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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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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“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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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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