Blake Lively, Penn Badgley’s ex-girlfriend, was called both his best and worst on-screen kiss.

When they first connected on the Gossip Girl set in 2007, Lively and Badgley were young stars in the entertainment industry. After starring in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005), the former gained some attention, although Badgley’s most well-known part was as a supporting actor in John Tucker Must Diҽ (yes, that Tucker!).

Rumors of an off-screen romance started to circulate almost immediately, but the couple quickly dispelled them. Lively stated to People at the beginning of 2008, “People always try to delve into your personal life or fabricate things that aren’t there. It’s absurd. It goes without saying that having a guy buddy raises a “romance alert” for the media, but I have always been friends with boys. They were seen kissing in Mexico by May, which effectively broke the ice under Lively’s soapbox.

Why We Loved Them: Lively and Badgley felt like our second shot at a teenage dream come true, especially after the heartbreaking blσw of O.C. actors Rachel Bilson and Adam Brody’s off-screen split. Lively claims that the Gossip Girl producers were well aware of the uplifting power of an off-screen romance for the show’s audience. They favored dating for all of us. It was their intention for each of us to dress exactly like we do on the show. They desired that as it supported their entire story. The actress said to Vanity Fair in 2017 that “people could buy into this world.”

When They Reached Their Maximum: To be honest, the end of this relationship was the best part. Unfortunately for Badgley, Lively’s much anticipated (until it wasn’t) wedding to Ryan Reynolds fell during the same period as his independent film Greetings from Tim Buckley press tour. The You star was repeatedly questioned about the recent accomplishment of his co-star-ex-girlfriend, and he was cσmpelled to acknowledge that he had learned about the wedding via press sources. He remarked, “I think it’s fantastic, but I actually didn’t know until last night.” “I’m incredibly happy for her.” He was questioned again about whether he had given the blushing bride a wedding present. No, he didn’t.