“I'm gonna order the gifts now, and then they're gonna sit in the closet until I speed wrap them on Christmas Eve.”
Leighton Meester is a mom first — and actress second.
The 38-year-old former “Gossip Girl” actress shares two children — daughter Arlo Day, 9, and a son born in 2020 — with her husband and fellow actor Adam Brody, whom she has been married to since 2014.
And while she hasn’t given up on her career in acting, she has made it clear where her priorities lie.
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In a recent interview with Bustle, published May 28, Meester opened up about how her life at home has affected her career, and how she still finds a way to be with her two kids — even when on the road.
“There’s been a lot of stuff that I haven’t done because I want to be with them,” she said of the sacrifices she makes because of her kids.
“I don’t like being away from them,” she continued. “I’m sure a lot of people feel this way, but I’m especially not into it.”
She goes on to admit that she would “figure it out” if the right opportunity presented itself, but there’s a limit to the sacrifices she’s willing to make.
“I mean, I’m not going to leave my family for a year,” she explains. “We’re not doing that. But apart from that, we have a good system in place, where I can consider jobs carefully. And every other piece of life.”
One good example of this is her role in “The Buccaneers,” which she joined the cast of in October 2024.
According to Bustle, Meester’s two children traveled with her to Scotland in 2022 when they were filming the second season of the show.
She also brought her two kids with her to Australia in 2024 while filming “Good Cop/Bad Cop,” a show that saw her husband appear as a guest in the seventh episode, which aired April 2.
During a makeup tutorial with Vogue in February, Meester offered a rare update on her kids.
"My kids, they get what we do," Meester said in the video. "They come on location a lot."
"I don't think they're fazed at all," she added. "They get a lot of us off set and a lot of us not working, which has been always a really big benefit for both of us."
Meester doesn’t know what the future holds for her and her family
Meester and Brody met at a Los Angeles deli before reconnecting in 2011 when they were both cast in “The Oranges,” according to People.
They started dating in 2013 and got engaged several months later before tying the knot in February 2014.
And while she has enjoyed a rather lowkey Hollywood lifestyle in the decade since, Meester has kept herself busy since starting a family with Brody.
Aside from welcoming a daughter in 2015 and son in 2020, she has earned main roles in “Making History” and “Single Parents,” a recurring role in “How I Met Your Father,” and guest role in “Nobody Wants This.”
She also appeared in several movies, such as “Life Partners,” “River Wild” and “The Weekend Away.”
But when asked what the future holds for her and her family, Meester says she doesn’t know.
“People are always asking, ‘What do you want to do? Where do you see yourself? Where do you want to go?’” she said in her interview with Bustle. “And I’m like, I don’t know.”
“I don’t know if it’s motherhood or this current situation or this business,” she added.
She goes on to admit that there’s no way of knowing what she’ll be doing three years from now, but clarifies that she’s OK with simply living in the present.
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“I just feel like being in the moment and figuring it out as I go along,” she continued, “because that’s all we can do, you know?”
