Penn Badgley says Blake Lively ‘saved’ him

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

It sounds like Penn Badgley has great respect for his former costar and girlfriend, Blake Lively.

In an interview with Variety, Badgley talked about his former relationship with Lively, whom he was romantically involved with for three years during their time on “Gossip Girl,” which aired from 2007 to 2012.

“Beyond our relationship, I don’t think anybody was going to be interested in me publicly,” Badgley told the publication.

The fame that came their way was massive and the actor said he views that time in his 20s as both “fun and fast-paced” while also having a “dark undercurrent that would bottom out in my later 20s.”

When asked if any of the darkness had to do with substance abuse, Badgley clarified.

“To be honest, I never struggled with substance,” he said. “Blake didn’t drink, and I think our relationship in some ways saved me from forcing myself to go down that road.”

Badgley, who is currently starring in the hit Netflix series “You,” married singer and actress Domino Kirke in 2017. Lively has been married to actor Ryan Reynolds since 2012 and the couple recently welcomed their fourth child together.

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