Leighton Meester, born on April 9, 1986, in Fort Worth, Texas, is an American actress, singer and model.
She spent her early years in Marco Island, Florida, and later moved to New York City at age 11, where she began modeling for brands like Ralph Lauren and Clearasil.
At 14, Meester relocated to Los Angeles to pursue acting and graduated high school early to focus on her career.
She made her acting debut in 1999 with a guest role on Law & Order, and gained recognition with roles in TV series such as Veronica Mars, Entourage, and Surface.
Parents
Leighton’s parents, Constance “Connie” Meester and Douglas Meester, both had troubled pasts involving criminal activity.
They were part of a drug ring that smuggled marijuana from Jamaica to the United States, leading to their arrests in the early 1980s.
Connie was pregnant with Leighton at the time of her arrest in 1983, and although there are rumors that Leighton was born in prison, she was actually born in a hospital in 1986 while her mother was serving time.
After giving birth, Connie spent three months in a halfway house before returning to prison to complete her sentence of 16 months.
The family’s relationship has been complicated.
In 2011, Leighton sued her mother over financial disputes regarding money meant for her brother’s medical expenses, which Connie allegedly misused for cosmetic procedures.
The court ruled in Leighton’s favor.
Career
Meester’s career spans acting, music, and modeling, with significant achievements in each area.
She began her acting journey at the age of 13 with a guest role on Law & Order in 1999.
Over the next few years, she gained recognition through appearances in popular shows like Veronica Mars and Entourage.
However, her major breakthrough came in 2007 when she was cast as Blair Waldorf in the CW series Gossip Girl.
The show, which aired until 2012, became a cultural phenomenon and solidified Meester’s status as one of Hollywood’s most promising young actresses.
In addition to her television success, Meester has appeared in several films. Some of her notable roles include starring in Country Strong (2010), The Roommate (2011), and Monte Carlo (2011).
She also appeared alongside Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall in the critically acclaimed film The Judge (2014).
More recently, she starred in Netflix’s thriller The Weekend Away (2022) and the romantic comedy EXmas (2023), showcasing her versatility as an actress.
Meester also ventured into music, starting around 2007.
She collaborated with Cobra Starship on the hit single Good Girls Go Bad in 2009, which became a top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2014, she released her debut album, Heartstrings, which highlighted her talent as a singer-songwriter and received positive reviews for its indie-pop sound.
In addition to acting and music, Meester has worked as a model throughout her career.
She has been the face of major brands such as Jimmy Choo, Herbal Essences, and Vera Wang.
