You can tell when “Gossip Girl” is on hiatus when you spot co-star Penn Bagdley by the pool with an untamed afro.

The 25-year-old heartthrob was spotted at a hotel pool with his girlfriend Zoe Kravitz. Maybe Penn is just trying to pay tribute to Zoe’s father, Lenny, who’s famous for rocking a thick ‘fro.

Are you guys a fan of his new lazy ‘do or do you wish he’d get just a haircut for once? You can see more photos of the couple at Buzzfeed.

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Good news ladies, Leo is now single. The bad news is you won’t be able to get a hold of him until after he finishes his lady bender in six to eight months. You can expect to find Leo back at his old hangout cruising for aspiring actresses. The couple’s reps told US Weekly that they’re breaking up but will remain good friends. This means Blake Lively is single and it’s only a matter of time until Derek Jeter takes a swing at her in an attempt to complete his “I hit 3000 home-runs and banged every woman in Hollywood” legacy. However, I have a strong inclination Serena Van Der Woodsen will be just fine. If you notice the men in your life have an unexplained “glow” today it’s probably because she’s back on the market and they heard the good news. XOXO, Gossip Girl. 

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Jessica Szohr is more than glad that she is no longer on ‘Gossip Girl,’ reports CTV.

The 26-year-old actress, who played the ever-so annoying Vanessa Abrams on the show, has gone on the record to say she is happy with the network’s decision to axe her character. Taylor Momsen’s character, Jenny Humphrey, was also cut from the fifth season of the show.

And the world cries with joy.

“When I started the fourth season, I kind of had a talk with the producers. We didn’t know what we were going to do with the characters. After playing someone for four years, it can be a little repetitive. So I was ready for a change,” says Szohr.

“I had so much fun and I made friends I’ll have for a lifetime and it was so great to work in the city, but I got the most I could out of Vanessa.”

Szohr says she will “probably” stay in touch with other cast members, including Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, and Ed Westwick, whom she previously dated, but is concentrating on a movie career.

The actress told E Online: “I have two movies that I start in August and July and I have a couple movies coming out in the next couple months.”

I’m so glad with this decision – both Momsen and Szohr’s characters were clingy, annoying, and dragged out. The show has kind of been going downhill lately, so maybe some fresh characters will help revive it.

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Looks like the Upper East Side is about to get a whole lot less annoying.

According to TVLine, both Taylor Momsen, who plays rebellious little Jenny, and Jessica Szohr, the ever-so-clingy Vanessa, are both confirmed to be leaving the show.

A source close to the show confirms that the two actresses will not be returning as series regulars for the CW show’s upcoming fifth season, but added that both have been invited back on a guest star basis.

The insider also confirms that the main five — Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Ed Westwick and Chace Crawford — will all be back in the fall. Additionally, Kaylee DeFer, who joined the cast this spring as Serena’s cousin Charlie, has been promoted to series regular status.

This news isn’t really shocking. Momsen only appeared on a couple of episodes this season since she is focusing on her music career, while Szohr’s character hasn’t been very involved with the plotlines and spent a good portion of the season ‘studying abroad.’

Personally, I’m so happy these two are gone. Their characters were both annoying, eavesdroppers, meddlers, and complainers. Momsen is way better at the music thing than acting, and Szohr just needs to go. Hooray!

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Courtney Love, oh I mean uh, Taylor Momsen’s band, The Pretty Reckless has announced tour dates for the United States and Canada.

Momsen has had a very interesting career in the short 17 years of her life. She went from playing the innocent Jenny Humphrey on Gossip Girl, to Jenny Humphrey the crazy gothic bitch who is banned from the Upper East Side by queen bee, Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester). It is funny that Momsen’s own life has imitated much of what has occurred to her onscreen. Momsen started acting at a very young age playing Cindy Lou Who in The Grinch. She was such an adorable child actress and now she has grown into a black-clad bondage beauty both on and off screen.

Now you have the chance to see Momsen in action. She is known for wearing some lovely lingerie and belting her heart out on stage. So why not go see The Pretty Reckless while on tour?

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Gossip Girl Season 3 is now on DVD!

