On "Gossip Girl," Lively and Badgley played on-and-off couple Serena and Dan, and the actors also dated on and off IRL between 2007 and 2010. Both Lively and Badgley remained on the series until its finale in 2012, and their characters even ended up getting married.
During a May 2013 interview with Elle, Badgley was asked whether it was difficult to work with Lively after their breakup, and he said they were "ultimately professional" together, adding, "We were very much caught up in the show, which itself was a six-year endurance test. Our relationship was a part of that and helped us through it. I mean, like anything valuable, it was good and it was bad and it was a learning experience."
Later, when Badgley appeared on "Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen" in March 2015, a caller asked the actor which "Gossip Girl" cast member he enjoyed kissing the most on screen and who he enjoyed kissing the least. His answer for both: Lively. "I'd say best . . . I'll say it was Blake, because we actually had a relationship at the time," Badgley said. He then jokingly adding that the worst kiss was "maybe Blake after we broke up," though he noted that they both handled the situation well. "We should both pat ourselves on the back because anything is complicated in that way . . . and we handled it," he added.
In February 2023, Blake reflected on how Lively helped him out while they were dating during the show, saying she'd been a good influence on him. "To be honest, I never struggled with substance," he said in an interview with Variety. "Blake didn't drink, and I think our relationship in some ways saved me from forcing myself to go down that road."
