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Gossip Girl: Taylor Momsen "Isn't Going Anywhere"

Insiders insist teen's absence from the series is driven by the story

By Kristin Dos Santos Nov 23, 2010 6:17 PMTags
Taylor MomsenDave Hogan/Getty Images

Taylor Momsen has been largely MIA this season on Gossip Girl. So she has to be on her way out, right? After all, how long can the CW support this girl's massive eyeliner addiction? And of course, there are those ever-growing rumors of diva-ish behavior. (We even heard it from Tim Gunn!)

So this may surprise you, but according to multiple sources connected to the series:

Taylor "isn't going anywhere" and the behavior issues are "nothing new."

Like the other original Gossip castmembers, Taylor is contracted through season seven, and I'm told she'll remain a part of the series moving forward. We just won't see her in every episode.

Sources confirm what my frenemy Michael Ausiello first reported over at Deadline, that Taylor's character Jenny won't be seen for at least four consecutive episodes, starting with the Dec. 6 midseason finale.

Insiders tell me Taylor's absence (she's only appeared in three episodes so far this season) has been largely a creative decision—one that both the Gossip Girl higher-ups and Taylor seem satisfied with. "Jenny isn't in college like everyone else, so it's hard to weave her into the central storylines," says one source. "We don't want to just bring her in to hang out at the breakfast table with Lily and Rufus and say a line or two—we want a reason to have her there."

And I'm told Taylor is happy to have the time off to work on her music career—instead of hanging around all day on set for that line or two.

As for the diva rumors, sources tell me Taylor's behavior is nothing new—she's been, um, standing up for what she believes is right since season one. And yet it doesn't appear to have affected her relationships with fellow castmembers or the show's higher-ups. "Everyone likes her," says one source.  "Her absence really is driven by the story. Anything else is speculative."

So far no comment from reps for Gossip Girl or Momsen.