When high school ends, real life begins. Spotted: The Upper East Side elite, heading for college and a twist-and-tryst-filled year. New characters (including a movie star coed) and some familiar faces (Georgina returns!) bring new love and new dilemmas, while old secrets create new drama. And for both Chuck and Serena, the search for answers from the past brings far more than they bargained for. Hearts are broken and loyalties challenged in this 22-Episode, 5-Disc Season Three, where things are often not what they seem. Fortunately Gossip Girl is there to keep track of all the lies, loves and betrayals in store for Serena, Blair, Dan, Nate, Jenny, Chuck and Vanessa.

andPOP is giving away a Gossip Girl prize pack, including a copy of Season 3 on DVD, a calendar, notebook and more.

This contest has expired.

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Every superhero needs their sidekick.

And Marvel Studios’ The First Avenger: Captain America, has finally found Gossip Girl actor Sebastian Stan to join the cast as the supporter James “Bucky” Barnes.

According to MTV news, Stan has agreed to the 2011 film about  soldier-turned-superhero Steve Rogers, as well as five or six additional Marvel movies- most likely as part of the The Avengers franchise. The current film will concentrate on the early days of Steve Rogers and his beginnings as Captain America.

The actor joins Chris Evans, who landed the lead Steve Rogers role earlier this month, and Hugo Weaving, who was reported to be in negotiations to play the film’s main villain, Red Skull. In the original comic book story, Bucky was Rogers’ teenage sidekick.

Leading up to his superhero role, Stan will also be seen in The Apparition later this year, alongside Twilight alum Ashley Greene and Harry Potter villain Tom Felton.

The First Avenger: Captain America is scheduled to hit theaters July 22, 2011.

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Not much has been spilled regarding Lady Gagas much-anticipated appearance on the show, Gossip Girl.

According to perezhilton.com, the cast has only confirmed that she will be appearing and eluded that it will be something pretty spectacular. Lady Gaga, on the other hand, has revealed actual details about the upcoming appearance.

Gaga explained hat if she was going to do the show, she not settling for a randomly inserted musical performance.

“I hate TV series performances, because they kind of come in out of nowhere, and everyone’s, like, really into the story, and then all of a sudden somebody breaks into song. And it has nothing to do with the storyline, and then it screws everything up. I really sat down with the writers. I was like, ‘Look, I want to do this, and the reason I want to do this is because I am trying to say something that is not mainstream in a mainstream capacity. So, if I can say it on your show, that would be, like, a real coup d’état for me as a performance artist.’ ”

She elaborates that she is “the narrator behind what is going on with the characters and make the song part of the moment.”

“We used these ladders, and I’m falling off ladders. Ladders are kind of a monster symbol about bad luck. And I have this 35-foot-long dress on and these X’s, very gothic-inspired. It was great. They let me do whatever the hell I wanted. It was amazing.”

Between this intriguing/slightly scary performance  and the upcoming threesome, Gossip Girl is pulling out all stops to regain footing in the ratings!

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The cast of Gossip Girl spent the summer on extravagant vacations (in both TV-land and reality), but it seems the rest of the world isn’t too interested in their homecoming.

Thursday’s premiere finished with a 36 per cent decrease in viewers, compared to the 2008 premiere. It’s a shocking drop for a show whose cast spent their time off in the spotlight, generating a real-time version of gossip.

Leighton Meester made the music press recording a single with Cobra Starship and launching her personal MySpace with plans for a debut solo album.

Chace Crawford was voted this summer’s hottest bachelor by People Magazine, beating out the smouldering Robert Pattinson and, unexpectedly, Dwayne Johnson (better known as The Rock).

Then there was the somewhat misleading reports of Ed Westwick (Chuck Bass on GG) getting some male affection from his new co-star Neal Bledsoe, in a spoiler leak that reveals the two in an on-screen liplock.

A show that never skimps on budget, Gossip Girl also picked up mainstream guest-stars Hilary Duff, Tyra Banks and Sonic Youth, carrying on last season’s trend that picked up the likes of No Doubt and cast Michelle Trachtenberg in a permanent role.

You’d think that kind of clout would be enough to draw all of last year’s viewers, not to mention anyone who paid attention to this summer’s celebrity gossip.

It may take a few episodes to remind people GG has routinely been one of the more shocking, OMFG-inducing shows on television. Then again, its loyal viewers could have been seduced by this year’s vampire fetish, True Blood, a series coming fast on the heels of Twilight-mania.

Or it could be that we are getting our fill of the Gossip Girls via their real-life antics in which case Cecily von Ziegesar (author of the original novels) should be pissed.

