Leighton Meester Leighton was born in Fort Worth, Texas, to Constance and Douglas Meester. At the time of her birth, her mother was serving time in a federal prison for her involvement in a drug ring that smuggled marijuana from Jamaica to the USA. She was able to give birth to Leighton in a hospital and nurse her for three months in a halfway house before returning to prison to complete her sentence, after which Leighton's grandmother cared for her. She has a brother, Alexander, who is 8 years younger than her. Nowadays, her father works for an internet company and her mother is a writer.
After her television debut in 1999 in Law & Order, Meester appeared as a guest in two more series before landing her big role in the movie Hangman's Curse. She then landed guest roles in other series such as Crossing Jordan, 8 Simple Rules, 7th Heaven, Veronica Mars, 24, Entourage, House M.D., CSI: Miami, and Shark. In 2005, Meester began a regular role in the series Surface, and in 2007 she was cast as a regular in CW's Gossip Girl. She also starred in the movies Country Strong, The Roommate, and Monte Carlo.
Leighton also has a musical career. She released several singles and worked with Lil Wayne and Jesse McCartney. She laso provided vocals for various soundtracks.
In July 2011, she and her mother filed lawsuits against each other regarding her financial support of her younger brother, who has multiple health problems. Leighton claimed the money she sent was used by her mom for "cosmetic procedures"; her mother's suit makes a counterclaim alleging breach of contract and physical abuse. Leighton won the lawsuit in 2012.
In 2012, Leighton purchased a house in Encino, CA.
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American Actress and Singer
Los Angeles, CA