8 Juicy Details We've Learned (So Far) From The "Gossip Girl" Podcast "XOXO with Jessica Szohr"!

Hey, Upper East Siders. Young Hollywood here. And we have the biggest news ever. Everything you ever wanted to know about the behind the scenes goings-on of your favorite teen show "Gossip Girl" is officially on blast, all thanks to lonely boys BFF, aka the fabulous Jessica Szohr! On January 26, 2022, the "Gossip Girl" alum launched "XOXO with Jessica Szohr", a podcast where she talks all things "Gossip Girl". The podcast has had some pretty notable guests so far, from showrunners Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage to guest star Sebastian Stan. Here are all the juiciest things we’ve learned about "Gossip Girl" from the podcast so far!

1. Ed Westick Almost Didn’t Play Chuck Bass

We can’t imagine "Gossip Girl" without Ed Westick; Chuck Bass simply would not be Chuck Bass without Ed! I mean, come on, can you imagine anyone else in that role? Well, neither could showrunner Josh Schwartz, who told Szohr that they were not sure if the British Ed was going to get a visa to work in the United States. The network was trying to make Josh pick a backup actor in case the visa did not come in, but Schwartz refused and kept putting it off because Ed was the only one he could see as Chuck. Luckily, Ed’s visa got approved the day before filming started. The story of how he got his visa is super chaotic, but don’t worry, we won’t spoil it so you can hear for yourself!

2. Taylor Momsen Was the First Actor Cast

Who knew Little J was the first to be cast out of all the characters?! "Gossip Girls" casting director David Rapaport shared with Szohr that Taylor Momsen, who played Jenny Humphrey, was the first they cast for the show.

3. The Network Didn’t Think Blake Lively Would Fit for Serena

David Rapaport went in depth with Szohr about the casting process and how, at first, the network thought Blake Lively was too "West Coast" to play an East Sider. However, Rapaport always saw Lively as the perfect Serena, which she was! And eventually the network did too!

4. Prior to "GG", Sebastian Stan and Chace Crawford Were Friends

Who knew that these two were besties before their time on "Gossip Girl"?! Chace Crawford, who played Nate Archibald, opened up to Szohr about his friendship with Sebastian Stan, who played Carter Baizen, from working together previously. Chace even went up to Josh Schwartz on set letting him know his buddy was coming out to audition.

5. Jessica Szohr Got The Role Because of a Pool Party

Jessica Szohr got the role of Vanessa thanks to a pool party she attended with Adam Brody. As we know, Adam Brody played the iconic Seth Cohen on "The OC", which was also created by "GG" showrunners Josh and Stephanie. Josh threw a pool party and Stephanie was there, when Adam dropped in with Jessica, and the two of them instantly knew she was Vanessa. What Jessica didn’t know is that she was basically auditioning for them the whole party. But can you imagine if she didn’t go to that party? Who would have played Vanessa?!

6. Chace and Ed Were Roommates

We have touched on this before, but it will just never get old! Chace and Ed were roommates for a few years at the beginning of the show. Chace recalls a funny story of going apartment hunting in New York with his mom, realizing how expensive everything was, then calling Ed up and asking if he wanted to live together. A roommate match made in heaven!

7. Nina Dobrev Auditioned to Play Young Lily Van Der Woodsen

What some might not know is that there was supposed to be a "Gossip Girl" spinoff focusing on a young Lily Van Der Woodsen and her sister Carol’s adventures in L.A. Season 2 Episode 24 “Valley Girls” served as an unofficial pilot episode where Brittany Snow played young Lily. But David Rapaport recalls being blown away by Nina Dobrev’s audition for the part. The only problem was, Dobrev didn’t look anything like Kelly Rutherford, who played Lily Van Der Woodsen. Soon after that, though, Dobrev scored the role of Elena Gilbert on "The Vampire Diaries", so no harm no foul.

8. To Audition, Kelly Rutherford Needed an Assistant to Hold Her Baby

Talk about a working mom! Kelly Rutherford showed up to her audition for "Gossip Girl" with her baby, and while she was in the room, an assistant for the show had to hold her baby. We bet that was a nice break for the assistant, though -- who doesn’t love to hold babies? Another thing you might not have known is, she was pregnant for part of Season 1 and gave birth in between Season 1 and 2. She told Szohr that being a mom in real like and coming on set and playing a mom was very special for her.

These are just a few of the behind-the-scenes secrets shared on Szohr’s podcast. To hear they rest, you will have to listen for yourself! "XOXO with Jessica Szohr" is now available on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.