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“Lizzie McGuire” star Hillary Duff is set to join the cast of “Gossip Girl” for a multi-episode arc, according to EW.com.

According to reports, Duff will play Olivia Burk, a movie star enrolled in New York University to get the college experience. She ends up rooming with Vanessa (played by Jessica Szohr) at NYU, the same University attended by characters Blair (Leighton Meester) and Dan (Penn Badgley).

In December, Duff said to E! News she’d become a fan of the show, adding that her favourite character was Chuck Bass. “I don’t know why, because he’s so bad and terrible,” she said. “He is so sad that I feel bad for him,” she admitted.

The former Disney star was developing “Barely Legal,” her own pilot for NBC, but after the network passed on her comedy pilot, “Gossip Girl” producers found a spot for her on the show.

Expect to see Duff spreading rumours on the show during the season’s fourth episode which is slated to air on Oct. 5.

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It’s no secret the Gossip Girls have it all, on and off screen, but I never imagined there would be the time or talent to squeeze in a music career. Turns out I am sorely mistaken.

Leighton Meester, famously known as the beautiful and bitchy Blair Waldorf of CW’s Gossip Girl, is launching her solo music career and made her first stop a guest appearance on Cobra Starship’s “Good Girls Go Bad”.

Now, I have a very hard time buying into the actor-goes-serious-musician career move considering the track record of oh, say, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Scarlett Johanssen, Lindsey Lohan, ad infinitum. And if all logic prevails, Meester will fare no better. I had my doubts that she would ever become anything more than just a Gossip Girl once the series dried up. But then she appeared on the cover of both Nylon Magazine and Cosmo in quick succession and all of the sudden she was everywhere.

To my chagrin, I assumed MySpace would be the last place I’d find her. But there she was, right next to Down With Webster and Anti-Flag. Leighton freaking Meester. I was hardly surprised when I saw that her vehicle for musical success was none other than Cobra Starship, the captains of the scenester team. This band is more connected than Kevin Bacon and to their credit, the bit of Gossip Girl they’ve added to the mix isn’t so bad.

Meester’s brief appearance midway through the song “Good Girls Go Bad” is a welcome break in the usually production-heavy, boy-bandish repertoire of Cobra Starship. But her throaty interlude adds a dose of sass that male deep-V T-shirts don’t quite pull off. With an almost – and I hasten to make the comparison but for timeliness’ sake, here goes – Amy Winehouse-esque whine, Meester’s verse is totally believable.

The song is all about good girls being tempted to the dark side by these dangerous pop-rockers, and Meester fits the bill, simply because of her on-screen persona. Essentially, Blaire is singing about giving in to the rebel type – that is, Chuck Bass – despite knowing just how bad for her it will be. It makes one wonder if Cobra Starship’s musical inspiration is gleaned from the CW’s Monday night line-up.

Granted, it may not be the worst place to turn. Gossip Girl has made a reputation for itself as a go-to trend factory, and music has definitely not been ignored. In one of their recent episodes, No Doubt appeared under the pseudonym Snowed Out and performed an Adam and the Ants song. The rest of the soundtrack ranges from ahead of the curve hip, such as Santogold, Anya Marina and Coconut Records, to an impressive selection of classics by Sarah Vaughn, Billy Idol, New Order and the list goes on. There are even some Canadian appearances by The Dears and Two Hours Traffic. Well-played, GG.

Meester’s tune with Cobra Starship doesn’t skimp on the stars, enlisting Kevin Rudolph (of “Let It Rock” ft. Lil Wayne fame) to producer the track. It’s hardly debatable this song has all the trappings to be a surefire summer hit. And it probably will be. So despite the fact that a full-length album from Meester makes me very, very nervous, I have confidence she has enough connections to at least try to do it right.

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Leighton Meester is headed for the big screen as the roommate from hell.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Meester, a.k.a. Blair Waldorf on the hit CW show “Gossip Girl,” is in talks to star in the thriller “The Roommate.”

The movie from Sony Screen Gems revolves around Sara, a college student who moves into a freshman dorm with a stranger named Rebecca. Unfortunately for Sara, her new roomie becomes obsessed with her, with deadly results.

Meester would play Rebecca, while the role of Sara has yet to be cast.

Danish filmmaker Christian E. Christiansen, who received an Oscar nomination in 2007 for best live-action short film, is directing.

Aside from “Gossip Girl,” Meester’s credits include several independent movies and guest appearances on such shows as “Entourage” and “24.”

