Former Gossip Girl star turned rock frontwoman Taylor Momsen revealed in a raw interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast that her role as Jenny Humphrey was “literally killing” her, prompting a dramatic mid-season exit from the hit series in 2010.
“I changed my whole life overnight,” Momsen, now 32, told host Alex Cooper. “I just wasn’t on the script the next week.”
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The actress-singer disclosed that she personally begged producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage to release her from her contract. Without informing co-stars, she was quietly written out of the show. “I never told anyone I was quitting,” she admitted.
Momsen also detailed the intense paparazzi scrutiny she faced as a teenager in New York City. “I was being watched and stalked,” she said. “I couldn’t walk outside without 30 guys with cameras.”
From Breakdown to Breakthrough
The Pretty Reckless vocalist revisited the devastating impact of losing close friend Chris Cornell and longtime producer Kato Khandwala in 2017. “I fell the f*** apart,” she recalled. “I had given up on life.”
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She described entering a “catastrophic downward spiral” involving depression and substance abuse. Momsen credits stepping away from acting and focusing solely on music and touring as the turning point in her recovery.
A Packed 2025
Momsen’s band, The Pretty Reckless, continues to dominate the rock scene. They are currently opening for AC/DC on the legendary band’s global stadium tour, with upcoming dates in Brazil later this month.
On November 8, Momsen will perform at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland, joining surviving Soundgarden members, Brandi Carlile, Jerry Cantrell, and Mike McCready to honor Chris Cornell.
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The band is also set to appear in the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 27, sharing the lineup with Foreigner, Ciara, and Busta Rhymes.
A physical edition of their holiday EP, Taylor Momsen’s Pretty Reckless Christmas, arrives November 14. The project features a grunge-infused re-recording of “Where Are You Christmas?” — a full-circle moment for Momsen, who originally sang the song as Cindy Lou Who in the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Honoring a Friend
Earlier this year, Momsen paid emotional tribute to late Gossip Girl co-star Michelle Trachtenberg, who passed away on February 26, 2025. “My heart is on the floor,” she wrote on social media. “Hope you’re f***ing up heaven.”
A New Chapter
Fifteen years after leaving Hollywood behind, Taylor Momsen has fully embraced her identity as a rock artist. From VMAs red carpets to stadium stages, the former child star has traded scripted drama for electric guitars — and says she has zero regrets.
“I’m healthier, happier, and louder than ever,” she declared.
Stream the new Christmas single now. Catch The Pretty Reckless live this holiday season.