Leighton Marissa Claire Meester (born April 9, 1986) is an
American actress and singer-songwriter, best known for her role as
Blair Waldorf in the TV show
Gossip Girl.
Early life
Meester's parents, Connie and Doug, were involved in a drug ring that smuggled
marijuana from
Jamaica to the
United States.
[www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,428801,00.html][www.theinsider.com/news/1216476_Leighton_Meester_Born_in_Prison_but_Mom_Was_Always_There_For_Me][nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/09/leighton_meesters_prison_past.html][www.tvguide.com/news/leighton-meester-opens-19334.aspx] Both were arrested for their involvement in the ring and involvement with Heavens Devils. While out on bail, Connie became pregnant. She was later convicted to ten years in a Texas state prison, where she spent the majority of her pregnancy.
[www.usmagazine.com/news/exclusive-leighton-meester-my-mother-was-always-there-for-me Leighton Meester Born in Prison but Mom Was "Always There For Me"] Leighton was delivered in a Texas hospital and then spent three months living with her mother in a
halfway house, until her mother returned to prison to complete her sentence.
[www.usmagazine.com/news/leighton-meester-new-album-will-be-edgy] After serving sixteen months of her ten year sentence, her mother was released and resumed her role in Meester's life.
When she was 11, she moved with her aunt to New York City and soon after began working as a model with Wilhemina, booking a Ralph Lauren campaign shot by
Bruce Weber and working with then photographer (now film maker)
Sofia Coppola.
[leightonfan.net/info/info.php] In 2003, Leighton's older brother, Douglas, was embroiled in the
US Air Force Academy scandal and was subsequently accused of rape, indecent assault, and sodomizing a female cadet.
[blogs.westword.com/latestword/2009/01/gossip_girls_leighton_meester.php Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester and her family link to the Air Force Academy scandal][www.slate.com/id/2085365/ The Air Force Academy's Show Trial][www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/14/national/main553827.shtml][cache.zoominfo.com/CachedPage/?archive_id=0&page_id=713663788&page_url=%2f%2fwww.naplesdailynews.com%2fnpdn%2fmarconews%2farticle%2f0%2c2071%2cNPDN_14927_2948860%2c00.html&page_last_updated=6%2f9%2f2004+3%3a11%3a05+AM&firstName=Douglas&lastName=Meester]
