Taylor Momsen says 'Gossip Girl' role was “killing” her before leaving to focus on music career

Taylor Momsen said 'Gossip Girl' role made her feel trapped before leaving to pursue music with The Pretty Reckless

Taylor Momsen has reflected on her decision to leave Gossip Girl, revealing that her time on the show made her feel trapped before she ultimately exited during season four to pursue music.

Speaking on the November 5 episode of Call Her Daddy, the former actress said her contract with the CW made it difficult to leave, despite her growing unhappiness. “It started with a, ‘I don't wanna do this anymore,’ but you are in a lock and key contract with CW Warner Brothers,” she explained. “It was a very long battle of me arguing with everyone and going, ‘Get me outta this. I can't do this anymore. This is killing me.’”

At the time, Momsen had formed her band The Pretty Reckless and wanted to focus on music instead of acting. “You're called ungrateful and you're called all the things that come along with, ‘How dare you turn your back on something that's been so successful for you,’” she said, adding that leaving a thriving acting career was not an easy choice.

Momsen credited Gossip Girl creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage for helping her find a way out of her contract. “I really have to credit them for doing that for me because they did not have to,” she said. “They wrote me out of the show so I could go on tour and be in a band.”

The former child star, who portrayed Jenny Humphrey alongside Blake Lively, Leighton Meester and Penn Badgley, admitted she did not inform her co-stars of her departure. “I kind of just Irish dipped,” she said with a laugh. “I just wasn't in the script the next week. They all knew I was making music.”

Momsen has since focused full-time on her music career with The Pretty Reckless.