Leighton Meester Blake Lively: Were The ‘Gossip Girl’ Stars Ever Friends In Real Life?

hollywoodlife.com:

Blake Lively and Leighton Meester’s characters on Gossip Girl were best friends, but they had a complicated relationship.

Jealousy was a big problem for the ladies’ fictional characters, Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf. Pair that with endless supplies of money and a fabulous life on the Upper East Side, and things often got heated between the two on the show.

Of course, this led to speculation about what Blake and Leighton’s relationship was like off-screen. For years, the Gossip Girl cast faced rumors that Blake and Leighton were feuding behind-the-scenes. “They avoid each other like the plague,” it was reported, and picked up by New York Magazine, in 2008.

A blind item at the time also hinted at rumors of trouble between Blake and Leighton. “Which rival young actresses on the same hit show are forced to pose together at PR events, even though they hate each other?” the blind read. “One resents the other for having knocked her off her ‘star of the show’ pedestal.” Another report at the time claimed Leighton thought Blake was an “egomaniac.” Rumors also swirled that Blake was jealous because Leighton had a higher wardrobe budget than her.