TAYLOR Momsen first graced our screens when she was just a child and has had quite the career since.
The star ditched acting after starring in Gossip Girl but is now known for her music.
She skyrocketed to fame as Jenny ‘Little J’ Humphrey – the younger sister of Dan Humphrey (played by Penn Badgley) – in the hit teen drama.
But, Taylor left the show in 2011 and focused on her music career.
The Star of Christmas
Taylor’s acting career kickstarted in 2000 when she appeared in the live-action version of How The Grinch Stole Christmas.
She played the role of Cindy Lou Who, who helped The Grinch’s small heart grow three sizes.
In December 2022, Taylor took to Instagram and shared a throwback photo from when she was seven years old in her breakout role alongside Jim Carrey.
The rocker captioned the post: “Happy Holidays”.
XOXO Gossip Girl
In 2007, Taylor landed the role of Jenny Humphrey in Gossip Girl.
Although Taylor remained on the show for four seasons, she initially felt hesitant about joining the cast with Blake Lively, Chace Crawford and Leighton Meester.
In September 2023, the Pretty Reckless singer reunited with her Gossip Girl co-star Penn Badgley for his podcast, Podcrushed.
During the lengthy podcast episode, the rocker admitted: “Larger powers than me came down and went, ‘This is a great opportunity.’
“That’s where music became such a solace for me. Thinking back on my life, it was this place where I could just be — writing songs, emoting how I felt.”
She closed: “I was by myself a lot. I didn’t have my own clique.”
Taylor confessed: “I didn’t fit in with you guys, I didn’t fit in with Connor [Paolo]’s friends — I was younger than them.
“I was the new girl. I was the ‘Grinch’ girl. I was always in this kind of weird, isolated world, partially of my creation, probably.”
3
Leaving Hollywood
Taylor decided that during filming for Gossip Girl, she wanted to take a break and tour with her band Pretty Reckless instead.
She revealed the moment she wanted to leave and shared: “I woke up one morning and went, ‘Wait a second. I don’t have to do this? I don’t have to do this other job?
“‘I can just play in my band and tour and write songs? I can just do that?’”
She mentioned: “Granted, a little more complicated to get out of a television show than that, but the answer was yes.”
The Gossip Girl writers told her: “‘Well, we can’t let you out of your deal, but we can write you out of the show, so you can go on tour.’”
She thanked the creative team: “They really allowed me to follow my dream, and I’m forever grateful and thankful to them for that.”
Before her character exited in the fifth season, Taylor appeared in four episodes during the fourth season because she was touring with her rock band.
She popped up one more time for the series finale in 2012.
3
The Pretty Reckless
In 2009, Taylor revealed that The Pretty Reckless had signed a deal with Interscope Records.
The band played their first tour opening for The Veronicas on their Revenge Is Sweeter Tour in spring 2009.
The Pretty Reckless were the supporting act for Evanescence in 2011.
In 2020, Momsen lent her voice to the American rock band Evanescence for single Use My Voice.
The Pretty Reckless released their fourth album, Death by Rock and Roll, on February 12, 2021.
Hit Songs
The Pretty Reckless have had plenty of hit songs over the years. including several being featured on Gossip Girl.
Here are some of the band’s biggest songs:
- Make Me Wanna Die (2010)
- Only Love Can Save Me (2011)
- Heaven Knows (2014)
- Just Tonight (2010)
- Miss Nothing (2010)
- House on a Hill (2014)
- Kill Me (2014)
- Take Me Down (2016)
- Far From Never (2010)
Bat bite
Taylor and her band were performing in Spain when she was involved in a series of unfortunate events and was bitten by a bat.
While she was talking to the audience, they started pointing to her leg where a bat was attached to her dress.
She wasn’t sure what the crowd was pointing to until she looked down and saw it before saying: “There’s a f***ing flying bat on my leg right now, can someone help me please?”
Taylor reposted the clip to her social media before revealing that the bat actually bit her.
She said: “In the moment I was performing and had no idea until the incredible crowd kept screaming and pointing… he was cute, but yes he bit me… so rabies shots for the next two weeks.”