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It’s developed a massive fan base over the past two seasons, so it’s no surprise that the CW may decide to develop a Gossip Girl spin-off, according to E News.

The network’s entertainment president, Dawn Ostroff, told the Hollywood Reporter that there’s “nothing really tangible yet, but we’re talking about it. If it’s the right idea, we’d all embrace it and be enthusiastic.”

Given that at least five of the characters—Blair (Leighton Meester), Serena (Blake Lively), Dan (Penn Badgley), Chuck (Ed Westwick) and Nate (Chace Crawford)—are scheduled to graduate high school at the end of the season, at least one departure from the hit show should not be shocking.

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Chace Crawford claims he feels “a weight” on his conscience for the scintillating scenes he films for “Gossip Girl.”

“I come from a moral background, and I can see the power of the show, and imagine my old school-teachers cringing, or my grandparents thinking ‘Oh my God’ when they see me, say, having sex on a barstool,” he told The Independent.

However, Crawford was quick to defend the show, saying that the younger viewers should get more credit.

“They’re not stupid, and it’s not like we’re making an instruction manual telling them how to drink and do drugs, or have sex. We’re just laying out how it is… you have to remember, this is not a reality show. It’s supposed to be pure entertainment.”

The CW is currently promoting “Gossip Girl” with steamy photos of the characters all over each other.

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Teens know what they want, and what they want is “Gossip Girl” and the Jonas Brothers.

The pop culture sensations each garnered six surfboard trophies on Sunday at the 10th annual Teen Choice Awards.

“Gossip” stars Blake Lively, Chace Crawford and Ed Westick each took home their own awards, for Best Breakout Actress, Actor and Villain, respectively. Lively was also named the best TV Drama Actress.

The Jonas Brothers got an obscene amount of love from the crowd, picking up the titles of “choice breakout group, love song, music single, song of the summer, male red carpet fashion icons and male hotties,” CBC News reports.

Miley Cyrus, who reportedly once dated one the Jonas bros, picked up three awards herself, despite the fact that she was hosting. She won for best TV comedy, best TV comedy actress and best female artist.

Canadian cutie Ellen Page picked up the awards for choice breakout movie female and choice movie actress in a comedy for her performance in “Juno,” which also won for best film comedy.

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The “Gossip” just got a lot juicier.

According to the New York Daily News, “Gossip Girl” romantic leads Penn Badgley and Blake Lively are a real-life couple.

The pair have dodged these rumours before, as Lively was in a long-term relationship with model/actor Kelly Blatz.

However, the newspaper stands behind their source, who reported, “No one is really supposed to know that [Badgley and Lively are dating]. I was told by a friend of the family.”

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This television season?s biggest mystery: Who is Gossip Girl?

Savvy fans will recognize Veronica Mars herself, Kristen Bell, as the all-knowing voice behind Gossip Girl?s biting narration. Based on the best-selling series by Cecily von Ziegesar, the identity of Gossip Girl is never revealed, while she spills all the secrets of the most popular students at a posh Manhattan prep school on her web site.

Helmed by the acclaimed creators of The O.C., Josh Schwartz and Canadian Stephanie Savage, Gossip Girl promises to be every bit as fresh and juicy as viewers came to expect from The O.C., with some Sex and the City flair and a hip soundtrack.

But Gossip Girl?s drama is on a whole new level than the Cohen family ever dealt with. The pilot, airing at 8 p.m. ET tonight, focuses on the sudden return of Serena Van der Woodsen (Blake Lively, Accepted), whose self-imposed exile to boarding school was at the centre of a falling out with her best friend, Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester, Entourage). While Blair has enjoyed her time as reigning social queen, Serena?s arrival threatens to take away her spotlight – and the affections of her boyfriend, Nate (Chace Crawford, The Covenant).

One person who is pleased to see Serena is Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley, The Bedford Diaries), an outcast at school because of his middle-class background who only has eyes for her. His freshman sister, Jenny (Taylor Momsen, How the Grinch Stole Christmas), is desperate to be accepted and is thrilled by the attentions of bad boy Chuck Bass (Ed Westick, Children of Men).

And of course, every last scandalous detail is provided to the members of this elite and vicious circle via Gossip Girl?s up-to-the-minute messages to their Sidekicks.

You know you love it.

Gossip Girl will settle into its regular timeslot next Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.

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