While Jenny Humphrey was a major character throughout the majority ofGossip Girl, actressTaylor Momsen made an abrupt exit halfway through season 4. Before landing the role inGossip Girl’s castas Dan Humphrey’s younger sister, Jenny, Momsen was best known for her childhood acting roles in projects such asHow The Grinch Stole Christmas(2000) andSpy Kids 2(2002). The success ofGossip Girllaunched Momsen into a more mature teen role that departed from her past projects, but she would only remain in the main cast for the show’s first four seasons.
At the very end ofGossip Girlseason 3, Jenny was sent to live in Hudson with her mother, which led to Momsen only having a few appearances back in the city upon her return in season 4.Momsen’s final episode as a member ofGossip Girl’s main cast was in season 4, episode 10, “Gaslit,”which concluded with Jenny returning to Hudson and accepting her banishment byLeighton Meester’s Blair Waldorf. The 2010 exit was fairly sudden for such an important member ofGossip Girl’s cast and the Humphrey family, but Momsen’s departure was for an admirable personal reason.
Taylor Momsen Left Gossip Girl To Pursue Her Music Career With Her Rock Band
Momsen’s Passion Was For Her Brand, The Pretty Reckless
While appearing on an episode ofGossip Girlco-star Penn Badgley’s podcast,Podcrushed, in September 2023,Taylor Momsen gave more insight into why she leftGossip Girl. According to Momsen, her decision to exitGossip Girlwas based on her desire to pursue her passion for music. She explained to Badgley that as she grew older, she recognized that she didn’t have to continue prioritizing her career in acting, which she “got put into at two years old.” Instead,Momsen opted to leaveGossip Girland focus on her rock band The Pretty Reckless, which she founded in 2009.
SinceGossip Girl’s 2012 finale, Momsen has yet to have another acting role outside of her band’s music videos.
WhileGossip Girlagreed to write Jenny Humphrey out of the show, there were still some complications with her contract that had to be ironed out. Momsen noted that the show told her she couldn’t be officially let out of her deal with them, but she could still be written out in order to tour with her band and write music instead. Momsen would remain absent from the show untilGossip Girl’s series finalein 2012, in which she returned as Jenny Humphrey for the episode’s five-year time jump.
What Happened To Jenny Humphrey After Gossip Girl Season 4
Jenny Moved To London & Later Became A Fashion Designer
Since Taylor Momsen was absent from halfway through season 4 untilGossip Girl’s season 6 finale, Jenny Humphrey’s story was given updates through conversations between other characters. InGossip Girlseason 5,Jenny’s father Rufus reveals that she moved to London after being accepted into Central Saint Martinsfor college to study fashion and design. Her move to England provided enough distance to explain her absence from any major events, such as Lily and Rufus’ marriage annulment in season 5.
Every Gossip Girl Season, Ranked From Worst To Best
Widely regarded as one of the most iconic teenage dramas of all time, Gossip Girl had some fantastic seasons, and some that missed the mark.
In the series finale, Jenny returns and reveals that she already knewDan was Gossip Girl.Gossip Girl’s five-year time jump then explains that Jenny eventually moved back to the Upper East Side and became a designer. During this time,Jenny and Blair also mended their friendship, with the two co-creating a fashion line called “J for Waldorf.”
Gossip Girl
Cast
Set in New York, 2021’s Gossip Girl chronicles the lives of a new generation of private school teenagers who navigate social dynamics and scandals. Through the pervasive influence of social media, their secrets are exposed, while the anonymous titular blogger reveals the complexities of their intertwined relationships.
