Was 'Gossip Girl' Star Leighton Meester Actually Born in Jail? Not Exactly
"Anything that her mother and I did that was questionable occurred before she was born," Leighton's father Doug has said.
Published Aug. 14 2024, 12:28 p.m. ET
Everyone loves a good underdog story, from formerly homeless Hollywood stars like Ed Sheeran to celebrities who struggled with addiction and lived to tell the tale like RDJ. But can you be any more of an underdog than someone who was born in prison and then went on to star in one of the biggest shows in television history?
Such is allegedly the life of Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester.
For years, rumors have swirled that Leighton, who is married to Adam Brody and has two children with the actor, was actually born in jail after her mother, Constance "Connie" Lynn, and father, Doug Meester, were busted in a drug smuggling scheme. But is any of it true, or is it just another fabricated superstar backstory?
Was Leighton Meester actually born in jail? No, not exactly.
The rumors aren't fully true, but they're not totally made up, either. Before Leighton was born, per New York Magazine, her mother and father were indeed involved in a major drug ring which was tasked with smuggling over 1,000 pounds of marijuana from Jamaica to the United States. Connie and Doug, along with Connie's sister and father, were arrested for their involvement in 1983.
A few years into serving time, in 1986, Connie was able to pause her sentence for a few weeks in order to give birth to Leighton in a hospital and nurse her in a halfway house. She then returned to prison to fulfill the rest of her 16-month sentence. Upon her release, Connie, Doug, and Leighton moved to Marco Island, Fla. where they spent Leighton's childhood.
In more recent statements, Leighton's now-divorced parents have addressed the situation: "Anything that her mother and I did that was questionable occurred before she was born,” Doug told Us Weekly in a print article.
Leighton has since faced legal trouble with her mother, Constance.
Leighton's relationship with her mom hasn't been all smooth sailing since Connie's release from prison. In fact, the pair faced off in a legal battle in 2011 after Leighton claimed that money she had been sending her mom to care for her little brother, Lex, had been misallocated.
Per TMZ, Leighton had been sending her mother around $7,500 per month to help with Lex's medical expenses as he reportedly suffers from serious health complications. However, the lawsuit claimed that Connie had been instead using the money to finance her own cosmetic procedures such as botox, hair extensions, and more.
Connie, on the other hand, tried to argue that Leighton had verbally agreed to take care of her as well, promising her mom $10,000 per month for life. However, the judge ruled in Leighton's favor and declared that no such agreement had been made.
Leighton doesn't often speak about her mom publicly, instead choosing to focus her time and energy on the positive relationships in her life. She often posts with her husband, Adam, on social media, and shares adorable stories of their daughter and son.
