Who’s the richest Gossip Girl star? The OGs’ net worths, ranked – from Blake Lively and Marvel’s Sebastian Stan, to Penn Badgley and Chace Crawford ... and don’t forget Kristen Bell’s Frozen millions

May 27 , 2022

Gossip Girl made Kristen Bell, Ed Westwick, Blake Lively, Penn Badgley and Leighton Meester famous – but who capitalised most on the show’s success? Photos: @kristenanniebell, @edwestwick, @blakelively, @younetflix, @itsmeleighton/Instagram

Kristen Bell is the richest OG cast member, in no small part thanks to Disney’s Frozen, but if we’re counting guest stars too, Tyra Banks and Hilary Duff would top the list

Met Gala goddess Blake Lively is the second richest from the series and if you combine her net worth with husband Ryan Reynolds, it shoots up to US$180 million

“Hello, Upper East Siders” … the phrase alone is enough to conjure up visuals of “New York’s elite” as interpreted by six drama-filled seasons of Gossip Girl from 2007 to 2012. An emotional roller coaster that took us on a ride through the lives, loves and tensions between the uber rich, the television series holds nostalgic value for many who grew up watching the cast. It even got celebrity guest stars such as Elizabeth Hurley, Hilary Duff, Tyra Banks and Gina Torres.

Nearly a decade later, in 2021, HBO Max released a stand-alone extension of the sequel and, according to the show’s Instagram, season two is now in the works since it began filming again in February. But while they may portray the ultra-wealthy in the show, what are the cast members’ real net worths in 2022?

1. Kristen Bell (Gossip Girl voice): US$40 million

The multitalented Kristen Bell sings, acts – and now runs her own baby product company. Photo: AFP

You only get to see her in the last moments of the series, but you hear her purring voice in every episode. The American actress needs no introduction, raking in millions from her many years in the industry including films and TV series like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Veronica Mars and, notably, Disney’s Frozen phenomenon. Away from the big screen, she also runs a baby care brand, Hello Bello, and owns two residential buildings in LA together with her husband through their company Pringus Property.

2. Blake Lively (Serena van der Woodsen): US$30 million

Blake Lively dated co-star Gossip Girl Penn Badgley before Ryan Reynolds. Photo: @hudtribbiani/Twitter

Coming in at second is the always glamorous Blake Lively – in the show and in real life, as she recently demonstrated at the Met Gala. According to Celebrity Net Worth, she was making up to US$60,000 per episode in Gossip Girl, and has added films like The Shallows, A Simple Favour (which has a sequel confirmed) and Savages to her impressive roster. If you factor in hubby and Green Lantern co-star Ryan Reynolds’ earnings, the couple is believed to have a whopping combined net worth of US$180 million. Oh, and they’ve a stunning US$5.7 million New York pad.

3. Leighton Meester (Blair Waldorf): US$8 million

It’s not just Taylor Momsen who can sing – Leighton Meester can too, though most of her income of course comes from acting. Photo: @itsmeleighton/Instagram

The Queen B herself has earned a pretty from numerous acting gigs over the years, including recent stints on How I Met Your Father in 2022 and in Netflix’s The Weekend Away. She’s known for her philanthropic endeavours too, volunteering for causes like Feeding America and Many Hopes, a charity that builds homes and schools for children in Kenya. Her real-life personality is a far cry from her character’s incomparable egotistical traits. She even dipped her toe into the world of music in 2009 and 2010 – one of the highlights being when she lent her vocals to Cobra Starship’s Good Girls Go Bad.