 39.

One standout snap showed the Another Simple Favor actress in her iconic gold cotillion gown alongside Penn Badgley, her ex-boyfriend and co-star who played Dan Humphrey. 

More images highlighted the cast’s fun off-screen, including playful moments with Chace Crawford on a giant inflatable and a birthday party at a bowling alley surrounded by friends and crew.

The trip down memory lane reminded fans how Gossip Girl became a cultural phenomenon after its 2007 debut. 

However, the show ran for six seasons with 121 episodes, launching its young stars into international fame. 

Alongside Lively, Meester, Badgley, Crawford, and Ed Westwick, the series also featured Taylor Momsen, Hilary Duff, and even Sebastian Stan before his Marvel fame.

While fans enjoyed the lighthearted post, it came at a time when Blake was also caught in a legal battle with Justin Baldoni over their 2024 film It Ends With Us.